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Flood Crisis in Pakistan
2007-07-10 14:33:00
Hampered by flash floods and blocked roads, relief efforts have started reaching the most vulnerable since Cyclone Yemyin struckPakistan last week.In the worst-hit province of Balochistan, where child mortality and malnutrition rates were very high even before the disaster, a top priority for UNICEF and its partners is ensuring that children have access to food, safe water and protection from abuse or exploitation."The situation has been very difficult," said UNICEF Pakistan Communication Officer Antonia Paradela. "Large areas of Balochistan have been badly affected. [River] banks have been inundated and many buildings have been destroyed." "UNICEF is particularly worried because many areas have been cut off," she added. "And children are the ones who get less of a chance to access vital services, such as health, education, water and basic sanitation."Meeting children?s urgent needs:In collaboration with other UN agencies, UNICEF is leading several crisis-response teams focusing on ...
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Keep a Child Alive
2007-07-09 13:44:00
Keep A Child Alive , a charitable organization that gets anti-retroviral treatment to children infected with AIDS in Africa -received a US$100,000 bid for its charity auction package, including: the first iPhone (purchased by filmmakerSpike Lee), two Jawbone Bluetooth headsets, two round-trip domestic plane tickets and two VIP passes to the Black Ball. The iPhone will be personalized with a voice mail greeting from Alicia Keys and presented by the R&B star at the organization?s Black Ball honoring Bono on Oct. 25th in New York City. Supporters of Keep A Child Alive took advantage of the iPhone launch by standing in line for four days communicating the charity?s grass-roots mission.At 6 pm on Friday, June 29, Spike Lee joined Keep A Child Alive volunteers at Apple?s Soho location to purchase the first iPhone.Keep A Child Alive is a committed partner of the One Campaign.To learn more about this auction or how you can support Keep a Child Alive, Click HereTags: iphone, AIDS, Po...

Weekend Fun Episode #2
2007-07-07 07:06:00
Welcome back to another great moment in weekend blogging history! Ya! Anyway.. lol - I hope everyone enjoyed last weekend's post, and I will try and make this one even more interesting.This past week was an interesting one, other than making money ( which is pretty much the norm for weekdays ) I tried to keep up on the Wimbledon Tennis Matches, but unfortunately it has been raining everyday this week so the matches were all messed up. I was...however extremely disappointed that Maria Sharapova lost..got crushed actually - by Venus Williams... then Justine Henin got crushed, it is a crazy year at Wimbledon! I got one player left, Roger Federer, he has to come through for me! What else did I do, I spent some time with my family and friends on the 4th of July, and played my weekly basketball game, which of course I came out the champ .. once again! lol______________________________________ _____________________What's new in the Tech World?Apple iphoneAs I am sure you have heard, th...
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A truly inspiring Wish
2007-07-06 14:51:00
When Colton was diagnosed with Ewing?s sarcoma in 2006, people in hiscommunity made one thing clear: He wouldn?t have to face the diseasealone.His teammates from the South Whidbey High School Falcons baseball team shaved their heads in support. Another teammate volunteered to DJ at a dance to raise money for Colton?s treatment. Other people from the community organized dunk tank fundraisers and fairs to provide a laptop for Colton so he could keep up in school.Colton, now 16 and in remission from the rare form of cancer, didn?t forget those who helped him. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Alaska, Montana, Northern Idaho and Washington offered to grant his one true wish, he chose a wish that would benefit his community: a complete renovation of his high school?s baseball field.While the team took pride in its field, the school did not have the funds to update aged bleachers weathered by the frequent rains, purchase tarps to protect the infield, erect new fencing and make long-neede...

