Online, On Time: Contest Deadline Approaches
Face it. Teens don’t like adults preaching at them. Never have, never will. So parents worry that their pleas to use caution online are falling on deaf ears.
 
But what if teens themselves could put the word out that online dangers are real? Maybe other kids would take notice. That’s the thinking behind the Virginia Youth Internet Safety Contest, launched last year by Attorney General Bob McDonnell.
 
The contest invites teams of one to three Virginia students in grades 6 to 12 to make a TV ad about being safe on the Internet. The hefty grand prize includes an XBox 360 for each team member and movies from Fox, in addition to having their 30-second ad air on television around the state.
 
The February 1 deadline is coming up fast, so students interested in entering should review the contest guidelines at www.vaag.com or check with their school. After finalists are selected, everyone will have a chance to vote for a winner at that same website.
 
 
One Really Good Excuse for Not Writing

The mission of the Casey Cares Foundation, based in Baltimore, Md., is to enrich the lives of critically ill children in five states, including Virginia, and Washington, D.C. The organization throws special birthday parties and arranges family festivals and vacations, allowing these children and their families to transcend the grinding stress of living with illness.
 
This past summer, a huge fire destroyed the Casey Cares headquarters. They lost everything: donations for a fall fundraising auction, office equipment—and all their records on past and current families.
 
Casey Cares has recovered and is moving forward. They’re getting ready for their first major event since the fire, a “Stardust Gala” in March, says Pam Goode, communications director. But with no records, they can’t keep in touch with past participants and continue to help them.
 
In fact, Goode worries that some families outside of the immediate region may not even know about the fire. She hopes that word spreads about the damage—and about how Casey Cares continues to run its programs—so former patients can send their information to help reconstruct the records.
 
And the foundation is always looking ahead. “If someone reading this knows a family with a critically ill child, they can tell the family about us,” says Goode. “We want to reach out to former, present and future patients.” For more information, see caseycaresfoundation.org or call 443-658-0064.
 
Make Some Teeth Happy

Maybe one of your New Year’s resolutions is to schedule a trip to the dentist for your kids. Or maybe you’ve already got an appointment on the books from their last visit. Either way, if you see a dentist in the next several weeks, encourage him or her to get involved with Give Kids a Smile Day on February 1.
 
It’s an annual one-day volunteer program that provides dental services to children from low income families. Dentists all over the nation get involved, and last year more than 640,000 kids received free cleanings, toothbrushes and toothpaste.
 
According to the American Dental Association, dental disease is epidemic among children from low-income families. Dental care is often the last benefit added or the first cut from state Medicaid programs, on which one out of four children rely.
 
On its website for dentists, the ADA says Give Kids a Smile Day “isn’t a cure-all; it’s a wake-up call. People shouldn’t have to depend on charity for basic dental care. … We need to educate policymakers and parents that good oral health is integral to overall health.”
 
Give Kids a Smile is sponsored by the ADA and Colgate-Palmolive to recognize National Children’s Dental Health Month.

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