A Child's Dream Come True Granted

" My son said 'Momma, all I want for Christmas is a Wii'" said Ronda Young of Newark, NJ. "I wanted to give to a good cause cause they are so many that are less fortunate that us, but I didn't actually think that i would win, I've never won anything in my entire life." Ms Young entered to win the game set by registering with the Blue Trust Foundation, a multi-cause charity that host lots of charity events. "I would've never been able to afford this game for my son Jamal on my income," Ronda added. The giveaways have benefitted aids awareness, breast cancer, as well as toys for kids. "We have giveaways all the time," this particular drawing was to benefit under privileged and abused children. said Aaron Nichols of Blue Trust. "Its just feels good knowing we brought happiness to a child on both ends of the giving rainbow".

The Giving season Has Begun

The Food First & Blue Trust Foundation strongly supports the work of the Community Food Sharing Association. Each year several food drives are held throughout the Metro Area. Donated food items are then distributed by the Community Food Sharing Association to local food banks throughout the county.

For several years now The Food First Foundation has been doing a Thanksgiving Food Drive in the greater metro area. Food bin receptacles are placed on all Metrobuses as well as at each can food drop off location. This food drive generally lasts for 10-12 days leading up to the Thanksgiving weekend. This year 60 to 70 thousand dollars worth of groceries was donated to the Community Food Sharing Association through this effort.

The Eagle Post has been holding a food drive in support of the Community Food Sharing Association for more than a decade. Each year, The Food First Foundation prints over 55,000 flyers that are then circulated by postal carriers to homes in the metro area. A particular date is designated as donation day. The public then leave bags of food hanging from their doorknob or postal box for the carriers to collect. Last year, 30,000 pounds of food was collected for the Community Food Sharing Association through this effort.

The Food First Foundation also hosts two local concerts at the St. John’s Arts and Culture Center in support of the Christmas season. All proceeds from the concerts are used to purchase gifts that may have not been donated through other means. All cash donations are used to the same purpose. This years concerts are scheduled for December 15th and 16th, 2008. Tickets are available at the Arts and Culture Center Box Office

LAS VEGAS—Charles Barkley is headed back to the tables in Las Vegas to play in a poker tournament about a month after pledging not to gamble. He says it's all for charity. The former NBA star is scheduled to play in a celebrity poker tournament at the 2008 World Series of Poker on July 2.

The "Ante Up for Africa" event is designed to raise money and awareness for the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan. More than 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced since ethnic warfare began in 2003, according to the U.S. presidential envoy to Sudan.

Players in the poker tournament put up $5,000 to play, and are asked to donate at least half their winnings. The event raised more than $500,000 last year and finished with the top two players agreeing to pool their winnings and donate the full $350,000 to the cause. Of the field of 167, 18 players won money.

Barkley, now an NBA analyst for Tuner Network Television, has pledged to donate all of his winnings to one of the two designated charities if he wins next month, said Sal Petruzzi, a TNT spokesman.

Barkley said on the air during the NBA playoffs he wasn't going to gamble for "the next year or two" after he was sued by a Las Vegas Strip casino in May for failing to pay $400,000 in gambling markers, or loans.

The 45-year-old Barkley repaid his debt to the Wynn Las Vegas casino along with a $40,000 district attorney's fee.

"For right now, the next year or two, I'm not going to gamble," Barkley said afterward. "Just because I can afford to lose money doesn't mean I should do it."

Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd said this week that Barkley was keeping to his word when he saw him at a May golf tournament in Palm Springs, Calif.

"We were at a casino and he said he was on the wagon," Kidd said during a conference call to promote a celebrity golf tournament. "He's strong. He didn't gamble. I think Charles, once he decides not to do something, I think he's pretty good at keeping his word."

Barkley played 16 NBA seasons for the Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets, and played on the USA Olympic "Dream Team" in 1992 and 1996. He was an 11-time NBA All-Star and league MVP in 1993.

He has talked openly about his gambling, estimating during a May 2006 interview with ESPN that he'd gambled away about $10 million over the years.