Giving Wisely
2007-07-05 15:10:00
I hope that everyone who celebrated the 4th of July, had a great holiday! In the spirit of the holiday, many people give to charities, especially ones that support the veterans, police, and firefighters - unfortunately this is also the time when scammers and charity frauds surface. So if you are considering giving to organizations that support these causes, then here are some tips from Charity Navigator -Give locally. Don't trust a charity based in another state that promises that it will give money to police, firefighters or veterans in your state. If you want to support your local or state police, fire station, or military unit contact them directly and find out where they prefer to have donations given. Never give over the phone. Of the charities with high fundraising expenses, much of their money is spent on for-profit telemarketing companies. These companies often charge the charity 20 to 90 cents of each dollar raised. That's more of your money not going to those protect...
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Child-friendly journalism in Iraq
2007-07-04 14:51:00
To balance the grim daily reports of bombings and violence in Iraq , Mohammad, 28, is trying a new focus - he created a television show called 'Sabah El Kheir Mosul,(Good Morning Masul) which focuses on the lives of children."I used to dream of being a children?s cartoonist," said Mohammad. "But the war has made this job very hard. So for now I am satisfied just giving space to children on my show, because children need all our help."Mohammad?s work is devoted to issues that touch children deeply, suchas their experiences at school, their treatment at home and the changesthat conflict has brought to their lives. He also hosts a radioprogram giving young artists, writers and others the chance to sharetheir skills and hopes."In Iraq, we struggle to ensure fair reporting on humanitarian issues.With so many problems it is too easy to forget about children ormisrepresent them," he said. "Child ren participating in the media canbuild their own self-esteem and help to educate and enlighten ...
More About: Journalism , Friendly

Direct Relief Update
2007-07-03 15:11:00
I wanted to let you know that Dire ct Relief International unveiled a new websitelast week at DirectRelief.org, providing visitors with an improved outlet for constant updates on the status of Direct Relief?s efforts to improve access to health care throughout the world.According to Web traffic tracking, DirectRelief.org is among the top five most visitedphilanthropic sites on the Web.Direct Relief International provides medical assistance to improve thequality of life for people victimized by poverty, disaster, and civilunrest at home and throughout the world.Tags: Charity, Philanthropy, Relief,
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Chittagong Landslide Fund
2007-07-03 05:05:00
My friend Sadiq Alam, over at Inspirations and Creative Thoughts Blog, asked me to help bring awareness to a cause he is supporting.On June 11th, 2007 Bangladesh suffered a terrible landslide, that caused the death of more than 100 people.Click here to read Sadiq's post and find out how you can help. Tags: Charity, Donation, Crisis, Bangladesh,
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Alyssa Milano Donates $250.000
2007-07-02 15:17:00
Alyssa Mila no is the new Global Network's lead Ambassador. Alyssa will work to raise awareness of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) by educating the mainstream media and general public of the plight faced by the one billion people that are afflicted by NTDs, and the importance in controlling and preventing this global health crisis.Her first action as ambassador was to donate $250,000 to the Global Network Drug Fund. The GLOBAL NETWORK and its partnering organizations will use Alyssa's first-year donation for a full-scale implementation program to eliminate lymphatic filariasis (LF) in Myanmar, a Southeast Asian nation where LF is extremely prevalent. More specifically, 12 million tablets of DEC, which is part of the rapid impact package, will be purchased to treat four million individuals.I have to admit, I had never heard of Neglected Tropical Diseases, or perhaps I just was not paying attention, so I am glad Alyssa is using her celebrity status to shine a light on a very serio...
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Weekend Fun
2007-06-30 02:17:00
Because of my lack of blog time on weekends, I decided to do something fun, for those who stop by and are disappointed by the lack of a post to read.Every weekend I will do a post similar to this one, where I will discuss something non-charity/philanthropy related and include links to some of the places I discovered on the net, weird, cool, or odd that I enjoy.I have a wide area of interests that I could post about all day long, but I would need 17 different theme related blogs to cover them all, so I decided to do this.____________________________________ _______________________ What's good on TV this Weekend ...Some people love football, some like soccer or basketball, well I love Tennis, my favorite players are Roger Federer & Justine Henin. True champions of the sport.So this weekend I will be watching Wimbledon Early-round plays.___________________________________ ________________________ My typical Weekend...Involves spending time w...

