Statue of Responsibility

17 inch, Table Top Statue in Stainless Steel

Donated By Statue of Responsibility Foundation and Ken Sharrar
Valued at $5000
Buy Now Price $6250
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org 

Young Automotive 2013 Kia Optima

2013 Kia Optima SX-L family sedan
Donated By Young Automotive Group
Valued at $33,149
Buy Now Price $41,436
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org 

Small Business Dental Care for 20

One year of basic dental service for 20,Small Business

Donated By Jason Barton
Valued at $7000
Buy Now Price $8750
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org 

Family Dental

One year of basic dental service for family of 6

Donated By Jason Barton
Valued at $2100
Buy Now Price $2625
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org 

Murcia, Spain

10 day trip. Includes visits to Madrid, Toledo, Grenada, and the beach.

Donated By Matthew & Sabina Casto
Valued at $5000
Buy Now Price $6250
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org 

Green River Rafting

5 day, 4 night for 2. Includes all food and lodging
Donated By Western River Expeditions, Brian Merrill
Valued at $3000
Buy Now Price $3750
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org 

Cabo San Lucas

·       

            One week in a 2 bedroom, 3 bath condo sleeping 6. 

Donated By Harold Koch and Barbara Pence
Valued at $2400
Buy Now Price $3000
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org 
MUST BE USED NOVEMBER 16-23. 

St George

Friday-Sunday rental of full house. 4 bedroom, 4 bath.  NO HOLIDAYS
Donated By Jennifer Stewart
Valued at $600
Buy Now Price $750
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org 

Lava Hot Springs

One week in a new A-frame cabin. 2 bedroom, 3 bath. Sleeps 16
Donated by Darrel Trost
Valued at $2800
Buy Now Price: $3500
To Buy Now, contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org

Thailand

One week in a condo for 2 travelers. $1000

Donated By: Rachot Vacharothone

Valued: $1000

Buy Now: $1250

To Buy Now Contact Lynn Merritt

Lynn@ascendalliance.org

Brighton Summer

Friday-Sunday rental. 4 bedroom, 2 bath. Sleeps 12-18. $1000
Donated By: Jen Stewart
Valued at: $1000
Buy Now Price: $1250
To Buy Now Contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org

Hoi An, Vietnam

5 nights in 3 bedroom, 3 bath. Sleeps 8.
Donated By Jen Stewart
Valued at $2500
Buy Now Price: $3125
To Buy Now, contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org

Coronado, California

One week  in 1 bedroom, 2 bath condo. 
Donated By Doug and Vicky Mortensen
Valued at $1500
Buy Now Price: $1875
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org

Zion Ponderosa

Enormous 6,000 sq ft lodge. 7 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms. Sleeps 35 Comfortably
Donated By Zion Ponderosa Ranch Resort
Valued at $5000
Buy Now Price $6250
To Buy Now contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org

Bushman Safari

7 Day Bow Hunting Trip for 10.
Donated by Bushman Safaris
Valued at $5000
Buy Now Price: $6250
To Buy Now, contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org

Brighton

Friday-Sunday rental. 4 bedroom, 2 bath. Sleeps 12-18. 

Donated by Bushman Safaris
Valued at $2000
Buy Now Price: $2500
To Buy Now, contact Lynn Merritt
lynn@ascendalliance.org

What Motivates Each of Us to Be a Humanitarian? by Samantha Tacy

Inside each of us there is an inner humanitarian waiting to be found. One way in which Ascend Alliance is striving to help others find their inner humanitarian is through this year’s Annual Gala Fundraiser.

Through trivia questions, video presentations, performances, speeches and auctions guests will have a better understanding of the many different ways in which one can be a humanitarian. Humanitarian work is more than donating money or going on service expeditions to other countries.

Different ways to find your inner humanitarian:

Humanitarian Effort:                   Event/Activity:

   Monetary Donations                     Silent Auction and Project Table

   Volunteer Time Globally                Expedition Signup Table

   Volunteer Time Locally                 Live Service Auction

   Get Involved on a Business Level       Become a Member of SRB Community

   Participate in the Magic               Learn about Internship & Ambassador Opportunities

Throughout the course of the evening guests will have the opportunity to truly Become the Humanitarian They Are Meant to Be.

