Racing hermit crabs, to be exact.

On the last Wednesday of each month, beginning with March 31, The Lazy Chameleon in Powell will be holding crab races to benefit Flying Horse Farms. Attendees can place their bets on their favorite crab knowing that it will go to a good cause!

On top of all the fun with the races, Wednesdays are also all-you-can-eat crab leg night at the restaurant.

This is a great family-friendly event, and also a great way to have a wonderful meal. So grab the whole family and plan to come out for a great evening of fun.

iGive is a search engine that allows on-line shoppers to give a portion of each search they make to the cause of their choosing. It is the first of its kind and has raised over $3 million since 1997.

Here’s how it works: you sign up using the special link above, you will be designating Flying Horse Farms as your  cause. Then, every time you use the iSearch.iGive.com search engine for a “qualified” search, Flying Horse Farms will automatically receive $.02 per search. The money comes from advertisers, so costs nothing to you.

It’s that simple. Who doesn’t love a good excuse for online shopping?

This year’s event was on February 6 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Although the day was a little on the snowy side, the weather didn’t keep people from enjoying the food, drink, live music and other festivities.

Thanks also to our volunteers who stood at our display and shared the message about Flying Horse Farms with many attendees. Patrick Smith, our Camp Director, spent the afternoon in the Kids’ activities tent doing what he does best: playing with kids!

Clearly the entire event was a great way for many from Central Ohio (the NEW snowbelt) to “getaway” for a little fun. Thanks to the Westerville Sunrise Rotary, presenting sponsors Kroger and Tansky Sawmill Toyota, and the many other sponsors and participating restaurants for providing a much-needed break!

Nathan Greenberg, a 13-year-old from the Cleveland area, recently made a donation to Flying Horse Farms after raising money as part of his Mitzvah project.

Nathan was a classmate and friend of camper Emily Lewis, who lost her battle with cancer last year. He knew how much the camp meant to Emily and decided to honor her through his project. Nathan made a donation worth more than $1700–a mixture of cash, checks and some other items the camp needs.

Thanks so much to Nathan and all those who supported his efforts!

On Saturday, March 6, Saks Fifth Avenue at Polaris Fashion Place will host a Spring Beauty Trend Show to benefit Flying Horse Farms. This special event starts at 8:30am at will take place in the lower level of the mall, adjacent to the Saks cosmetics department. Tickets are $35, must be purchased in advance, and available at the store or by calling 614-430-3500. ($25 from each ticket will be donated back to Flying Horse Farms.)

The morning will be filled with inspiration, fun and fashion. Camp founder, Jenni Belford, will share her mission and vision for creating a magical place for children with serious illnesses. A camper-parent will also provide her own perspective on the many benefits of camp.

In addition, the event includes a continental breakfast from Brio, raffle prizes and giveaways and a glimpse of the newest looks and products for Spring 2010. Guests will also receive a 15% discount for the rest of the day.

This is a great opportunity to enjoy a little fashion and beauty while supporting the camp, mark your calendar and invite your friends!

The Health Center, recently framed and now with walls and a roof.

One of the best parts of my job is regular involvement in the construction process. Last week our construction team meeting took place at camp. To put things in perspective, right now I’m a Camp Director waiting for the camp facility to be built, it’s a role akin to being a test pilot waiting for the latest, most technologically advanced plane to roll off the line and be ready for a first test flight.  You know what it is supposed to look like and how it is supposed to work, but until you get the opportunity to try it out, the anticipation is almost agonizing. Regular trips up to the construction site helps me to keep my “eyes on the prize” and realize our dream will soon be a reality.

Right now the camp reminds me of an ant farm: each construction team member is focused on completing a task and progress and transformation is rapid. Every time I drive around the bend and see the progress, I feel like I’m coming to a completely different place.

This week is a perfect example. I couldn’t believe the progress that had been made since my visit seven days earlier. Like some sort of mythical creature, the Health Center appeared from the mud and snow with walls and trusses.  It was an amazing feeling to stand in the building; the same as when I stood in  one of our cabins for the first time.  My only thoughts were “the magical transforming fun has already begun.”

It will continue to be muddy and wet with patches of snow, but thanks to our friends at Glavan Feher Architects and The Daimler Group, our dedicated construction team is working every day and bring a dream much closer to reality.  I can’t say enough about the people who have put so much into building our camp.

After the meeting, as I turned back onto the main road, I swear I could hear the sound of joyful laughter echoing off the trees, but then again, that may have been my own.

I’ll keep you posted on the rapid construction progress in the coming months but really, I hope to see you all at camp soon!

