Miracle League Wins 2013 SayThanksAustin Campaign!

See all my photos here: Facebook

Celebration is at hand as the Miracle League takes home the winning $10,000 prize from the Recognize Good "Say Thanks Austin" 2013 Campaign, after closing ceremonies took place this morning on a beautiful, sunny, 70-degree day in February at Austin's City Hall.

+ VOTE BROWN  +

Although many well-deserving Austinites were present today, there could only be one winner, and that was the Miracle League. Led by the superlative Steve and Tracey Brown and upheld by dozens of high-caliber volunteers, this organization helps children and young adults with special needs realize their true physical and social potential by offering them the chance to excel at outdoor team sports to the best of their abilities. I am proud to know these people and to have been a part of their organization for the past year as a field marshal. The kids that run, walk, stumble, or even wheel out onto the Miracle League's specially designed field can do much more than give their best efforts in softball and kickball; they give us all pause and reason to be thankful, to find joy in the little things, to connect in meaningful ways with those around us, and to love one another and lift each other up to the highest capacity for greatness in our lives. 

The Miracle League is first and foremost about the children it serves, and their families, but an important secondary effect is the life-changing impact made on the buddies and volunteers who make it possible. Every moment on the field is special, and every person is there with a passion to be good. It is a heartwarming and joyous place where no matter what happens off the field, all struggles can be surmounted and put into positive perspective, especially when we work together. This message is not only important to the differently-abled children and families who struggle with their hardships, but also to the everyday people who give their time and energy to realize just what's possible when we all lend a helping hand and extend ourselves for one another.

It is my honor to wish the Brown family and the Miracle League my utmost compliments and congratulations for their success in this campaign. I know that the funding will be used wisely to accomplish even more greatness, and the commnity recognition will put a legacy stamp on the level of good that comes from this organization. My heartfelt thanks go to Recognize Good for being there to support the best people Austin has to offer, and I also fervently wish to thank my friends, family, colleagues, and social media connections for the profound support you contributed by ardent daily voting. Every one of you made a difference. This was a record-breaking year for the campaign with over 62,000 votes, many of which I know came from you. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart, for being there to support this very deserving cause.

See all my photos here: Facebook Album

For more information, please see the following:

Original Blog Post

Recognize Good
Miracle League
Miracle League Kids
Steve and Tracey Brown
2013 SayThanksAustin Campaign Video
Post-Campaign News

+ THANK YOU  +

Miracle League and A Record-Breaking SayThanksAustin Campaign

Today, Recognize Good posted this update on Facebook:

Thank you Austin for a HUGE response! SayThanksAustin 2014 broke every record possible, with tens of thousands of proud supporters saying THANK YOU to our Class of 2013 Legend award winners. Voting is now closed. Be the first to find out the final results by signing up for our email newsletter HERE.

I just want to take a moment and thank all of my friends, family, and any other IBTK followers out there who helped me vote the Brown family and Miracle League into the spotlight. I believe we made a huge impact on this year's campaign and I really look forward to seeing the final results.

Of course, we all send our much heartfelt thanks to Steve and Tracey Brown! No matter what happens, you are winners and the best kind of folks that Austin has to offer! I believe in the powerful beauty that is Miracle League and can not wait for the spring season to start up again. Thank you for being there!

Last Day to Vote BROWN for Recognize Good - Say Thanks Austin Campaign

Votes are being counted and the BROWN family is currently about 150 votes behind first place. If you haven't voted, I could REALLY use your help right now! There are three really easy ways to do it without even signing up anywhere too unusual:

1. Go to Recognize Good on Facebook and send them a PRIVATE MESSAGE that just says "Vote BROWN"
2. Go to Twitter and tweet: @RecognizeGood Vote BROWN for #SayThanksAustin 
3. Use as many email addresses as you can to email saythanks@recognizegood.org and vote BROWN

Please please please help! This organization could really use the $10k if they win!!! Thank you!!!

For more information please see my previous post.

