My friend Tom came over yesterday so we could work on our song some more. Check out our progress!
When we’re all done we’re going to make it available online. All the money we raise with the song will go to help build a school for the kids in Turalei, Sudan!
The Josiah and Friends Mini-Golf Fundraiser
Wednesday, August 25th
5PM – 8PM
The Clubhouse Fun Center
70 Jay Scutti Boulevard – Henrietta (Map)
Mini-golf, go-karts, video games and more!
A generous portion of the proceeds will be donated to our school building project in Sudan. Bring your friends, the more people that come the more money that goes to our school!
Can you believe that we’re almost to $3,000 already? When we started this eight months ago I thought we would only get a few hundred dollars!
We only need a little bit more to reach our next goal.
If you’ve already donated, please consider donating again. If you can’t give today, maybe you can tell your friends about what we’re doing. These kids are counting on us so let’s keep going!
Our friend Matthew Kohn is currently producing a documentary about the school building project in Turalei, Sudan. In this clip Manute shares his dream of building 41 schools in Southern Sudan.
You can help make Manute’s dream a reality by donating today!
Our friend John Zogby shared some thoughts on the recent passing of Manute Bol. We wanted to share them with you.
Manute was a majestic presence. It wasn’t just his height but the fact that he emanates all the emotional pain he has witnessed, the physical pain that he bore, and the dogged determination that he represented. He was so much more than an NBA legend. He was living proof that none of us could ever claim that we had a bad day. Manute had seen so much more than any of us and he triumphed.
He said he was going to build reconciliation schools in southern Sudan. This from a man who lost 250 members of his own family from religious violence. He put together schools taught by Christians and Muslims for children who were Christian and Muslim. They would learn and study under the shade of trees, using sticks and rocks to write. Manute moved forward to build the first school with the help of volunteers from all faiths. The builders learned to make bricks in a town that had a shortage of water and no electricity, no infrastructure and no contact with the outside world.”
I was with him at three fundraisers. The last time he was wheel-chair bound in Rochester. He couldn’t stand up and he listened as the kids each came up to the microphone and asked the litany of questions about “How tall are you?” He actually loved it. But when a little girl told him and her schoolmates that she understood him because she had childhood arthritis he looked back at Rev. Tom Prichard and me and said, “Help me stand up. Let them see me standing up.”
So few know about southern Sudan but they wanted to help Manute. We had huge fundraisers scheduled in DC, Miami, and Houston. There were plans for Albany. But they all had to be canceled because he was needed in the Sudan to assist the independence forces during the recent election. But frankly he was also just too ill to travel.
I will never know how he carried on with so many physical problems. But I do know that if a man’s wealth can be measured by endurance of pain, determination to help the poorest of his friends and family as well as total strangers, and the dignity to carry on against all odds, Manute is the richest man ever to have played in the NBA.
John Zogby, President/CEO, Zogby International
Sudan Sunrise Board of Trustees
We are very sad to report that Manute Bol passed away this morning at a hospital in Virginia where he had been treated for several weeks for acute kidney failure and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
Please keep his family in your prayers during this difficult time.
The following update came in yesterday from our friend Tom Prichard of Sudan Sunrise.
Sudan Sunrise friend and Sudanese hero Manute Bol has been hospitalized in northern Virginia and diagnosed with acute kidney failure and Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.
Manute returned to the U.S. from Sudan on Wednesday, May 12th, but was not able to complete his journey home to Olathe, Kansas. Manute had postponed much-needed medical care in order to stayin Sudan to help with the recent and very important elections.
Manute has recieved two dialysis treatments, and his blood levels are beginning to improve. In addition, he is suffering from Stevens – Johnson Syndrome, a serious skin disorder probably caused by a reaction to medication given to him in Kenya. (Learn more about Stevens-Johnson Syndrome.)
Manute has terrible sores in his mouth, which prevented him from eating for the past eleven days. The skin disorder has caused him great pain and itching all over his body, and in some areas the top layers of skin are detaching from the lower layers. He is in Critical Care, being given morphine today for pain. He may be moved to a burn unit to better treat the skin disorder.
This is a very difficult time for Manute and for all of his family. They deeply appreciate everyone’s prayers and concern. Let us pray for him to have a speedy and full recovery.
We will post very limited information on Manute’s health at our website www.sudansunrise.org and more frequent updates on the Facebook group “Manute Bol, get well soon“.
We sold quite a bit of art at yeasterday’s Art Auction, but we still have a number of paintings and drawings left. So we thought it would be a good idea to give those of you who live far away a chance to participate as well!
From now until May 1st anyone who makes an online donation of any amount will receive one of the remaining kids’ art pieces and a signed “thank you” note from Josiah!
The process is easy:
1) Click the “Sponsor me!” link below and make your online donation.
2) Email us with your mailing address at josiahandfriends@gmail.com.
Once we verify that you made an online contribution we’ll send you one of the art pieces!
Yesterday’s Kids’ Art Auction was a huge success. The event raised $707 for our school building project and everyone had fun looking at all the great art!
We want say a big “thank you” to everyone who came out and supported us. A special “thank you” to Boulder Coffee Co. for hosting the event and 13WHAM and News 10 NBC for covering the event on their evening broadcasts. (You can see 10′s coverage of the event here.)
We recently entered a short-film contest where we were asked to tell our story in 90-seconds or less. If we win the contest, our school building project will receive $1,000!
Please take a moment to give Josiah’s Story – Hope for Sudan a thumbs-up. You can vote once each day for your favorite video.
The winner will be announced May 1st, so please help us spread the word. Every vote counts!
This is our submission for Donald Miller’s short-film contest. Our challenge was to tell our story in under 1:30. It sure was hard getting it all in there!
The winner receives $1,000. If we win, we’re going to donate the money to our project.
The voting begins next Wednesday. I’ll be sure to let you know what to do when the time comes. It’s very important that we get lots of votes early so people will look at our video!
I hope you guys will join me for a Kids’ Art Workshop on Wednesday, April 14th from 6PM to 7PM at Boulder Coffee (955 Genesee St. – Rochester).
We’ll be using tempera paints, oil pastels, colored pencils, markers and crayons to create artwork to donate to the Josiah and Friends Kids’ Art Auction on April 24th. Proceeds from that event will be donated to Manute Bol’s school building project through Sudan Sunrise.
While we’re all creating our masterpieces, my mom and dad will teach us about the country of Sudan and give more information about our school building project.
I can’t wait to paint my picture! I hope to see you there!
Today we begin our sixth month of raising money to help Manute Bol build a school in Sudan.
I can’t believe this all started when I donated $2 from my piggy bank. We’ve raised almost $2,000 since then!
But we still have a long way to go before this school is finished. So thanks for all your hard work. You guys are awesome! Keep going!!
Manute Bol was recently interviewed on World Vision Report about his school building project through Sudan Sunrise. It’s really awesome to hear stories about people who were once enemies forgiving each other and working together to do important things!
Please take a few minutes and listen to Manute’s interview. Then consider making a donation to help us get this school built!
World Vision Report – Manute Bol
Hi everyone! Our friend Tom Prichard from Sudan Sunrise called to give us an update on the work Manute Bol has been doing in Sudan.
Manute has been in Sudan for the past few months, meeting with some very important people and trying to get this school built. But lately his health has not been very good. Also, the President of Southern Sudan has asked Manute to help him with the upcoming elections in that country. So Manute has been doing some campaign work with him.
This has kept Manute from being able to do much travelling, including some time he was planning to spend in the U.S. doing some fundraising. This has slowed down the school’s progress a little bit.
He told Tom that he was very thankful for all the help we’ve been giving.
I was thinking that since he can’t come to America right now, maybe we could help him by raising more money! So what do you guys think? Let’s give Manute a hand since he can’t come here to do fundraising himself!
If you haven’t donated already please make a donation today. They really need our help! If you have already donated, please consider giving some more. Every little bit counts!
You guys are doing a great job. Keep it up!
We got an update from our friend Tom Prichard the other day about the status of the school.
He said that they have completed the floor and the walls in the second building (the one with three classrooms), but they had to stop production on the building until they can raise enough money to build the roof. They will need another $18,000 to complete its construction.
The good news is that the rainy season doesn’t start until April. But the bad news is that if they don’t get the roof on this year, some of these kids will have to wait through another raining season with no school.
So it’s really important that we keep raising money to get this school built. We had a little more come in this week, but we still have a long way to go. I know you guys can do it!
Kid’s Art Auction - To help build schools in Sudan!
Saturday, April 24th @ 3PM
Boulder Coffee Co. (955 Genesee St. – Rochester)
Kids of all ages will have their artwork auctioned off to help raise money for former NBA star Manute Bol’s school building project through Sudan Sunrise. Artwork will be on display at Boulder Coffee Co. from 3PM to 5PM and bidding will take place by silent auction.
Calling all artists!
If you would like to donate artwork to help this great cause, please contact us at josiahandfriends@gmail.com or call (585) 454-7047. Deadline for submission is Saturday, April 17th.
Attention parents and teachers!
There will be an educational art workshop where children will have an opportunity to learn about the country of Sudan and create artwork to donate to the auction. The workshop will take place on Wednesday, April 14th at 6PM at Boulder Coffee Co. (955 Genesee St. – Rochester).
For more information visit: http://www.josiahandfriends.com
Email: josiahandfriends@gmail.com
Phone: (585) 454-7047
Help spread the word! Here are two downloadable PDF fliers that you can print and post wherever you’d like!
