Beads of Courage™ Joins National #GivingTuesday Movement to Encourage Spending with a Purpose

Tucson, AZ, November 16, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Beads of Courage, Inc., a nonprofit organization supporting children with serious illness, has joined #GivingTuesday, a first of its kind effort to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season.

Taking place on December 2, 2014 – the Tuesday after Thanksgiving – #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a national moment around the holidays dedicated to giving, similar to the way Black Friday and Cyber Monday have become days that are synonymous with holiday shopping.

The Beads of Courage #GivingTuesday fundraiser has set a goal of $20,000 to support the organization’s "Beads from a Distance" program. Through Beads from a Distance, children undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses receive colorful beads for every test, treatment, and procedure they undergo.

Beads from a Distance is specifically for children who can not receive beads through a hospital in their area, either because there is no hospital program in their area, or because their hospital does not provide beads for their particular illness.

"We have had more requests than ever this year for Beads from a Distance, which we provide at no cost to families," said Jean Baruch, PhD, RN, executive director of Beads of Courage. "Our goal for #GivingTuesday is to send beads before the holidays to over 300 children on the waiting list for the distance program, and to raise additional funds to sustain and grow the program for 2015."

Beads of Courage programs have been shown to decrease illness-related distress, increase the use of positive coping strategies, help children find meaning in their illness, restore a sense of self, and provide a way to tell others of their experiences. The beads serve as powerful visual symbols of courage and help children realize how strong they are in the face of frightening medical challenges.

"#GivingTuesday is a counter narrative to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, because it reminds us that the spirit of the holiday giving season should be about community and not just consumerism," said Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation, which is a founding partner of the #GivingTuesday movement. "The most meaningful gift we can give our children, loved ones, friends and neighbors is the commitment to work together to help build a better world."

Those interested in joining the Beads of Courage #GivingTuesday initiative can visit www.crowdrise.com/BOCGivingTuesday/fundraiser/beadsofcourage to donate.

Follow Beads of Courage on Facebook for updates at www.Facebook.com/beadsofcourage.

For more details about the #GivingTuesday movement, visit the #GivingTuesday website at www.givingtuesday.org.

Source: Beads of Courage, Inc.

About Beads of Courage: The mission of Beads of Courage (BOC) is to provide innovative arts-in-medicine programs for children coping with cancer and other serious illness, their families, and healthcare providers who care for them. BOC programs are evidence-based interventions designed to strengthen resilience, alleviate suffering, and improve the psychosocial adjustment process. Beads of Courage currently serves 260 member hospitals in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Japan and New Zealand. BOC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.beadsofcourage.org.

Follow Beads of Courage:

Twitter: Twitter.com/beadsofcourage

Facebook: Facebook.com/beadsofcourage

Pinterest: Pinterest.com/beadsofcourage

About #GivingTuesday: #GivingTuesday is a movement to celebrate and provide incentives to give. It will culminate with a global day of giving on December 2, 2014. This effort harnesses the collective power of a unique blend of partners – charities, families, businesses and individuals – to transform how people think about, talk about and participate in the giving season. #GivingTuesday will inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes they celebrate, and help create a better world. #GivingTuesday will harness the power of social media to create a global moment that is dedicated to giving around the world.
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Beads of Courage, Inc.
Becca Gladden, Director of Communications
623-210-6554
www.beadsofcourage.org
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