Home Sweet Home's "Schools That Care" Campaign - A Grassroots Approach to Raising Awareness and $1 Million Dollars for Veterans

Gilbert, AZ (PRWEB) April 27, 2009

The Home Sweet Home Campaign kicked off their first "Schools That Care" T-shirt design contest in Gilbert, Arizona this month. This grassroots approach is the first in a series of community outreach campaigns focusing on building awareness and raising funds for war veterans. The Home Sweet Home Campaign has pledged to raise $ 1 million dollars for USA Cares, a 501(c)3 organization who helps post 9/11 military families bear the burdens of service with financial and advocacy support. Ask campaign founder Beth Ann VanHoose how she will do it, "One city and one T-shirt at a time", is her reply.

Beth Ann was motivated to take action after hearing, piece by piece, one local veteran's post Iraq and Afghanistan experience. Tim Little, an Army reservist who has served two tours of duty, Tim found himself unable to return to his pre-deployment job, causing extra financial stress on himself and his family. His story is not unlike the thousands of National Guard, Reserve and Active Duty soldiers who have fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

"It shouldn't be so difficult for our soldiers to find help and resources while they are being evaluated by the VA," says Beth Ann. "This is why I started the Home Sweet Home Campaign, to hopefully make it a little bit easier for the next soldier in need." So working closely with Superstition Springs Elementary and Highland High School, over 250 students have entered the contest. Judges representing many walks of life, all with one thing in common, their commitment to our country and to support our soldiers will be picking the top 3 designs. The jury included Ryan Fitzpatrick, NFL Quarterback for the Buffalo Bills and a 2005 Highland High Graduate; Ruth Knowles, president of the Arizona Artist Guild; Tim Little, War Veteran and Purple Heart recipient; and Maria Martens, member of the American Gold Star Mothers.

Three winners will be announced on April 28th and their "one of a kind" T-shirt designs will be featured on the Home Sweet Home website at http://www.OurSoldiers.org. For every T-shirt sold, $ 5.00 will be donated to USA Cares. According to Kim Moorman, Director of Business Development at non-profit USA Cares, who said, "One of the things I like about what they are doing is that they provide a tangible product to everyone who helps them raise money to assist military families."

The "Schools That Care" contest will travel across the country this fall working with schools in the states of Washington, Illinois, Kentucky, North Carolina and Georgia. By the end of 2009, the Home Sweet Home website will have over 20 "one of kind" T-shirts featured on their site.

About the Home Sweet Home Campaign

The Home Sweet Home Campaign is a grassroots approach to raising awareness and funds for our post 9/11 war veterans. Partnering with local schools, businesses and organizations in key cities across the country the Home Sweet Home campaign has pledged to raise $ 1 million dollars for USA Cares, a 501(c)3 organization. For any purchase made from the website $ 5.00 will be donated to USA Cares. To learn more about campaign and USA Cares, go to http://www.OurSoldiers.org or contact Beth Ann VanHoose at 618-567-1384.

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Related Series C Funding Press Releases

Capital Corp Merchant Banking President & CEO Gilles Herard, Jr Engineers $80 Million Funding Deal for A 60 MW Solar (PV) Panel Facility

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) September 30, 2011

Capital Corp Merchant Banking has entered into a $ 80 million funding agreement with a renewable energy company from Romania. The project, located in the southeast area of the country, comes at the right time as Romania is keen on developing renewable energy sources within its borders.

The funding agreement Mr Herard designed is based on 100% debenture. The project consists of starting with an initial facility that will produce 60 MW and eventually bring the facility to full capacity, for a total of 120 MW. The technology to be used will consist of pre-integrated photovoltaic (PIPV) solar modules, which are ready-to-install kits that require no use of tools or electrical connections for setup. These modules allow high levels of flexibility and scalability according to clients needs, from kW range to multi-MW scales. PIPV modules are also environmentally friendly as they are made from non-polluting and easily recycled materials.

The Client is a designer, developer, manufacturer, and distributor of this modular technology and aims to achieve and maintain a market leading position in the PIPV market.

Only a short time ago, PV panels were still expensive but as time goes on and as the technology develops and becomes more widespread, the costs have decreased. Moreover, the PV production technology is in continuous development, leading to decreased power generation costs, which in turns will allow grid parity to become achievable in the coming years.

2010 and 2011 have been widely regarded as milestone years for the development of the green energy market in Romania. In fact, wind and solar maps show that there is hardly any region in Romania that would not fit to environmentally friendly energy production. The extensive renewable energy production potential of the country is due to its marine climate and southern location in Europe. Currently, green energy possibilities in Romania correspond to a high renewable energy potential, mostly underutilized, which makes Romania an attractive location for green energy investors, developers, and operators looking for alternative markets outside the conventional Western European countries, according to ENREG ENERGIA REGENERABILA. Photovoltaic projects are particularly interesting in southeast Romania where irradiation can reach a level of 1650 kWh/m2.

The method by which this project is to be funded is the brainchild of Mr Herard. Mr Herard is a seasoned merchant banker and has been in the banking industry for 38 years. He worked early in his career at the Toronto Dominion Bank (Canada) and later on joined Manufacturer Hanover (MH) of New York as Senior Credit Analyst. He eventually created his own Firm, Capital Corp Merchant Banking, where he syndicates and structures funding for top companies worldwide, all the while investing his own firms funds into the projects. As the head of Capital Corp Merchant Banking, Mr Herard has become a leading figure in international middle-market project financing and engineers all funding structures for projects at Capital Corp. Mr Herard has received numerous awards for his work and other contributions including being appointed to the Presidential Business Commission, Honorary Co-Chairman of the Business Advisory Council, nominated as Executive of the Year by the internationally acclaimed National Registers Whos Who, and having received the Senatorial Medal of Freedom, among many others.

About Capital Corp Merchant Banking:

Capital Corp Merchant Banking offers quality Merchant Banking services for a variety of projects worldwide. Capital Corp Merchant Banking has developed close working relationships with groups of Professionals: Specialists in Finance, Commercial Risks Insurance and Re-Insurance, International Accounting Firms and Law Firms, and the largest Valuation Firm in the world. Capital Corp Merchant Banking is solution-oriented and known for being the most flexible Funding Source on the Market in creating handcrafted investment structures to meet the needs of the different constituent groups in each individual transaction. Capital Corp Merchant Banking offers many services: Project Financing, Consulting, Due Diligence, Evaluation of a Business, Negotiating Services, Acquisitions, Investment Approach, and Presentation Reports as well. For further information, please visit our website.

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ABC News and The UN Foundation to Launch the Million Moms Challenge

New York, NY (PRWEB) September 19, 2011

Today ABC News and the UN Foundation will launch an initiative engaging millions of Americans to support millions of moms across the globe around the critical issues of pregnancy, childbirth and children's health -- moms here helping moms worldwide.

The Million Moms Challenge will be featured on weekly segments on ABC News broadcasts including Good Morning America, World News with Diane Sawyer, Nightline, and 20/20, as well as other ABC News platforms including ABCNews.com and ABC News Radio. The initiative will lead up to a one-hour prime time special on maternal health anchored by Diane Sawyer on December 16, 2011.

There is so much we can do together so many simple ways for us all to link arms to make sure every mother and child has a chance to lead a healthy life, said ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.

Using the latest in social media strategies together with world-class broadcast and digital news platforms, this initiative will build a vibrant community that connects moms everywhere around things all mothers care about: the right nutrition to support their pregnancies, trained midwives to assist in safe deliveries of newborns, and vaccines that allow children to survive to celebrate their first birthdays and beyond.

Through broadcast stories focusing on personal stories and innovative solutions from around the world, the Million Moms Challenge will raise awareness about the extraordinary difficulties faced by mothers and babies in the developing world:

Every 90 seconds a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth, yet we have the knowledge to prevent 90% of all maternal deaths.

More than 50 million women give birth without a skilled birth attendant every year.

AppsGeyser Reaches New Milestone - Announces 34,000 Apps and a Million Users

Mountain View (PRWEB) July 01, 2011

AppsGeyser, the fastest growing free Android DIY (do-it-yourself) app creation platform reached a new milestone in June. Shortly after breaking the 30,000 mark for total number of apps created on its platform, altogether its apps have also achieved a significant milestone: a million daily active users.

Appsgeyser continues to grow an audience of people and organizations who are excited with the simplicity of the app creation process. AppsGeyser is a web based platform that allows you to convert any web content into an Android App, for free, and in 2 easy steps (click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kA6miefsfM for a 2 minute video explanation of the platform)

Vasily Salomatov, co-founder of Appsgeyser recently shared with developers at Wireless Industry Partnerships Muther of all Hackathons about the importance of apps being simple and practical so that users come back to them again and again. He also made the case for the positive effect of recently launched features and enhancements:

We worked very hard during the months of April and May for the launch and subsequent rollouts of key features such as push notification and full HTML5 support. These enhancements proved to be of great value to mobile users, as it created a spike in repeat and return usage of our app ecosystem.

About AppsGeyser,

AppsGeyser is the fastest-growing DIY app generator. Since its launch in February 2011 it has seen more than 34,000 apps created on its platform. There have been more than 3.5 million downloads of its apps, which also handle an average of 1,000,000 daily active users.

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Boulder Tech Startup BlogFrog Powers Online Community for Abc News and United Nations Foundations Million Moms Challenge Campaign

New York, NY (PRWEB) September 19, 2011

Today BlogFrog is joining ABC News and the United Nations Foundation to help launch the Million Moms Challenge. This first-of-its kind initiative will connect millions of Americans with millions of moms in developing countries around the world to engage on the critical issues of pregnancy, childbirth and children's health -- moms here helping moms worldwide.

The Million Moms Challenge provides a vibrant community that connects moms across the globe by using the latest social media strategies together with world-class broadcast and digital news platforms to shine a light on the extraordinary challenges faced by mothers and babies in the developing world. The community will also feature personal stories of motherhood from over 900 mom bloggers participating in the movement.

Stories based on compelling characters and innovative solutions will be featured on ABC News broadcasts including Good Morning America, World News with Diane Sawyer, Nightline, and 20/20, as well as other ABC News platforms including ABCNews.com and ABC News Radio. The initiative will lead up to a one-hour prime time special on maternal health anchored by Diane Sawyer on December 16, 2011.

There is so much we can do together so many simple ways for us all to link arms to make sure every mother and child has a chance to lead a healthy life, said ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.

The Million Moms Challenge will focus on things mothers care about: the right nutrition to support their pregnancies, skilled attendants to assist in safe deliveries of newborns, and vaccines that allow children to survive to celebrate their first birthdays and beyond.

As part of the initiative a dedicated website (http://www.millionmomschallenge.com) will provide a live, interactive forum for some of the nations top mom bloggers to share their stories and ideas through blogs and video posts in real time with moms and midwives in the developing world. Viewers who want to know more and get involved will find ways large and small to make a difference in their own communities and around the world. The Million Moms Challenge wants a million Americans to join the movement by signing up on the Challenges website and /or on Facebook.

As the largest network of mom blogs on the web, we are honored to power the Million Moms Challenge community and enable women from across the globe to connect, share and learn about safe childbirth and childrens health, said Rustin Banks, co-founder and chief executive of BlogFrog. "The Million Moms Challenge campaign demonstrates the power and influence that is created when like-minded people engage in conversations about passionate topics that matter."

You dont have to be a mom to help a mom, said Kathy Calvin, CEO of the UN Foundation. A healthier tomorrow for our world starts with healthy moms and babies today. The Million Moms Challenge gives us the chance to make history by sharing stories, ideas and sparking a global conversation that will help the United Nations build a global partnership for healthy lives, she added.

In addition to BlogFrog, the Million Moms Challenge partners include African Medical and Research Foundation, CARE, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, GAVI Alliance, mothers2mothers, ONE Campaign, Partners in Health, Riders for Health, Save the Children, UN Foundations Shot@Life campaign, U.S. Fund for UNICEF, White Ribbon Alliance, and WorldVision.

The Million Moms Challenge is a joint effort of ABC News and the UN Foundation, in conjunction with corporate partners Johnson & Johnson and BabyCenter. BabyCenter will encourage its 10 million moms in the US and 14 million moms overseas to join the Million Moms Challenge. For the first 100,000 people who sign on to the Million Moms Challenge, Johnson & Johnson will donate $ 100,000 to some of the biggest NGO partners helping moms and babies overseas.

The Million Moms Challenge is part of an ABC News year-long global health series Be the Change: Save a Life, which is sponsored in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

For more information about the Million Moms Challenge visit http://www.millionmomschallenge.com. To get involved in the conversation about healthy moms and babies around the world, follow @AMillionMoms on Twitter and use the hash-tag #AMillionMoms. You can also like Million Moms on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/millionmomschallenge.

For more information:

BlogFrog contact: Courtney Walsh / courtney(at)theblogfrog(dot)com / 303.875.9007

ABC News contact: David Ford / david.ford(at)abc(dot)com / 212.456.7243

U.N. Foundation contact: Eric Porterfield /eporterfield(at)unfoundation(dot)org / 646.637.6438

About BlogFrog

BlogFrog is an online community platform used by bloggers and brands to enable readers to interact with each other, engage in like-minded discussions, and share rich media content. The companys community and sponsored conversation technology platforms help brand marketers build relationships and trust among women and mom consumers online. BlogFrog is a private company headquartered in Boulder, Colo. Visit http://theblogfrog.com or follow @theblogfrog.

About ABC News

ABC News is responsible for all of the ABC Television Networks news programming on a variety of platforms: television, radio and the Internet. Its flagship program is World News with Diane Sawyer with other programs including Good Morning America, Nightline, Primetime, 20/20, and the Sunday morning political affairs program This Week with ChristianeAmanpour. With an average television and radio audience of 180 million people in a given month, ABC News surpasses the competition. More than 2,400 affiliate stations broadcast ABC News Radios global news coverage. In addition, ABC News NOW is a 24-hour news and information network currently available to 44 million users across cable, broadband, and mobile platforms. NewsOne, the affiliate news service of ABC News, provides live and packaged news, sports, and weather reports, as well as footage of news events, to 200 ABC affiliates and more than 30 domestic and international clients. Visit http://www.abcnews.com.

About the United Nations Foundation

The United Nations Foundation, a public charity, was created in 1998 with entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turners historic $ 1 billion gift to support UN causes and activities. The UN Foundation builds and implements public/private partnerships to address the worlds most pressing problems, and works to broaden support for the UN through advocacy and public outreach. Through campaigns and partnerships, the organization connects people, ideas, and resources to help the UN solve global problems. The campaigns reduce child mortality, empower women and girls, create a new energy future, secure peace and human rights, and promote technology innovation to improve health outcomes. These solutions are helping the UN advance the eight global targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Visit http://www.unfoundation.org.

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Dreamcloud Sleep Mask Inventor Sues Sleep Master for $1 Million Patent Infringement

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) August 16, 2011

The million dollar lawsuit was filed by the Law Office of Intellectual Property Attorney Robert G. Klein, located at 555 W. 5th Street in Downtown Los Angeles. RG and his legal team (The Hi Fives) are known in the LA legal community for their tenacity and successful prosecutions. From his office perched high above the gritty center of 'LA Noir', Klein has a crusading Batman-like reputation for bringing down patent scofflaws and securing justice for his clients.

