One of the great things about the Cornfed Derby Dames is our commitment to our community and our constant goal of making a positive and lasting addition to Muncie. One of the ways we work to obtain this goal is by donating a portion of the proceeds from all our home bouts to organizations making a difference in our community.
As a member of the Cornfed Derby Dames marketing committee, I was responsible for choosing the charity for our May 6th bout vs. Twin Cities C Team (a bout we ended up winning 147-80). I instantly thought of Kate’s Kart and was thrilled to have the opportunity to be able to help this incredible organization.
Kate’s Kart is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing new books to hospitalized children. Founded in 2008 in Ft. Wayne in memory of Katherine Anne Layman, or “Baby Kate,” the organization has grown to include 16 Indiana hospitals, including Ball Memorial Hospital, which added a Kart in July 2009. Each child from newborns to teens has the opportunity to choose, and keep a new book off the Kart, and as of May 2012, they have handed out over 40,000 books.
I first became aware of Kate’s Kart when my nephew Ryan was diagnosed with leukemia. During his many trips to the hospital for treatment he has been able to choose a few books off the Kart.
As a long-time lover of books and reading, I think the program is amazing. I was excited to get to join CFDD’s Bobbi Pin and Juke Skyblocker at Books-A-Million on June 29 to use CFDD’s donation to buy books to add to Muncie’s Kart. Let me loose in a book store and I’m kind of like a kid in a candy store.
“How To Be A Zombie” and “How To Be A Vampire” were among the favorite finds of the day. My personal favorites were “Eragon” (which I reread every couple years), and a Choose Your Own Adventure book, which I remember loving as a kid. We were able to buy 16 books to donate to the Kate’s Kart, and it’s nice to think that 16 Muncie kids will have their hospital stay brightened just a bit when they get to take one of these books home.
For more information on Kate’s Kart, including how to donate, go to www.kateskart.org.
Debbie Darko