Good Karma
2007-06-29 14:37:00
The founders of Fat Wire, one of Long Island's more high-profile technology companies started during the dot.com boom, have set their sights on online philanthropy.On Monday, July 2, they will test-launch www.411Karma .com, a social networking site that allows entrepreneurs and others not only to share information about their favorite charities but to make donations that will be sent along to the charities.Mark Fasciano, who now serves as FatWire's chairman, considers it a "bigger idea" than FatWire, a content manager in Mineola that he co-founded in 1996 in his parents' spare bedroom in Oyster Bay.The company has since grown to $30 million in annual revenue with 140 employees and 400 customers, including General Motors, BestBuy and J.P. Morgan Chase.411Karma is starting out with an initial $1 million in funding Fasciano raised with FatWire cofounders Ari Kahn and John Murcott as well as with money from other investors."We are software entrepreneurs who want to put our talents tow...
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Ocean's 13 Stars Donate $1Million
2007-06-28 14:40:00
Friends of the World Food Program welcomed a US$1,000,000 donation from Not On Our Watch, a humanitarian organization co-founded by the all-star cast and the filmmakers of "Ocean's Thirteen."The gift will support the United Nations World Food Program's (WFP) humanitarian air service in Darfur, Sudan."Humanitarian air services are essential not only for WFP but also other UN agencies and humanitarian organizations working in Darfur," said Karen Sendelback, President and CEO of Friends of WFP."Every aid organization working in Darfur relies on planes and helicopters to access otherwise inaccessible villages in Darfur," said actor George Clooney, board member and co-founder of Not On Our Watch.The governing board of Not On Our Watch includes "Ocean's Thirteen" stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, and Don Cheadle, producer Jerry Weintraub, and David Pressman.Not On Our Watch is a humanitarian organization that aims to support existing Darfur relief efforts and ensure the pro...
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Fighting for women's rights in Iraq
2007-06-27 14:29:00
Yanar Mohammed left the comfort of her Toronto, Canada, home to return to Iraq and fight for a cause she says is overlooked in her native country -- women's rights."The upper hand was given to the Islamists and to the tribals," Mohammed said of the formation of Iraq's young democracy. "Nobody listened to us," she said in a recent CNN interview. "To the tribals, to the Islamists, but never to women."In 2003, Mohammed founded the Organization of Women's Freedom in Iraq, in order to give voice to and seek protection for those women in Iraq who are in need."Nobody has the right to tell us that we are second-rate citizens," Mohammed said.Historically, Iraqi women have enjoyed more freedoms than the women of neighboring countries, according to Human Rights Watch.According to a United Nations report, the kidnapping, rape and murder of women is on the rise. Honor killings, or the killing of a woman who brought perceived dishonor to her family, is up also.Mohammed said. "Nobody can speak ...
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Spotlight on Ann Curry
2007-06-26 15:09:00
As I was going through my daily "stuff" - links, emails, newspapers I came across an interview that MSNBC did with Ann Curry . Ann Curry is an American journalist and television personality who has served as news anchor on NBC's Today since May 1997 and co-host of Dateline NBC since May 2005.Each month, MSNBC highlights a celebrity in a specific charity and have that person talk about his or her work on behalf of the charity's cause. This month, they spoke with Ann Curry.You can read the whole interview by following the link below, but I wanted to post this one question and answer, because I think it sums up a lot about what made me decide to get involved in charity work.Q: Why is it important for people to support charitable causes?A: Oh my lord! I wouldn't say it?s important to support charitable causes; I would say that it is a gift to support charitable causes. If you can find a way to be generous to others, to alleviate suffering in others, you have found the secret to life...
