December 27, 2009

The Children's Holiday Campaign
I’ve written in this column a couple of times about our annual Children’s Holiday Campaign, which I manage with my colleague Lievanna Gore. Each year, we raise funds that go directly back into the community – no overhead costs, no administrative fees – because the McCormick Foundation, Hartford Courant and FOX 61 cover those costs. And before we grant out the money to local nonprofits, the McCormick Foundation matches the donations 50 cents on the dollar. That’s so important, especially in these difficult economic times, because it provides us the opportunity to grant out additional dollars to these very worthy organizations. If you are not familiar with our campaign and the organizations it benefits, here’s a list of some of the nonprofits that have received grants in the past: Boys & Girls Club of Hartford, Foodshare, Connecticut Food Bank, Read to Grow, Interval House, Community Renewal Team, The Village for Families & Children, Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford, Prudence Crandall Center, My Sister’s Place, Educational Resources for Children, Families in Crisis, Network Against Domestic Abuse, Trust House, House of Bread, The Bridge Family Center, Our Piece of the Pie, Literacy Volunteers of Central Connecticut, American School for the Deaf, Wheeler Clinic, Nutmeg Big Brothers Big Sisters, Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury

We hope you will consider making a donation to the Children’s Holiday Campaign – it’s not too late and any donation helps. Remember, the McCormick Foundation matches your contributions 50 cents on the dollar and every penny raised is returned to the community.

For more information or to make your gift, visit www.courant.com/chc or call 1-800-931-5144. Thank you to all who have already donated, and happy holidays to our readers.



Dec. 16 was an exciting day for the kids at the Burns Early Learning Center Office for Young Children as we delivered presents to the class. Here I am pictured with the kids and their dedicated teachers as we got ready to hand out the gifts purchased by Hartford Courant and FOX CT employees for each child.



FOX CT traffic reporter Rachel Lutzker (left) and Morning News anchor Logan Byrnes (3rd from left) are pictured here with members of the New Haven Police Department. Lutzker and Byrnes were asked to judge at the “Chief’s Holiday Spirit Contest” on Dec. 16.



On Dec. 11, FOX CT reporter Laurie Perez played host at the NiRo Design Center’s First Annual Fashion Design Awards to benefit NiRo’s Youth Design Program, which “excites, encourages, educates and empowers” Greater Hartford’s youth through handson experiences in fashion.