10 Days Left to Vote BROWN to help the Miracle League

Just a reminder to all those helping out: there are 10 days left for Recognize Good's campaign to "Say Thanks Austin" and every day you can vote up to 7 different ways for the BROWN family. Please help me get the word out and hopefully the Miracle League will be the recipient of the $10,000 prize. This organization is a wonderful one, please help me give back to it!

Thank you!!!

For additional info, click here to see previous post.

The Miracle League in Austin

Happy Friday everyone!

As I may have told you, for the past year I've been volunteering with Miracle League, a specially-designed place for kids with special needs to get outdoors and play softball and kickball with all the social and physical support they need. High-school-aged "Buddies" help guide kids to interact with the ball and get around the bases, and I've been helping the adult coaches as a field marshall, involving a number of tasks ranging from pitching, catching, outfielding, drawing in the less-active kids more into play, and assisting buddies with kids who need a bit of extra attention either medically or behaviorally. Recognize Good is an Austin-based philanthropic program with a mission to inspire and promote goodness in our city, and I am pleased to have an opportunity to help the Miracle League simply by voting for them. Voting can be repeated daily until January 26, so each day I plan on putting in as many votes as I can until then, and I ask anyone who can help to take part.

You know I don't do this often, but if you have a Twitter account, I have a favor to ask you. Please help me raise $10,000 for the Miracle League organization by simply tweeting:

BROWN #SayThanksAustin @RecognizeGood

There are other easy ways to vote as well, each day:

1. Email your vote (including the word BROWN) to saythanks@recognizegood.org
2. Text last name (BROWN) to 512.213.4383
3. Send RecognizeGood a message (including the word BROWN) on Facebook
4. Tweet last name BROWN to @recognizegood with hashtag #SayThanksAustin
5. Online at RecognizeGood.org (follow the Login to Say Thanks)
6. STAC Mobile App (search STAC in Google Play Store or Apple App Store)
7. Physical voting card (email Traceyb1@sbcglogal.net for card)

If you want to watch a YouTube video about this, click here and/or go to the RecognizeGood site.

Your help is appreciated!! Love you all and wishing you a happy and healthy 2014!

Laura







Miracle League needs your help for us to have a chance at a donation of $10,000.00!

If Miracle League’s Steve and Tracey Brown receive the most votes, then RecognizeGood will reward us with $10,000 that will go directly to the MIRACLE LEAGUE!

Voting opened at 12:00AM on 1/2/14 and closes at 11:59PM on 1/26/14.

Anyone in the world may vote for the Browns, 7 Different Ways EACH DAY. So you could vote 7 times per day through January 26th at midnight. So if you started voting TODAY, that would add up to 133 total votes for you alone! How cool is that?

Here are the 7 ways to vote EACH DAY (click on the links to go directly to that application):

1. Email your vote (including the word BROWN) tosaythanks@recognizegood.org
2. Text last name (BROWN) to 512.213.4383
3. Send RecognizeGood a message (including the word BROWN) on Facebook
4. Tweet last name BROWN to @recognizegood with hashtag #SayThanksAustin
5. Online at RecognizeGood.org (follow the Login to Say Thanks)
6. STAC Mobile App (search STAC in Google Play Store or Apple App Store)
7. Physical voting card (email Traceyb1@sbcglogal.net for card)

If you want more information on RecognizeGood, The Miracle League or the SAY THANKS AUSTIN program that they are running, please click through to our website at http://miracle.tandcsports.org/page.php?p=148

Goodbye, 2013; Hello, 2014!

Happy New Year!

As you may have noticed, I took a break from blogging in 2013. I spent the year working on myself, volunteering, animating on my own, reading a lot, enjoying time with friends and family, producing in downtown Austin at Invodo, still supervising animation on the fully-animated short "One Per Person" (2014), and producing and directing animation on another short film coming out that was a very fun live-action / cg blend (still in non-disclosure, but coming soon in 2014). So it was a busy year, and I have a busy year cut out for 2014 as well.

Best wishes to all for a bright and happy 2014!!!

Laura