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Big Cat Habitat

TFK Kids Experience The Majestic Animals Of The Jungle

Thanks to a generous donation from new partner organization Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary, TFK Kids from Coastal Behavioral Healthcare, Inc. had the opportunity to learn about the exotic cats and other distinctive species that populate this large-animal rescue facility in Sarasota, Florida.

Chaperone Jeremiah Radle commented, “This was a one-of-a-kind experience for our kids to engage in and learn about our animal friends.

“Given the opportunity to interact with exotic animals from around the globe, the kids’ fears quickly changed to curiosity.

“We learned that Big Cat Habitat houses the largest population of big cat species around and rescues a variety of animals,” Radle continued. “We were educated on the dangers of owning wild animals as pets and the difference between animal rights and animal welfare. 

“The boys gained a new respect for the animals. Overall, we had an amazing and enlightening experience and are very appreciative to Big Cat Habitat for inviting us to come.”

Thank you, Big Cat Habitat & Gulf Coast Sanctuary, for not only educating these TFK Kids, but also for providing an opportunity to explore this unique environment.

The Sweat Pants Dance 2: It’s Showtime

The feel-good event of the season, The Sweat Pants Dance 2, took place at the beautiful Left -Field Lounge at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on September 27th.

Wearing their comfy rehearsal clothes, agency partners, ticket donors, sponsors, and supporters joined TFK to honor the Arts & Cultural venues that light up the stage for kids to experience the magic of the performing arts.

More than 200 guests attended the event, which featured activities, food, a silent auction , and dancing to the groovy beats of DJ KoolBreeze. Thank you to everyone who attended and made the night magnificent!

The TFK Kid Experience

MN United’s “50K To Midway” Record-Breaking Finale

Thanks to ticket donations from Minnesota United FC and a very generous individual donor, more than 500 TFK Kids had the opportunity on October 21st to stand up and cheer as their hometown soccer heroes played their last game at TCF Bank Stadium on the University of Minnesota campus.

Having the opportunity to attend these events can inspire children to dream without limitations.

“Thank you again for the tickets to enjoy MN United FC’s last game of the season. It was a special treat and a great way to end the soccer season for the boys’ soccer team. This was their first trip to a professional soccer game as a team, and for many, it was their first professional game. They were elated to be among the 50,000 fans at TCF Bank Stadium, and to see some of their role models play on the field.”

–TFK Agency Partner

TFK Kids not only had the opportunity to attend a record-breaking event, but also had some records to break of their own.

This game goes down in TFK-Twin Cities history as the first time an individual ticket donor provided more than 400 tickets to the organization! Thank you to our generous donor, and MN United, for including TFK Kids in this important community event.

As the day ended and fans said goodbye to TCF Bank Stadium, the lights for new opportunities turned on at MN United’s new stomping grounds – Allianz Field!

TFK’S Twin Cities Event : A Smashing Success

The first annual Ticket to the Twin Cities presented by PNC took place on a beautiful June day in Minnesota and brought together TFK ticket providers, sponsors, agency partners, and the Twin Cities community.

Hundreds of families participated in a day of kid-friendly games, activities, food, and fun. It was a great opportunity to make a personal connection, put a face to a name, and appreciate everyone who makes the Tickets for Kids program available to kids in the Twin Cities.

Thanks to all the attendees, sponsors, and volunteers who helped to make the day great; it was successful because of you!

Meet Our Photographer: Zay Manley

Zay

A couple of years ago, 13-year-old Zay Manley started taking photos in school and fell in love with photography. His passion, along with his TFK history, led him to participate in the first Ticket to the Twin Cities event.

“When we relocated to Minnesota, we didn’t know anyone, were not familiar with the city, and were financially struggling” explained, Sarah Manley, Zay’s mom.
“During that time, we received tickets to a Twins game. That experience alone showed a world that we were unaware of. Since then, our finances have improved dramatically. We got involved as volunteers with Tickets for Kids to give back to an organization that gave something so important, yet intangible to us.”
“Zay truly enjoys volunteering for TFK and the pictures allow him to document the faces of impacted people.”

