SIKESTON, Mo. -- Bo's Jewelry & Pawn of Sikeston, Mo. presented a $5,000 check from Jewelers for Children (JFC) to the Kenny Rogers Children's Center recently as part of a Local Grant Program. JFC, a non-profit organization founded by the jewelry industry in 1999, is dedicated to helping children in need. This is the fifth year the charity has spearheaded the program. The goal is to fund ten $5,000 grants for local children's charities around the country. Jewelers were asked to nominate their favorite local organization. Public voting on the Jewelers for Children Facebook page (www.facebook.com/JewelersforChildren) determined the charities to receive the grants.
"We are so excited to be able to help the Kenny Rogers Children's Center," says Terri Hurley, owner of Bo's Jewelry & Pawn. "It was such an easy way to help support the excellent work the Kenny Rogers Children's Center does locally to help children in our community. Now, through our work with Jewelers for Children, we are able to help them receive one of these generous grants."
Voting began on Nov. 6, and ran for two weeks. More than 12,000 people were motivated to visit the Jewelers for Children Facebook page and vote for their favorite local charity. Bo's Jewelry & Pawn worked in conjunction with the Kenny Rogers Children's Center to encourage people to vote, and their success became quickly evident.
"Pulling together, we are helping to provide some much needed funding for the Kenny Rogers Children's Center," Hurley says. "Just one minute of time resulted in $ 5,000. What could have been easier?"
About Kenny Rogers Children's Center
Kenny Rogers Children's Center is an outpatient, pediatric therapy center providing physical, occupational and speech therapy to over 400 special needs children in Southeast Missouri. They have been around for over 42 years and during that time, no child has ever been charged for the services they receive. The Center currently employs 15 full-time therapists whose goal is to provide exceptional therapy to make a difference in the lives of children with special needs. Their mission is to improve the quality of life for children with special needs and their families throughout the community and region by providing a wide array of superior developmental and therapeutic services. For more about the Kenny Rogers Children's Center, visit www.kennyrogerscenter.org.
About Jewelers for Children
Jewelers for Children was founded in 1999 by the U.S. jewelry industry with the mission of helping children in need. Since its inception, JFC has donated more than $53 million to programs benefiting children whose lives have been affected by illness, abuse, or neglect through charity partners such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®, Make-A-Wish® America, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, and the National CASA Association. JFC also provides support to Make-A-Wish® International and the Santa-America Fund.