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Guest blog: Tools of healing, 400 Bags of Hope delivered!

 This blog is guest written by Leigh Sittenauer, Bags of Fun development and events coordinator
 
We (Bags of Fun Omaha) are excited to announce that we’ve delivered close to 400 bags since September of 2019!
 
What are these “bags”, you ask? These vibrant bags are tools for healing. Each bag, filled with $400 worth of rehabilitative, manipulative, educational toys and tools, is delivered to a child in a local hospital fighting to survive cancer, heart disease, small bowel disease, organ transplants, battens disease, cystic fibrosis, epilepsy and many other life-threatening conditions.
 
But, we aren’t stopping at 400. Recently, we’ve begun a new partnership with Boys Town National Research Hospital and we hope to start delivering to patients at QLI recovering from traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries in the near future, as well as children at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital. We still have many children to reach. Bags of Fun Omaha is actively seeking funding and applying for grants to make this possible and to be able to reach more children locally.
 

 
Public support is a critical component to delivering more bags and we are so grateful for the engagement of our community! We recently held our first Golf Tournament at Indian Creek, presented by Landmark Performance Homes, and we were honored to have 18 foursomes participate. Their support, along additional sponsors Doering Fleet Management, Ambassador Health Pediatrics, Wesley A. Siebert BSP Principal Financial Group, UBS, The Poker Guy, Hartford Funds, Core Bank, Realty One Group Sterling Team Gold, and Charles E. Lakin Foundation, raised enough funds to deliver 16 more Bags of Fun.
 
How can you be a part of getting the next bags into kids’ hands? Join us for our Second Annual Bags for Bags Cornhole Tournament at the Barn in Bennington on August 21st. This will be a wonderful and fun family event! Take part in the double elimination cornhole tournament competing for our traveling trophy. Live music, face painting, a strolling magician, a bubble fairy, bounce house, BBQ from Porky Butts and of course beverages will all be part of the festivities. We will also have a silent auction at the event. Our goal is to raise enough funds for 65 Bags of Fun, making a big dent in our anticipated total delivery of roughly 200 Bags of Fun for 2022.
 
Also, you can save the date for other upcoming events including a fundraiser at Top Golf on September 22 and our second Poker Tournament on October 15th presented by “The Poker Guy” with premium poker tables and supplies as well as an electronic bracket to keep track of the players.
 
We hope you’ll join us in our mission to bring joy, laughter and relief to children being treated locally for life-threatening conditions.
 
See how you can support Bags of Fun with a donation, your volunteer time, shop their wish list and RSVP for fundraising events HERE.
 
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We have so much great news to share from our nonprofit partners about their amazing work. But, we'd love to hear from you. Let us know if you have stories you'd like to tell and we'll make you a guest blogger!!