I love learning of new opportunities to help others within our local community…especially when I can attend a fun event and be part of something bigger at the same time!
The Charity
Beads of Courage is an arts-in-medicine program to benefit children coping with serious illness, their families, and health care providers. The program helps more than 60,000 children in over eight countries to document, own, and tell their stories of courage using colorful beads. Jean Baruch Gribbon developed the program in 2003, while working on her PhD in Nursing at the University of Arizona, with the help of family and friends. Her studies and work with children inspired the project. Beads of Courage became a non-profit organization in 2005.
Beads of Courage Comes to Omaha
In 2008, the Midwest Lampworkers Guild, a guild of artists who make beautiful glass beads, brought Beads of Courage to Omaha Children’s Hospital and Medical Center by hosting their first Art in the Bag event at the Hot Shops Art Center. The first event was inspired by a guild member who was undergoing treatment for cancer. This was a way for the Midwest Lampworkers Guild to use their creative talents and give back to the community. In 2012, the guild adopted Beads of Courage as the official beneficiary of Art in the Bag in order to bring the program to Omaha.
Art in the Bag
Art in the Bag has become the Midwest Lampworkers Guild’s signature fundraising event. The group hosts an evening of food and fun, with handcrafted bags, purses, and totes for sale in a silent auction to raise money for Beads of Courage. This year’s event will be held on Sunday, October 28th, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm, at the Hot Shops Art Center – located at 13th & Nicholas Street in downtown Omaha. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $20 each (adults) or $10 each (students) by visiting Art in the Bag online.
What if I can’t attend the event?
There are several great ways to support Art in the Bag, even if you cannot attend the event. If you’re an artist, or super crafty, please consider donating a handmade bag or other items to be paired with bags in the silent auction. If you own a business, you may want to sponsor the event, various levels are available, ranging in price from $100 to $500. Cash donations are accepted online as well.
Another way to support Beads of Courage is to attend the upcoming Midwest Lampworkers Guild Show – Margie’s Garden – until October 28th at the Hot Shops Art Center. Donors may sponsor a bead for just $5 and write a special message to the child who will receive the bead. All beads sold during the show were made by members of the Midwest Lampworkers Guild. During the art show, you may also adopt a bead. As part of this program, two beads are purchased for $20. You will be sponsoring one bead, to be given to a child, and keeping the other.
I want to learn more!
More information about Beads of Courage and Art in the Bag can be found online via the following links:
