Spring’s not here, but we’ve got beer!! It’s that time of year- March Madness, a longing for Spring, St. Patty’s Day, and Mardi Gras- but wouldn’t you like a chance to give back AND have some fun at the same time!?

Come to Beer Tasting at Haymarket Brewery! 737 W. Randolph St. www.haymarketbrewing.com

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16th 7P-10P!!

Here are the details:

For the tasting- entry will be $15, $10 with a donation of children’s books (Pre-K-8th grade please!) for Galapagos Charter School on the West Side!

To try the beer, it is $1.50-$2.50 per 4oz pour- there will be lots of options, and an expert on hand to teach you about the beer you are trying!

Other FABULOUS activities will include a Beer Goggles Photo Contest and March themed trivia- prizes will also be March themed and AWESOME.

These are just a few of the precious memories from our events in 2010. Again we cannot do any of these events without you OneBrickers who come out, give your time and make such a difference with the effort you make. We are looking to having many more events in 2011 and even trying some new events.

Please spread the word to all of your friends.

More volunteers= more events!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOU ROCK!

Last month’s Holiday Happy Hour asked attendees to bring a toy to donate to the Comer Children’s Hospital at the University of Chicago Medical Center.  We received this awesome thank you letter and just had to share!

Dear One Brick,

The Child Life and Family Education Program at Comer Children’s Hospital would like to sincerely thank you for your generosity this holiday season.  Your donation of toys and gift cards helped make Christmas magical for each of our hospitalized children and their families.  Please extend this thank you to all involved at One Brick.

Thanks to your support, our team was able to set up a store this year dedicated for parents to choose gifts for their children.  When a child is hospitalized the entire family routine becomes disrupted.  Daily responsibilities of laundry, cl eaning and paying bills become very difficult to maintain.  Having time to shop for Christmas becomes nearly impossible.  The holiday store, called Comer’s Toyland, provided a wonderful opportunity for parents to contribute to their child’s holiday joy at no cost to them and without leaving the hospital.  Words cannot describe the appreciation from every parent.  Several parents filled with tears at the sight of the store and one in particular stated, “You have no idea how much this means.  I was so worried about how I was going to get any gifts for my child.  Thank you so much!”

Christmas would not be complete without a visit from Santa.  Your donations also made is possible for Santa to deliver gift bags to every child on Christmas Day.  The magic of the season was visible in each child’s eyes.  Ryan, a 3 year old boy, stared in amazement at Santa and with his help, started opening his gifts.  Mom and dad were holding back tears as they took pictures to remember this special moment.  Alexis, a 9 year old girl, popped up in bed as Santa entered her room.  She immediately started opening her bag of gifts and exclaimed, “WOW!  This is just what I wanted!” as she saw her new art kit.

Your donations helped to make Christmas a reality for those in need.  Many of our families are faced with additional emotional and financial challenges during the holiday season.  Thank you for making a difference.  We look forward to continuing our partnership with you in the future.  We wish you and your family peace and good health in 2011.

Amy Carter, MS, CCLSChild Life Specialist, Donations Coordinator

Pat Manning, MEd, CCLSDirector, Child Life and Family Education