Reece's Rainbow 2010 Christmas Angel Tree

It's that time again, and for the second year in a row I have the honor of being a Christmas Warrior for a special little boy named Nikita listed through Reece's Rainbow. Nikita is an orphan living in an institution in Eastern Europe and he also happens to have Down Syndrome. Orphans like Nikita who are disabled often have no place in their society. When they are born, their parents are often urged to send them away, try again, get over the pain. They normally end up in orphanages and around the age of 4, are transferred to adult mental institutions where they are shut away for the rest of their lives. A large majority die within the first year of transfer. Reece's Rainbow was started in 2006 when a woman named Andrea Roberts decided that this was not ok. She couldn't stand by and let this happen to children, those just like her own son Reece who also happens to have Down Syndrome. What started small, as an effort by one woman has grown. In this past year alone, Andrea has received the 2010 Congressional Angel in Adoption Award and has been voted People Magazine's Reader's Choice Hero of the Year. Reece's Rainbow is an adoption ministry that strives to locate these orphans, advocate for them, and helps to raise grant funds to help with the costs needed to adopt these children into loving families. The Angel Tree is their biggest fundraiser of the year. My job as Nikita's Christmas Warrior is to get his face out to as many people as possible, his family has to be out there somewhere. And, also to try to raise at least $1000 for him by the end of December. This money will go into his adoption grant to pay for some of the adoption costs for his family when they are found. An international adoption can cost $20,000 - $30,000 plus, so this is a drop in the bucket. But, the more we can raise for him, the better his chances of ending up in a loving home, not another statistic. I am asking all of you to help me get the word out, on your blogs, Face Book, email. If you can donate, wonderful, but we can all do something to help. I am also giving away a $100 Target gift card. Every $5 you donate through my Chip In between now and Dec 15th will get you one entry. I will draw a winner and announce it on Dec 16th, so you can get it in time for Christmas. You can also send checks directly to Reece's Rainbow in Nikita's behalf, but if you do let me know, so I can verify and include you in the raffle. And include in the memo line Nikita R and your email address so you can get a tax deductible receipt. My sweet friend Kim "Funky Monky" has also organized an auction on Face Book in Nikita's behalf. Come bid on one of her original toy creations and items from other boutiques here. You can click on the picture of the item to place a bid. This will be an ongoing auction until Dec 6th, so drop by often as new items will be added. And, if you donate at least $35 through the Chip In between now and Dec 15th, you will get a Christmas ornament with Nikita's picture on it. I hope to be able to post regularly, so please check back, and Thank You!