The Charities:

The Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary Club is involved in a number of local projects. One of the biggest projects they are involved with is the “Shoes for Kids” Initiative. The Club buys $ 20.00 Gift cards at Payless Shoesource, which are then distributed to the local schools. The school nurse assesses the needs of the kids and signs them out to the children in need, who can present it at the store for a pair of shoes up to the $ 20.00 value. There is no administration fees associated with the cards, so 100% of the donations go directly to the program.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF) is the world’s largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease which strikes in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood but lasts a lifetime. It requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. JDRF was founded in 1970 by the parents of children with type 1 diabetes. As a result, JDRF volunteers have a personal connection to type 1 diabetes, which translates into an unrelenting commitment to find a cure.