The lawsuit was filed July 25th, 2011, in Los Angeles, in the United States District Court for the Central District of California - Case #LACV11-6114.

De Cordova says the heart of the lawsuit is the difference between a design patent and a utility patent, like his. A design patent, like the Gordons', basically gives the holder a license to make an item with a certain look or configuration, and only costs a few hundred dollars from the patent office. The utility patent provides added product protection, but requires a thorough patent search, technical drawings, and prototypes. They are also relatively expensive - usually costing thousands of dollars, as well as maintenance payments at regular intervals. As de Cordova explained, Unfortunately, this lawsuit is necessary to answer the question: 'Which is the real revolutionary, patented sound blocking sleep mask?' - a title Gordon claims for his Sleep Master. De Cordova illustrated the disagreement with two quotes from Gordons websites:

After extensive research, the inventor of SLEEP MASTER(an insomnia sufferer) couldn't find a sleep mask that combined the conditions necessary for deep sleep: light elimination and sound reduction.....Thus was born Sleep Master ..."

With its unique all-in-one, patented design (US Patent No D465, 234S), Sleep Master is the only adjustable sleep mask combining total light elimination and built-in sound muffling, the two conditions necessary for deep restful sleep.

Says de Cordova, "Blocking sound input is very difficult. To make any noticeable difference, it is necessary to have some sort of effective sound barrier material located directly over, or inside, the ears - preferably in both places." De Cordova says his Dreamcloud (also called the Dreamhelmet) is hand-assembled from 23 pieces of material, including two that block sound. As extra sound-blocking insurance, he includes free foam earplugs in the Dreamcloud's secret 'HiPockets'.

Regarding the lawsuit claims against Sleep Master: patent infringement, false advertising, and unfair competition, de Cordova was philosophical: Some say getting a patent is a waste of time and money - that youre better off to just get out there and start selling whatever you want and make as much money as possible. If lawsuits come up, then just use some of the profits to pay for them, as part of the cost of doing business. Call me old fashioned, because I still have faith in patents and the justice system. But, as they say in Vegas, 'Going to court is like rolling the dice.'; so after we have our day in court, I might need to adjust my thinking.

De Cordova originally created his Dreamcloud for adventure travelers. As a combination travelers sleep tool it was an instant hit with travel experts, such as KC Summers of The Washington Post, and Arthur Frommer of Frommer's Budget Travel Guide, who both published glowing articles. Frommer called the mask " ..an ingenious new invention", and The Post said it was ..worth its weight in psychotropic drugs. It has appeared on television numerous times, including Good Morning America, and was even submitted to the Armed Forces for consideration as a tool to help American soldiers sleep in the barracks and battlefield locations. The Dreamcloud website has for years offered free camouflage Dreamhelmets to soldiers on active duty, with any order.

The Dreamhelmet (American flag model, Stars & Stripes) was offered to the US Soccer Team on their way to the 2010 FIFA Finals in South Africa as a way, in de Cordova's words, "..to help them sleep their way to victory." (They didn't take the Dreamhelmets - and they didn't take the World Cup). "Maybe just a coincidence." joked de Cordova.

The versatile Dreamcloud is a combination sleep mask and sound muffling pillow. It also has secret patented HiPockets for storing credit cards, money, and jewelry. One pocket was recently enlarged to hold cell phones and iPods, which can be inserted in the pocket and set for a personal wake-up call. The Dreamcloud is clothed in several attractive fabrics, but only 100% cotton touches the face on the inside. Dreamclouds also convert to simple rectangular pillows or hand warming muffs. Some Dreamcloud models are: Cloud Nine, Teddybear, Adventurer, Rainforest, and Blue Heaven. The newest model, Dreamcatcher, in dark blue suede-like material, is sold on both eBay and Amazon. All styles can be purchased by calling (888) 918-5630, or on company websites at http://www.dreamhelmet.com and http://www.sleepmaskpillow.com - the price is $ 29.95 plus shipping.

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