Wrapsody's Annual "Hope Floats"

Campaign & Balloon Release

 

Wrapsody's annual "Hope Floats" Campaign raises money for free mammograms to be given locally through the "Joy to Life" Organization in conjunction with the Alabama Department of Public Health and East Alabama Medical Foundation in Lee County, Ala. Customers can purchase balloons and tags throughout the month of October. The tags, written by each customer, contain sentiments, messages of hope or simply an honoree's name. The tags, along with the balloons and photos, hang in the inspirational Hope Floats store window throughout this original campaign in celebration of life and hope for breast cancer patients. At the end of the month, the balloons and tags are let go and "float" up during the Hope Floats Balloon Release! 

 

Says Colleen Alsobrook, Director of East Alabama Medical Foundation, "The money will indeed go towards free mammograms- especially since the state money that the health department depends on is almost gone, and now they will only provide mammorgrams for women over 50. I don't know what we would do without generous support from people in the community like you!" 

 

        

Wrapsody of Auburn Balloon Release from Eagle Eye TV on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 Each year, door prizes are announced every 15 minutes, and customers can use a "Pink Pass" to receive 20 percent off their entire purchase for two hours on the day of the balloon release. 

 

 

The money raised from the sales of the tags and balloons ($2 each), along with the new "Hope Floats" T-shirts ($12, includes tag and balloon - printed by Stamp of Auburn) and "Positivity" bracelets ($10 for a set of 3; one to keep, two to give away) will go to the Joy to Life Foundation and East Alabama Medical Foundation in Auburn, Ala. 

 

 

 

The Joy to Life Foundation provides free mammograms in Alabama for medically underserved women under 50 years of age who do not have the resources for early detection of breast cancer. Founded in 2001 by Joy Blondheim, the foundation has been able to provide over 5,445 mammograms to date.

 

 

 

To find out more about East Alabama Medical Foundation, click here.

 

For more information on the Joy to Life Foundation, click here.  

 

 

The annual balloon release is held simultaneously in both Auburn and Hoover stores toward the end of October to celebrate and symbolize our hope in educating and assisting local women as well as the symbolic release of customers' wishes, memoriam and loved ones who have been affected by breast cancer.

 

 

 

Past "Hope Floats" Campaigns

 

 

"Hope Floats" Campaign, 2010

 

http://www.otmj.com/2010/10/wrapsody%E2%80%99s-2nd-annual-hope-floats/

 

http://www.theplainsman.com/view/full_story/10070606/article-Wrapsody-raises-cancer-awareness-through-%E2%80%9CHope-Floats%E2%80%9D-campaign

 

http://www.thecornernews.com/index.php/loveliest_village/comments/breast-cancer-hopefully-floating-away/

 

http://birmingham.skirt.com/events/hope-floats-balloon-release-breast-cancer

 

"Hope Floats" Campaign, 2009

 

http://verabradley.org/posts/180-Store-Spotlight-Vera-Bradley-Retailer-Wrapsody

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Other Philanthropies We Love and Support

The Wrapsody family has friends and aquaintances who have had their lives altered by terminal and non-terminal illnesses alike.

 CaringBridge serves as a daily resource we use to keep in touch with those we love and care about.

In 1997, founder Sona Mehring’s close friend experienced a life-threatening pregnancy. To keep family and friends informed about the critical situation, Sona and friends created a website that allowed family members to communicate information to a wide circle of people without disturbing the mother’s needs for rest or placing additional demands on hospital staff.

CaringBridge® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit web service that connects family and friends during a critical illness, treatment or recovery.

A CaringBridge site is personal, private and available 24/7. It helps ease the burden of keeping family and friends informed, and patients and caregivers draw strength from loved ones’ messages of support.

Big Oak Ranch

John Croyle and his wife Tee have seen their dream of building the best children's home in America grow into three separate facilities in Northeast Alabama: Big Oak Boys' Ranch in Gadsden, Big Oak Girls' Ranch in Springville, and Westbrook Christian School, Inc. in Rainbow City. The Big Oak ministry grew out of John's desire to give hurting children a chance.

John played football at the University of Alabama under the legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Faced with one of the most important decisions of his life -- whether to play professional football or to start a children's home -- John followed the Lord's leadership and established Big Oak Boys' Ranch in 1974. Big Oak Ranch, Inc. was incorporated in the State of Alabama as a 501(c)(3) Corporation in that same year.

Since 1974, John and Tee, along with the Big Oak Ranch staff, have been called to meet the needs of hundreds of children by giving them a solid, Christian home and a chance to fulfill God's plan for their lives. Like every family, we've enjoyed great success stories and heartbreaking failures. Yet the cornerstone, and even the name of Big Oak Ranch, has remained fundamentally rooted in Isaiah 61:3, "And they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord that He may be glorified."

We consider Big Oak Ranch a part of the Wrapsody family and hope that you will visit their website

to learn more about the great love, compassion and support the ranch provides for children going through tough times.