Wishing for Mommy is an initiative that launched in one of Sr. Master Michelle Landgren-Lee’s Arizona schools and is now operated through their attached non-profit organization. A few years ago, ATA student Austin Armstrong asked Sr. Master Lee for a donation of white belts (dyed pink) so he could execute a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. After the great success the fundraiser saw in the first year, the program was expanded to all of Sr. Master Lee’s schools and eventually began to be run through the Dignity Kids Foundation.

Instead of donations going to Susan G. Komen, Sr. Master Lee wanted to see more localized results and continue to advance the mission of Dignity Kids, so Wishing for Mommy took a different spin. Through the sale of pink belts, The Wishing for Mommy program awards grants to children, empowering them to do something special for their mother. Each $500 grant can be used for anything the child sees as important or necessary. Examples of the grants include: personal and room makeovers, airfare for visiting relatives, and assistance in paying bills.

In addition to impacting in the lives of cancer survivors, Wishing for Mommy is also making a difference in the lives of ATA students who are pursuing a college education. With the purchase of every pink belt, half the proceeds fund Wishing for Mommy grants and the other half goes to the H.U. Lee Scholarship Foundation. In both instances, funds go back to the participating regions and communities. Since the partnership began two years ago, Wishing for Mommy has donated almost $34,000 to the H.U. Lee Scholarship Fund.

To join the campaign, Wishing for Mommy will send a consignment kit of 25 pink belts along with a display. There are no costs to you. Belts are sold and worn during the month of October and grants are distributed to recipients through the Dignity Kids Foundation in December. Each kit contains a nomination form for the Wishing for Mommy program. For more information, or to order consignment kits, visit www.wishingformommy.org or call their offices at 480-831-1111. Office hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. (Mountain Time Zone).

Dignity Kids Foundation started as an educational company to raise the dignity of children. They are currently active in 21 school districts in Arizona and provide educational programs focused around obesity, tolerance, self-defense, and cultural difference respect.