YourCause, a non-profit organization did some research in 2011 that addressed the Top 5 reasons of where and why people donated their time and money. 69% of what motivated an individual to fundraise was because they felt a personal or emotional connection with the cause.

Individuals donated the most to religious causes and then education, social services and hospitals.  Their studies also showed that they wanted issues of economic development, environment, human rights, poverty and hunger and education to be addressed.

There are so many ways to become a humanitarian, and we encourage you to find your path. And here is the fun part, we know that as much as you give, the returns are always more! 

  

eBay Summer of Giving 2013

You may have heard of the excitement of the Summer of Giving 2013 kicking off at the new eBay building grand opening on Friday, May 3^rd.  It is a great celebration for eBay’s growth and for the state of Utah as well. We are very proud and excited that Ascend Alliance has been selected to be a beneficiary of this significant event!

Part of the celebration activities is the eBay Summer of Giving 5K race in the afternoon at 4:30 that day.  eBay has organized this race as a 100% donation to each Summer of Giving participating nonprofit organization, as eBay is paying the race fees and tshirt costs.  Upon registration, each runner will select the organization they want their donation ($10 minimum) to go to and then make their donation via PayPal. Ascend Alliance is called "Care Package Event" in the organization selection drill down, please select us if you have the opportunity to participate in this exceptional event!

The race is only open to the first 500 registrants, so don't delay! 

·         Click HERE  (http://www.active.com/running/draper-ut/ebay-summer-of-giving-5k-2013) to begin registration.
·         Follow registration information
·         Enter code for free registration for 5K :  EBAY5K2013
·         Enter code for free registration for 1 mile fun run : EBAY1MILE2013

o   All fees will be waived with these codes

·         Go to www.paypal.com to enter your donation.  You will need a PayPal account to do this.  If you do not have a PayPal account and do not wish to open one, please let me know and we can arrange a cash donation.
·         Send donation payment to slcevents@ebay.com on the PayPal website.
·         Print your receipt and bring when you come to the race.
·         You may pick up your race bib, timing chip, eBay Summer of Giving race tshirt and other goodies at the following times.  You may pick up for the whole group if you’d like.  You will need to show ID for yourself and the PayPal receipts for each participant.  Packet pick up is at the eBay offices at 583 W eBay Way in Draper.

o   May 1 from 8am – 12pm

o   May 2 from 12pm – 4pm

o   May 3 from 2pm – 4pm (just before the race)

It will be a fun event and memorable event, and we hope to see you there!

Memorable Service Experience by Ariel Allen

I loved the culture within the small community of Jechvo, Chiapas. 

Their beautiful, handmade clothing with all its vibrant colors and floral designs, I knew it took the women countless hours of dedicated devotion and concentration to create them. 

The men, women, and children all wore these unique articles of clothing with pride and beaming, smiling faces. 

I was mesmerized when we arrived at the village that first day. Every person was there waiting to welcome our team of volunteers. Some were holding signs with handwritten words of welcome to each individual in our group. 

As we headed further into the village, we were seated in the kindergarten courtyard as little children performed number after number of dances they had prepared for our arrival. 

Each dance was associated with an outfit, no doubt handmade by their mothers, that was unique to each performance. It warmed my heart and I felt so blessed to be in that moment, experiencing their culture and acceptance of our group. 

I loved when we gathered all the small children together and taught them colors and numbers in English. It was so endearing, and hilarious, to see them spout off broken English as they repeated  the words "blue" and "brown" while color-cards flashed before them. I went around from child to child and, in my own broken Spanish, tried to help them learn basic words in my native language. 

The children were so full of energy, and you could tell they were ecstatic that we were there in their village to teach them. I felt we were all learning from each other.

I learned and experienced so many things, from listening to an archaeologist about recent Mayan findings, to visiting actual Mayan ruins, to singing a made-up song about numbers in English to the little children while they waited to see a local dentist. It was a trip I will never forget and will hold dear in my heart forever.

xxoo,

Ariel 

Muyu Juntasqua Project in Amaru, Peru

Hey, it's Brenda and Ashley here from expeditions at Ascend Alliance! 

We are excited to share today  about one of the projects we are working on for this summer! Were heading to Cusco,  Peru where we will be working in a small community called Amaru.  

Amaru is located on a beautiful hill near the Andean Peaks. They are very traditional in their native dress and most speak in Quechua which is the indigenous language of the Andes.

Amaru has about 1,500 people  that live in extreme poverty living on less than $1.50 per person a day.   Agriculture is the primary economic means,  but lack of irrigation systems prohibits year round farming.  Typically men seek work as porters for the Inca trails which brings challenges of long times away from home and family, backbreaking labor, and poor nutrition.

Trash is a growing problem in Amaru, and without effective means to dispose of in-organic waste, it is deposited in an exposed pit where it contaminates the ground and is blown away by wind.  We are excited to work with Amaru to help solve this problem with a recycling center!  This will be a community project called  "Muyu Juntasqua" which is Quechua for full circle project.  The recycling center will allow them to:

• ·         Separate Bottles, tin, batteries, plastic bags and paper   for re-use.
• ·         Sell the bottles
• ·         Make recycled paper
• ·         Make reusable plastic bags

What an opportunity to be a part of empowering others to better their lives and community. 

Meet Yeni from Amaru

Expeditions give us the opportunity to help others see the change that we can make in the lives of others around the world.  The movement to change, empower, educate, and love those who aren't given the opportunities that we are given.  The miracle about change is not only what it does for them, but what it does for us.  These moments lead us to create change.  We are empowering for change.  Lift others lift yourself.

For more information on the expedition to Amaru on August 2nd email us at brenda@ascendalliance.org!

Hasta Luego,

Brenda and Ashley

Another Silent Auction Sneak Peek!

How does 10 days in Spain sound?
A day in Madrid, some time at a beach, a tour of Toledo, Cathedrals, shrines and monuments...

And lodging in a 300 year old Classic Spanish Pueblo home!

It is a phenomenal opportunity to enjoy Spain and all of the delights it has to offer!

Thailand Anyone?

Time for another sneak peek!

A week in Chiang Mai, Thailand, this silent auction item is sure to be hot! 

Annual Gala Sneak Peeks for Silent Auction Starting Now - Zion Ponderosa

We have many exciting items that will be sold at our Annual Gala on April 27th at the City Creek Marriott this year! Because there are some must have items, and we want everyone to know the details, so we are doing some sneak peeks to give you a head start on your budgeting and bidding strategies  :)

Please stop by again so you can see what else we have, and as a small hint, get your passport out  :)

Living Life in Two Cultures - A Series by Ashley Patino

Hey I'm Ashley- operations assistant here at Ascend Alliance.  I am excited to write for our blog and let you in on my crazy American/ Peruvian double life.  It's an amazing journey that took place meeting my husband in Peru  And through this blog I am excited to share all my crazy experiences along the way.  After living in Peru, I got an opportunity to start working at Ascend in Expeditions.  I feel like I get the opportunity to help others fall in love with the Latin Culture and People.  Their culture has taught me so many wonderful lessons and really enriched my life.  I know they have taught me so much more then  have ever taught them.

Erick and I met through both serving missions in Argentina.  Later visiting Peru with my family we ended up  connected at a beautiful shopping  center that looks over the ocean called Larco Mar.  That will be important to remember for future blog posts... I remember that night looking over  the wooden ledge and  wrote Ashley + Erick.  At the time it was sort of a joke, but deep down I think that's what I really wanted to happen.  The next day I left for Utah, sad, and thinking what if? I knew if I told my family that they would think I was crazy! and I was.  We kept in touch through Facebook, and then Skype, and then that led to me convincing my parents to let me  jet off to Peru!  Well I'm not sure that they let me, as much as it was me saying im going to Peru, and you can support me or not.  I'm quite stubborn.  But when you feel something, I think you have to take the chance, and what would be the worst thing to happen.  I go over and spend my summer in Peru and come home knowing I took that chance.  Has that ever happened to you?  I felt like I was given the opportunity to follow my heart and take a chance.  I didn't know all the challenges that would come with it, but  those challenges have helped me to grow .

