Dear Oxford Kids Foundation Supporter,

Over the years we have made a positive impact with so many children and their families by providing therapies they would not have received without your charitable giving. Each of you have been key contributors to Oxford and I thank you for your unwavering support of the children that depend on your continued generosity.While our progress has been tremendous and the stories of recovery are overwhelming, there are so many more children we have not been able to help because we do not have the financial resources required. That is why I am asking for your support and action. I am asking for your commitment to help to reach new levels for these children.

Our mission remains the same; to help children with disabilities, chronic illness, and traumatic injuries have access to therapies and medical care not covered by insurance.  We enable these children to receive the therapies they so desperately need but cannot afford.  These therapies can help recover the children and give them back the life they deserve.

Many of you have asked me how you can help change a child’s life.  What we really need is for each of you to take action in support of the children and to actively get others involved in Oxford Kids Foundation.  The below Top Ten list is just a few areas where we need you and your friends, families and social networks to make the decision to support this tremendous charity.  I am asking you to make the choice and support at least one of the items below.  Without your specific commitment to action, the children we need to help will not receive the therapies they need and deserve.  All it takes is for you to decide that “I will make a difference in a child’s life today”.

Ten Ways to Help Oxford Kids Foundation

These are just a few ways for you to get involved in changing a child’s life.  But to have an impact, I need each of you to be engaged in this tremendous charity and that means committing to taking action.  Through your support, time and effort, we can help the children that so desperately need our ongoing support.  I look forward to connecting with each of you to help drive this wonderful charity to the next level.  I appreciate your support and let’s go help these kids.

For questions, support or to volunteer please visit our website Oxford Kids Foundation , call the Foundation at 248.264.2244 or contact me directly at the number below.  Thank you for supporting the Oxford Kids Foundation.

Todd Sheppelman
Diamond Sponsor
Chairman Emeritus, 2010-2017

Ten Ways to Help

1. Do you have a favorite local store, restaurant or business that your frequent?  Tell the manager about the great things Oxford Kids Foundation does and ask for a gift card donation ($25, $50 or $100) that we will sell at the Charity Gala in April.  It is an easy way to provide funding and local merchants are very supportive.
2. Do you or your friends have season tickets to the Red Wings, Tiger, Lions Pistons, Wolverines or Spartans?  Does your company have a suite at the Palace, Joe Louis, Tiger Stadium, Ford Field or Little Cesar’s Arena?  You can donate tickets to these local sporting events for The Charity Gala.

3. Another way to raise donations is through restaurant fundraisers! You could approach your favorite restaurant and ask if they would host a fundraising night where a percentage of revenue is donated to the foundation.

4. It does not take a lot of money to make an impact.  Instead of buying that Carmel Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappuccino at Starbucks, you can donate $5 per week to the Foundation.  At the end of the year your $250 pledge will change a child’s life instead of expanding your waistline!  Set up a weekly, monthly or annual pledge to the Foundation.  It is quick, painless and easy.
5. At my company Air International, we raise $7,500 per year for Oxford Kids Foundation with office pot lucks, Super Bowl Squares, Basketball Brackets at tournament time and other easy office participation events.  Can you champion fundraising events at your work, church, country club or with your social networks?  It is a fun activity and helps build teamwork within the organization.  If you need ideas, give me a call.
6. Do you have any sports or celebrity memorabilia just sitting around collecting dust?  You can donate it to the silent auction.  Or how about partnering up with a team of friends to create a silent auction gift basket.  If you need gift basket ideas, please contact the Foundation for a list.

7. Are you one of the many lucky people who have a cabin or lake house “Up North”?  You can donate a week’s stay at your cabin as part of the Live Auction event at the next upcoming Gala.

8. Most companies sponsor multiple charities over the course of a year.  We are looking for company sponsorships at the April 2017 Charity Gala event to be held at Orchard Lake Country Club.  Sponsorships levels are $1,000, $5,000 and $10,000.  Be an advocate for Oxford Kids Foundation at your company.  I can help talk with your company about how to get involved and the great things the Foundation does to support the kids.  Just let me know how I can help you.

9. As the US stock market reaches records levels, it creates a unique opportunity for one of the most tax-efficient ways to contribute to charity.  Donating long-term appreciated stocks directly to a public charity, rather than selling the stock and donating the net cash proceeds, is one of the easiest ways for a giver to give much more!  This method of giving is very popular because of two key tax advantages; a tax deduction is allowed for the full fair market value of the stock and capital gains taxes from selling the stock no longer apply.  The tax savings from a direct stock donation can be more than double the value of selling, then donating the net proceeds.  Please consider gifting long-term appreciated stock as a way to maximize the value of your charitable donation.  You can contact the Foundation for more information.

10. We will be auctioning off 52 bottles of wine as part of our “Win a Wine a Week for a Year” live auction event at the April 2017 gala.  We are looking for supporters to donate 52 higher end wines to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.  All it takes is for you to buy a single $25 or higher bottle of wine and donate it to the event.  Buy another for yourself to enjoy.