You can follow Zay’s photography on Instagram at: sevenflames7photography

TFK KIDS ROCK OUT WITH TAYLOR

On a recent Saturday night in Santa Clara, California, tens of thousands of exuberant fans stood and cheered as Taylor Swift exploded onto the stage at Levi’s Stadium. The stage was all hers, but thanks to a very generous donor, TFK Kids and their families not only had the opportunity to be part of Swift’s Reputation tour, but they were placed in the best seats in the house – The Pit!

“My kids and I had such an amazing time at the Taylor Swift concert,” said one of the moms who attended. “Thank you for this wonderful opportunity. It was a great way to start Mother’s Day weekend with some of the best tickets to one of the best concerts this year. Definitely a memory to hold on to.”

“The Taylor Swift concert was truly MAGICAL, the seats were AMAZING, and we all had a BLAST at the concert,” said an enthused chaperone from agency partner Gage MS. “Taylor Swift put on a show that left all of us at AWE. Thank you and we are forever GRATEFUL!”

At TFK, our mission is to provide kids with experiences that inspire, and opportunities that prove anything is possible. Receiving completely unexpected tickets to the Taylor Swift concert qualifies as a mega-mission moment. Thanks again to our generous donor!

ALCOSAN Jeans Day Will Benefit TFK – Again

A casual day at ALCOSAN will make for another great day at Tickets for Kids!

For the second year in a row, the generous employees of the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority will pay $5 each to wear their favorite comfy jeans to work, then donate the collected funds to TFK. Last year, donations from the Jeans Day program resulted in a $1,365 contribution to Tickets for Kids!

Started in January 2017, ALCOSAN’s Jeans Day program usually attracts between 60-90 participants who are eager to do good while dressing down.

“When determining what charities to support, we focus on local organizations that do good work in our community,” said Susan Mannella, Manager of Communications. “Everybody wants to support children, so Tickets for Kids was a good fit.”

In addition to providing wastewater treatment services to 83 Pittsburgh-area municipalities, ALCOSAN is an active community partner.

“ALCOSAN is eager to improve the lives of children in our community,” Mannella continued. “We provide in-school and after-school programming for students in pre-school through high school, but it is important for children to have fun experiences that extend beyond traditional educational activities.”

Tickets for Kids is grateful for ALCOSAN’s support and partnership. We look forward to sharing the opportunities their contribution will provide with the kids and families we serve!

Interns Benefit from Experience

ryankarime

When Carlow University senior Karime Alva and Penn State senior Ryan Brown each accepted an internship at Tickets for Kids’ headquarters in Pittsburgh, they knew it would involve hard work. Assisting the nine full-time TFK staffers in providing hundreds of thousands of opportunities (220,000 in 2017) to low-income and at-risk kids takes a lot of effort.

What they didn’t expect, however, was how satisfying their hard work would be.

“We get to be surrounded by joy and happiness watching these kids have the time of their lives,” said Ryan. “It makes all the work we put into creating these opportunities worth it.”

Ryan, who will graduate in the spring with a B.A. in Marketing, and Karime, who will earn her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, joined TFK to gain some professional experience before launching their careers. While most of their time was spent in the office doing research, distributing tickets, and answering phones, it was the experiences they had outside the office that made a lasting impression. Karime, who attended a trip to the National Aviary with kids from the Allegheny Valley Association of Churches, was able to see how excited they were at experiencing the Aviary and getting to see their favorite birds. “It was nice to see the kids enjoying themselves. Being in a fast-paced office, it kind of distracts you from what the true goal is, but this trip was a great refresher and shows that all the work done in the office is definitely worth it,” said Karime.