Stay tuned for more! 

Chau Chau,

Ashley Patino

The Buzz in the Office by Samantha Tacy

There is such a buzz here in the office this week as we look forward to and continue planning for our Annual Gala Fundraiser! All the details seem to be coming together beautifully as we create a fun and exciting event this year.
And what a sensational program we have for this year! As Production Manager over the event I have had the privilege of working closely with many of the talented performers and groups we will have the pleasure of hearing this year. One of those groups is Vocal Point.

Vocal Point is a male acapella group out of Brigham Young University. Nine students come together in an effort to create a sound unlike any other.  Staying true to the acapella style Vocal Point uses no instrumental sound other than their voices.

Since the time Vocal Point was founded in 1991 by two students attending BYU, the group has won an array of awards and had the opportunity to compete and take fifth place on NBC’s third season of The Sing Off.

Vocal Point will entertain us Saturday evening with a thirty-minute concert. We are thrilled to have them join with us this year and look forward to their performance. We are eager for a night full of fun and good entertainment as we all learn how to Become the Humanitarian We Were Meant to Be.

Conscious Capitalism by CEO of Ascend Alliance Matthew Casto

For nearly forty years the annual charitable contributions in the United States have hovered around 2% of the GDP.  Today that represents about 300 billion dollars in resources available for charitable organizations to help address the social ills of the world.  While this seems like a large amount of money, it is only a fraction of the resources needed. These limited resources are utilized by over a million non profit entities to provide aide to millions of men, woman and children who are under serviced and under supported.  It is important that we continue to empower and sustain these organizations in the important work that they endeavor to provide.

The question is, “How do we empower non government charities”?  The instinctual response to this question is usually financially directed.  Most people think that non profits simply need donations.  While financial donations are an important part of the success equation, they are not the only necessary element.

So, if money is not the greatest need, you may ask, “What do non-profit entities really need to be successful, to rise above the growing social needs, and make lasting changes”?  I would submit to you that what they need is Freedom!  Non Government Organizations need freedom from the legal and philosophical limitations that hold them back from becoming self reliant and financially responsible.  They need the freedom to function like business entities.  They need access to capital investments, cutting edge marketing strategies, and adequately compensated workforce.  They need the autonomy to create long range business strategies and the flexibility to implement these strategies without unbalanced scrutiny.  They need incentives to take risks and to spend for the future.  They need to be encouraged to seek collaboration and inspired to develop efficiency. 

Sounds a lot like capitalism, doesn't it.  So I ask, “Is capitalism the solution to all of the world’s social ills?”!  I am not talking about competitive capitalism, where there is a winner and a loser.  I am talking about conscious capitalism and collaborative capitalism where all parties benefit from working together in harmonic and holistic approaches.  It may be bold to ask, but can capitalism save the world? 

At Ascend Alliance Humanitarian we believe in the power of collaboration and the strength in conscious capitalism.   This is why we working hard to promote our socially responsible business community and to forge strategic partnership with other powerful humanitarian organizations.  We are committed to building a connection economy of businesses and individuals who believe in our mission; a mission to empower individuals to become self reliant and prosperous.  As a 30 year old nonprofit organization, we are proactively striving to live in harmony with this same message, as we generate our own financial resources and build bridges of collaboration across the globe.  We are already enjoying the freedom that comes from these socially minded efforts. 

I watched a video the other day on the internet, where the speaker predicted the end of humanitarianism.  He argued that the day would come that non-profit organizations would become extinct.  He felt that the era of conscious capitalism would expand and social enterprise would eradicate charitable giving.  I do not necessarily agree with this finality of thinking, but I do sense that there will be significant changes in the future of this industry; changes which will impact our personal lives and our future business relationships. 

I can imagine a day when humanitarian organizations will proactively contribute to the overall gross domestic product; rather, than hoping to find access to a small portion of the resources currently available through the generous giving of others.    Join us in the movement towards redefining humanitarianism.  Become a member of our socially responsible business community and help us empower others towards self reliance and prosperity. 

--Matthew Casto