Operation Give: Uganda

*****WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU ALL FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART! LOVE YOU ALL!*****

MISSION: To raise $24,000 by 12/23 in order to help keep stomachs full of food and minds full of knowledge by providing nutritious lunch/snacks at school and educational support for 50 beautiful children in the village of Nakanak, Uganda, for an entire year! That’s not all -- we will take them for their first-ever trip to the zoo and have a big holiday celebration filled with food and gifts!

WHO/WHAT: All money raised will provide nutritious lunch and snacks at school every day, school supplies, and additional educational support for 50 children, from the ages of 1 to 10 years old.

WHERE/WHEN: I will personally take the children on a field trip to the zoo, hand deliver all the gifts to the children at the holiday party and help pass out the first batch of school supplies, along with Saint Ann Foundation staff and volunteers. (This trip is already paid for, from my pocket. Every dollar you donate goes to the children.) I will capture the festivities through photos and video, so you can see the impact of your donation and just how special you made a child feel.

12/29: Field trip to the Zoo at the Uganda Wildlife Education Centre in Entebbe

12/31: Holiday party at St. Ann Foundation in Nakanaku Village

Food and school supplies will be distributed throughout the year to ensure that they last.

WHY: I believe that it is of the utmost importance that every child has access to education, food, and the opportunity to feel loved and celebrated in the ways that we often take for granted.  It’s so easy for us to give these children the basic things we all too often forget that we are privileged to have -- and it costs so little! Working with children in need teaches you to be more like them: Joyful and grateful in the moment, regardless of what you do or don’t have. I hope that participating in Operation Give: Uganda brings you some of that gratitude and joy.

DONATIONS: I'm reaching out to you for help. Together we can do this! Just $40 provides one child with food and educational support for an entire month. All donations are welcome, big or small. Every penny counts and is appreciated beyond words. Can’t donate monetarily? No worries! You can still help by sharing our video to help spread the awareness and help reach our goal. Saint Ann Foundation in Uganda will purchase and replenish the school supplies and food throughout the year.

TAX-DEDUCTIBLE: Yes! You will receive a donation record e-mail after you contribute online.

PLEASE SHARE: Most importantly, spread the word by sharing this link with friends & family. Statistically, every share generates an average of over $25 in additional donations. After you donate, please make sure to follow these 3 easy steps to help us reach our goal:

1. Take a photo of yourself with a sign that says:

I donated to

#OperationGiveUganda

Have you?

2. Write a caption that includes:

#OperationGiveUganda

The donation link: http://bit.ly/OperationGiveUganda_Donate 

3. Tag Operation Give & me - go Like the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OperationGive/ if you haven't yet ;) - and then post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

WE’VE DONE THIS BEFORE: In 2012, our goal was $5,000 to give 500 children in Guatemala a holiday party filled with gifts and food, which was a great success! Supportive donors contributed over $10,000. In 2013, our goal was to raise enough money and donated items to have a luncheon for 1,000 women and children in Guatemala. We pulled it together in just 2 weeks! In 2014, our goal was to raise $26,000 to provide 600 children in San Rafael el Arado with educational support and food for an entire year and we did it just over 3 months! With high hopes and a can-do attitude, I am confident we will make this yet another successful year to make some more beautiful children feel super duper loved!

MY STORY: Growing up, it was important to my parents that my brothers and I remembered to be grateful for all blessings in life. More importantly, to share those blessings with others. When I started Operation Give, I did so with the intention of supporting children in need with educational resources, food, and loads of love to make them feel special. I know that many others share these feelings, and I’m so happy that we all have a platform to make a difference together! :D

FACEBOOK: To follow our progress, view photos/videos, and get news about upcoming fundraising events please visit and like our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/OperationGive

SPONSORED BY: Fundraising campaign is sponsored by Redstone Veterans Service Initiative and Give Photography.

VIDEO: bit.ly/Video_OperationGiveUganda

Filmed, Directed & Edited by Brooks Knudsen (@BrooksKnudsen)
Edits and Production by Paul Boutin & Loren Feldman
Animation by Tyler Knudsen (@CinemaTyler)
Intro Music by Richie Arenas
Toto's Africa on Cello by Griffin Strole