Ryan joined a group of children from The Center in Midland for a trip to the Carnegie Science Center. “Getting to know the organization first-hand and having a grasp of the importance of kids being able to have these experiences is so beneficial,” Ryan said. “For instance, one of these kids might fall in love with science or physics and now want to learn more about it. What if being at the Science Center helped create the next great scientist? I feel like that’s the goal of Tickets for Kids, to help a child embrace their dream and become someone who is going to change the world!” For more information about helping kids change the world (internships at Tickets for Kids), contact Chris Anderson at chris@ticketsforkids.org.

TFK’s Super Bowl Surprise

Are you ready for the big game? This TFK Kid is!

Tickets for Kids surprises a mentor and mentee pair with tickets to the Super Bowl

What are your plans for Super Bowl Sunday? If you’re like most Americans, you’ll be gathered on the couch with friends and family, rooting for the Eagles or Patriots, judging the commercials, and enjoying what’s likely to be an over-the-top halftime show.

But thanks to a very generous donation from a close friend of Tickets for Kids in Minneapolis, one lucky TFK Kid and his mentor from Saint Paul, MN, will be off the couch and at the game IRL (in real life!).

Twelve-year-old Jayden is a huge football fan and has never had the opportunity to experience a live NFL game. This week he learned that he'll be watching his favorite team, the New England Patriots, and his favorite player, Tom Brady, when Super Bowl LII kicks off at U.S. Bank Stadium. There's no doubt he'll be inspired by this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Just look at his reaction when surprised with the tickets while attending the Super Bowl Live Experience in downtown Minneapolis:

The moment of surprise

We can all likely remember an experience from our childhood that inspired us to dream bigger. Whether you were interested in theater, museums, the zoo, or sports, these experiences inspired your ideas for the future and shaped who you became as an adult. Although sending a kid to the Super Bowl is an extreme example – and a first in our 24-year history – Tickets for Kids provides opportunities like this every day by partnering with more than 3,000 youth-serving organizations all over the country.

Does this inspire you to dream of a community that can provide inclusive opportunities for all of its residents? Join us in reaching thousands more kids this year by donating here.

Happy Thanksgiving

#TFKthanksyou All month long.
Throughout the year, Tickets for Kids receives countless thank you cards from kids across the county. While they come addressed to us, they’re really meant for you. Each card celebrates a moment of inspiration only possible because of you.

Whether you made a ticket donation, shared a Facebook post, or joined kids on an outing your support created moments like this.

  • “Because of you, our kids can share in the conversation as they listen to peers at school speak about the fabulous things they do and places they go. No more feeling left out!”
Thank you for being a partner in our mission.
Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving season!

Friday at the Theater

TFK Impact:
Mission Moment

There is no greater way to understand the impact of a TFK experience than directly from the Kids themselves. Connect with our agency partners through Mission Moments.

Edition: November 9, 2017

Agency: Various agency partners in Western Pennsylvania

Event: Disney’s The Little Mermaid

Location: Pittsburgh, PA

“The kids love the show, thank you so much for the opportunity!.”

What’s more fun than watching your favorite movie come alive on stage? Thanks to the generosity of the Pittsburgh CLO, these TFK Kids from across the Western Pennsylvania region got to experience the joy of live theater at the Benedum Center.

Everyone loved the production and had a wonderful time. One little girl kept yelling out at the beginning, “Hello Ariel!” Then she would whisper, “Can she hear me?” She had never been to a live theater before. She was squirming in her seat, just amazed by the whole thing!

The parents especially loved being able to share this special experience with their children. “When I first got a call from the Boys and Girls Club, I was afraid my kid was in trouble,” said one mom, laughing, “but I’m so glad they called.” She expressed so much joy at being able to share a night on the town with her young daughter.

Tickets for Kids works with theaters across the county to ensure all kids have access to the wonder of these first-time experiences. Follow along with #TFKthanksyou for more moments of inspiration all month long!