Bowling Green agencies step up to the plate

But dont' take my word for it. Visit the WHAS Crusade for Children website to find out how Kids on the Block among several other local agencies are working to raise money and awareness for the Crusade. More details to follow in the coming weeks!

Gift Wrap Give Back

As we begin to pull into the final two week homestretch before the holidays, I can't help but smile (and gloat a little) at the fact that my shopping is done. To me, that's the easy part. It's the wrapping that really gets me. If you're in the same boat as me, I have the solution--gift wrapping at Barnes & Noble. The Kids on the Block team, comprised of our wonderful board members, will be on location wrapping your gifts for donations. You can visit our table between 11 and 6 on Saturday and again from 12-4 on Sunday. And if you have several packages, just think about how you can kick back and enjoy a read or a latte while we work. So come help us help you, too. Remember, donations from the community keep our troupe performing for the Bowling Green/Warren County children free of charge. We hope to see you this weekend!

Puppets on Parade in Smiths Grove

Looking for something to do with the family this Friday evening? Our troupe has been invited to march in the 10th Smiths Grove Christmas Parade. Gather in downtown Smiths Grove for the parade at 6 p.m. Kids on the Block will be among floats, marching bands, beauty pageant winners, and other special participants. It looks to be a brisk evening, so cuddle up with your family and 2,000 expected spectators for the event. (And don't forget the hot chocolate!) Be sure to look for our "Kids" waving from the van and catch the treats as we toss them into the crowd.

And before I leave you, I'll share a shot of the KOB board members that happily came to this morning's early holiday meeting.

GoodSearch

Many of you probably received this in an email, but if you did not here is a note from Debbie, our Executive Director:

It has been a couple of years since we asked everyone to put GoodSearch on their toolbars. GoodSearch is a way for KOB to earn donations every time you search the Internet; they have also added GoodShop which is a new online shopping mall which donates up to 30 percent of each purchase. There are some great stores: Amazon, Gap, Best Buy, eBay, Macy's, and Barnes & Noble, just to name a few. I'm asking everyone to do this as there are organizations that have made $1,000 or up to $30,000 in a year. Please go to this site GoodSearch toolbar for KOB and add the toolbar to your computer. Every little bit helps, and if you do any Christmas shopping online, it may really help KOB. Thanks.

GoodSearch is powered by Yahoo! Search. It's a tiny toolbar in your Internet browsers, so give it a try. Don't be afraid to pass the link along to any other family and friends who would like to support Kids on the Block. Thanks, everyone!

Edit: Here are some details about the GoodShop portion of the toolbar, including the values of donations from popular stores. You must link to these stores through the GoodShop button on your toolbar!

Allposters.com: 7.5%
Amazon.com: 1%
American Eagle: 1.5-3%
Barnes and Noble: 3%
Bath and Body Works: 3.5%
Best Buy: 1.5%
Dick's Sporting Goods: 1.5-4.5%
eBay: 25-37.5% donation of eBay's Revenue (not item sale price) on All winning bids/buy it nows
Gap: 2.5%
Half.com: 2.5-5.5%
iTunes: 2.5%
Kohl's: 2%
Macy's: 1.5-2.5%
Netflix: $10 donation for brand new paid subscriptions
Old Navy: 2.5%
Sirius Satellite Radio: 5-10%
Toys 'R' Us: 1.5-2%
Walgreens: 3%
Williams Sonoma: 2%

On a side note: most hotel chains, mobile phone companies, and several airlines participate.

Hand Washing: A Brief Life Lesson

And I mean that quite literally in many ways. At the office we are still basking in the greatness that is our water heater, especially as cold and flu season settles in. We eat up all the stories in our media as we hear how important hand washing is to prevent the spread of disease. As adults, we should be experts on hand washing, but maybe kids don't quite have the same grasp we do. This is why Kids on the Block started offering the 5-minute skit, Life Lessons: Hand Washing, as an optional add-on to all performances. The effort launched yesterday, pairing the skit with the Childhood Obesity programs in Barren County. So counselors, teachers, parents, etc., keep this in mind when you schedule your next program. Go ahead and ask us to add the Hand Washing program!

Just as a side feature for our adult readers, I've always battled with which soap is more effective: antibacterial or plain-Jane hand soap. I caught a feature on Good Morning America the other day and researched a little more, so I'll pass on my knowledge on to you.

GMA study: Basically, antibacterial soap effectively killed more bacteria only by a very thin margin. The FDA actually recommends using regular soap over the antibacterial kind for fear that strains of bacteria will begin to evolve and develop a resistance to the antibac.
I'll even link you to the video from the GMA website.

It seems to be much more important the timing and duration of the hand washing over the type of soap used. Make it count: aim for a 20 second wash. It's easy. You know the chorus of the song that you can't get out of your head? Just let that play out while you wash. Also, we know to wash after the bathroom, but don't forget to hit the sink before you eat, touch your eyes, handle an animal, make food, and when around sick people.
And if for some reason you or someone you know thinks the 20 seconds is time wasted, turn it into a pampering experience. Pair the wash with a creamy lotion. Your hands will thank you this winter when dry skin season comes blowing in!

Can You Hear Me Now?

Yes, we can thanks to the WHAS Crusade for Children grant and DC Communications. Board member Inga Wolff put us in contact with Darren Casada and within a couple weeks we replaced our entire system. See: our phones finally match! Not only that, each employee has her own extension and voice mailbox. We've been playing around with the intercom feature throughout the day; incidentally, we've done a pretty good job of scaring each other, too. Just be aware, we're still learning the new system so if you happen to call the office and we accidentally transfer you wrong or hang up on you, it's nothing personal!

Tobacco Program Debuts Wednesday

This Wednesday, over 200 students in Manchester, KY will be among the first to view our Tobacco Abuse Prevention Program. This program is one of two brand new show topics introduced this fall. As tobacco abuse remains a widespread issue in the state, our program aims to reduce the number of children involved with tobacco. The 30 minute program identifies the different types of tobacco products and the harmful effects the substance has on the body. Like our other programs, the Tobacco Abuse Prevention Program features a question and answer session in which children in the audience are free to relay any comments and concerns to the star puppets of the program.
Locally, the program is supported by The Medical Center. Also, Kids on the Block has partnered with the Smoke Free Communities Coalition of Bowling Green. This partnership offers us handouts and activities for audience members along with opportunities to deliver our programs at local special events free-of-charge.
The Tobacco Abuse Prevention Program debuts locally on Tuesday, November 12 2009 at 7:30 AM for the 6th graders at Bristow Elementary.
For more information on the program and how to view or schedule, call (270) 842-2259.