Joyce Marquette, Ann Marie Webster, Kim Vandertill, Margan Walsh, Carol Ann Wheeler, and Jen Wafalosky who all ran in the Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon to raise money for Flying Horse Farms

For several years now Cleveland-area supporter Kim Vandertill has been getting up at 5:30am to go running with a group of ladies. The friends prefer the early hour because it doesn’t interfere with their many other life responsibilities – children, homes, work, etc. For one hour each morning these women have shared lifes ups and downs and been a great support to one another.

This year they decided to lend their support to Flying Horse Farms. 2010 is the year the youngest of the group is turning 40, so they felt running a race to celebrate the milestone would be appropriate. They decided on running in the Rock N Roll Arizona Marathon and Half-marathon, a much warmer climate than Cleveland in January, and raised funds through Team Hole in the Wall.

Together the group raised $4,375 for Flying Horse Farms. One donor has indicated that they will match each donation dollar-for-dollar, which will bring their grand total to more than $8500.

“Raising money through the Team Hole in the Wall program was really easy,” said Kim. “Through their website we were able to set up our own web page and our supporters could make donations online. It was really very simple.”

If you’re considering participating in an event this year, think about raising money to support the camp. There are dozens of events listed on the Team Hole in the Wall website, and they are not limited to marathons. If you are a biker, swimmer, walker, rower, fisher, triathlete, whatever your endeavor, you can raise money for the camp as well. And if the event you’d like to participate in isn’t listed, you can still participate through your own Team Challenge.

For more information on how to participate in an event through Team Hole in the Wall, visit their website.

We are very pleased to announce that Rhonda Frass has been appointed as Flying Horse Farms Board Chair. Rhonda is an accomplished leader who will guide us through a time of significant transition. 2010 will be a year that sees the construction of a significant portion of the camp, a continuation of fund raising, and operational preparation that will allow us to welcome our first campers in the fall. In addition, Fraas’s position of leadership in the community will help us continue to share the message and mission of Flying Horse Farms to a greater audience.

Rhonda currently holds the position of President of Residential Services for the Midwest Region at Time Warner Cable. Her passion for children is what initially caused her to support Flying Horse Farms and is easily seen in the other causes she supports. She’s also Board Chair for Action for Children and is a board member of the Children’s Hospital Foundation. She was also recently appointed to the Ohio Business Roundtable Task Force for Early Learning. She’s served formally with Flying Horse Farms since she joined the board in August of 2008, and was committed to the cause through her association with Jenni and David Belford prior to that.

Rhonda believes deeply that all children should be given an opportunity for good early-life experiences. She’s had the opportunity to see first hand, both in our country and others, the challenges that face many children. “I think children should have the chance to enjoy every aspect of their life,” said Rhonda. “When children are disadvantaged in one way or another, I think organizations such as Flying Horse Farms have a tremendous opportunity to affect real and lasting change in their life through the services they offer.”

Passing the baton to Rhonda is our immediate Past Board Chair, C. David Paragas, Esq. David has brought our organization through a tremendous amount of development and we’re thankful for the time and energy he’s devoted to the camp. David will continue to serve on our Board of Directors.

The annual family-oriented wintertime fund-raising event raises money and increases awareness to benefit many children’s charities in Central Ohio. This year some of the proceeds will benefit Flying Horse Farms.

Since the event began in 1997, it has helped raise over $1.3 million for area children’s charities. The Westerville Sunrise Rotary club organizes and runs the event, so 100% of the proceeds go directly to the charities.

For more information, visit the official event website at www.wendyschiliopen.com.

According to this article on the Psychology Today website, 50% of North American’s make New Year’s resolutions. By the end of one month, however, 40% have already given up their quest. And two of the most common reasons why? Unclear/vague goals and a failure to gauge progress.

Maybe your New Year’s Resolution for 2010 will be to increase your fitness or lose some weight. What better way to do that than by participating in a 5k/10k race, marathon, bike race or other athletic event? And if you’re going to participate in a race, why not do it for a good cause?

Team Hole in the Wall can help. Join Team Hole in the Wall and you’ll use your participation in a Team event to raise funds send a child to camp. In addition to raising money to give a child a magical experience, you will also get training tips, team apparel, your own web page to share progress with your supporters, and more.

Last year we followed Steve Topczewski, who raised more than $4300 running the Chicago Marathon, and Tommy Thompson, who raised over $1700 competing in his first-ever Ironman event. Both were members of Team Hole in the Wall.

Stay tuned for more stories of other individuals who will be keeping their resolutions with the Team’s help this year.