Caitlin's Smiles - Giving sick children laughs, hopes and smiles.

A Note From Cheryl
October chills and thrills came in with a scream and Caitlin’s Smiles has been busy at the Harrisburg Mall! There are still three more Saturdays in October to come out and be a part of Saturday Smiles, a fundraising event sponsored by PSECU, that allows kids of all ages to decorate bags and make cards for children with chronic or life-threatening illnesses. In the first two weeks, we’ve had more than 250 Bags of Smiles™ decorated and more than 200 cards made!

Last Saturday, smiles were on the faces of everyone while decorating Halloween cookies donated by Weis. PSECU employees were at the mall helping the children with the decorating.

On the first Saturday in October, we collected 2,906 cans of Play-Doh and an additional 563 cans were donated last Saturday. We challenged everyone to donate a can of Play-Doh in order to help us collect 12,000 cans – a year’s-worth! We include Play-Doh in our preschool and elementary Bags of Smiles™. If you forget your doh, you can always donate dough (money) to the cause!

To date, we’ve sold 40 raffle tickets for the painting,“Caitlin’s October Smiles,” an original artwork that was painted and donated by local artist, D'Las. It's on display during the week at Gallery Blu at 1633 North Third Street in Harrisburg and at the Harrisburg Mall every Saturday 10AM – 2PM. Tickets are available at Smiles Central or at the Harrisburg Mall during Saturday Smiles and the drawing for the painting will be on November 4, 2010, at Smiles Central.

Sixty one artists have competed in our jack-o’-lantern coloring contest on our Facebook page. The winners from week one are Kanishka, 4, Camp Hill; Sean, 11, Hampden Township; and Flournoy from Harris

burg. Their coloring pages are pictured to the right. Rules and links to the coloring pages can be found on our Facebook page in the notes section. Vote, vote, vote for your favorite picture!

On October 16 and 23, there will be scavenger hunts at the mall where participants will receive a scavenger hunt booklet with clues directing them to seven stations throughout the mall. The scavenger hunt begins at our station in front of Macy’s. Everyone who finds all seven answers will get a free Frosty coupon from Wendy's and a Caitlin's Smiles tattoo! Caitlin's Smiles patches will be available for $1 for any child who completes the scavenger hunt, donates a can of Play-Doh, makes a card and decorates a bag.

Macy's 'Shop for a Cause' coupon books will be sold at Caitlin's Smiles tables on October 16, for $5. All proceeds go directly to Caitlin’s Smiles and shoppers receive 25% off at Macy's on the 16th.

Saturday Smiles at Harrisburg Mall ends with trick-or-treating on October 30. Stop by the Caitlin’s Smiles booth to pick up treats donated by PSECU, Hershey Foods, Weis, Highmark and LB Smith Ford Lincoln and Mercury.

We encourage you to come out with friends and family and join in the fun!

Other October Events to Smile About

October 30 – Caitlin’s Smiles Spaghetti Dinner and Square Dance fundraiser at Zion Lutheran Church in Dauphin. Dinner is from 3-6PM. Square dance is from 7–10:30PM. For more information call the Caitlin’s Smiles office at 717-412-4759 or Elsie at 717-599-5444. Discount for advance tickets!

October 30 – Caitlin’s Smiles fundraiser at all Hornung’s Hardware stores in Linglestown, Harrisburg, Dauphin and Halifax. Five percent of your total sale is donated to Caitlin’s Smiles.

Thank You For This Month
On behalf of the patients and families we serve, I want to thank you for your gift of arts and crafts kits and Bags of Smiles™ to The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. These gifts make all the difference in fulfilling our mission of service, education, research and advocacy to the children in our care.
-The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton (Dayton, OH)