Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
By Sarai Garrett
Elizabeth McSwain, Founder of Caramel Connections Foundation, (CCF) recently announced the launch and upcoming fundraiser for her non-profit foundation. Elizabeth will host ‘Bidding for Health’ a Quartermania fundraising event on Sunday, May 22 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 215 N. Laurel Avenue in Ontario. Quartermania is a fun event in which high quality items will be up for auction, participants bid up to eight quarters per item, once all bids are placed, and a randomly chosen number is called. Admission is $55 dollars per person, all proceeds benefit the CCF scholarship program.
Elizabeth’s vision for serving a community of underserved children has piqued the interest of key community partners. When asked why she started her nonprofit Elizabeth replied, “We all know that we are heading in a dangerous path when it comes to healthy eating habits. We have to come together as a community and understand that enough is not being done to educate, help and aid our children and their parents in making the right choices.”
Caramel Connections Foundation’s scholarship program is geared towards middle school aged children. The curriculum is designed to engage children in healthy eating habits by learning about food, kitchen safety, agriculture, and math which includes measuring, science and more. CCF’s mission is to make learning enjoyable by using food as a way to connect and build lasting relationships with their students and community.
The American Diabetes Association estimated that one out of every three children born after the year 2000 in the United States will be directly affected by diabetes. Data collected from the American Heart association and the American Diabetes Foundation suggest that an estimated 35% of children in the Inland Empire are prediabetic.
“It is no longer a matter of knowing there is a problem, but a matter of acting to ensure the future we leave for our children and their health is a priority for generations to come,” said Elizabeth McSwain. CCF invites you to participate in their ‘Bidding for Health’ Quartermania event in an effort to raise awareness and funding for a healthier tomorrow.
For more information on CCF’s Launch Fundraiser, Sponsorship and or Volunteer Opportunities, or to make a Donation, contact Caramel Connections Foundation at www.CaramelConnectionsFoundation.org.