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The America I know
2007-06-25 16:45:00
Americans gave nearly $300 billion to charitable causes last year, setting a new record and besting the 2005 total that had been boosted by a surge in aid to victims of hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma and the Asian tsunami. Donors contributed an estimated $295.02 billion in 2006, a 1 percent increase when adjusted for inflation, up from $283.05 billion in 2005.So where does this money come from? Well, here is the good news - from you. Individuals, like you gave a combined 75.6 percent of the total. With bequests, that rises to 83.4 percent. About 65 percent of households with incomes less than $100,000 give to charity, the report showed."What people find especially interesting about this, and it?s true year after year, that such a high percentage comes from individual donors," Giving USA Chairman Richard Jolly said."It tells you something about American culture that is unlike any other country," said Claire Gaudiani, a professor at NYU?s Heyman Center for Philanthropy and auth...
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Tips for Giving to Charity
2007-06-22 14:52:00
Supporting a cause you believe in can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in your lifetime. For those who have given to charities know this feeling well, but for those who have gotten scammed, it is a totally different experience. Here are some Tips that Might help.1. Know your Char ity Charities have an obligation to provide detailed information to interested donors. Never give to a charity you know nothing about. Request written literature and a copy of the charity?s latest annual report. This should include a list of the board of directors, a mission statement and the most recent available audited financial statements with accompanying notes.If a charity does not provide you with the information you request, you may want to think twice about giving to it. Honest charities typically encourage your interest and respond to your questions.2. Find out where your dollars go. Ask how much of your donation goes for general administration and fundraising expenses and how...
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Friendships
2007-06-21 14:50:00
Recently, my friend Steve and I have started up our once-a-week basketball game. We go to the court, shoot around a bit then decide to play a little one-on-one to see if we still have "it"It was fun as always, then we headed off to get dinner, during the conversation my friend brought up the fact that months could go by and yet when we meet up, it's like no time went by at all. We pick up right where we left off, and we have been doing this for over 17 years now.I often think about how blessed I am , when I consider that finding a true friend in life can be one of the hardest things to do - and I have found a few great ones.Of course something's change, he is married now, and has three wonderful children, and I am still enjoying the "technically" single life.... but when it comes to friendship, neither of us has changed and we are always there for each other.As true friends are.Tags: Friends, Friendship, Basketball, Relationships, Memories,
More About: Friendships , Ends , Ship

Give us your poor
2007-06-20 16:04:00
"Give us your poor, your tired, your huddled masses longing to be free..."The U.S. State Department recently decided to admit 7,000 Iraqi refugees for asylum in America. Which turned out to be a very controversial decision.The decision comes amid pressure from the U.S. Congress and the international community to do more about the growing refugee crisis.Of course, there was an outcry of people who thought this decision was a wrong direction for the United States. I don't see why people would have a problem with it. This is the very core of what America is. They compare this decision to the Mexican Immigrant situation, which in my opinion has nothing to do with the other."What pains were taken to make sure that these people do not hold to radical Islamic views?" "What efforts have been made to make sure that none of these 7,000 have any attachment to Sharia or violent jihad?" - are just a few of the many questions some Americans have been asking.In my opinion that is like askin...
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Poverty In America
2007-06-19 16:04:00
Extreme Poverty Recently I got into a debate with some very caring individuals over why we should support organizations that combat global poverty. Their point was, why not start at home? We have plenty of America ns who live in poverty, why not take care of your "own" first?The following are facts about Americans defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports: Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio. Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning. Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person. The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, Lon...
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Global AIDS Funding
2007-06-18 15:41:00
G-8 Vows to Donate MoreNow that the Group of 8 ( G-8 ) industrialized nations has pledged to commit $60 billion to combat AIDS and other diseases around the world in coming years - Congress and other national legislatures ought to look hard for additional funds to close a looming gap between the funds committed and the needs of desperate patients.The advanced nations ? both the G-8 countries and other donor nations ? have greatly increased their funding for AIDS programs in recent years in belated recognition that the epidemic threatens to destroy not just its victims, but also the social and economic fabric of many countries in sub-Saharan Africa. We are pleased that President Bush has proposed spending some $30 billion to combat AIDS abroad over a five-year period, from 2009 to 2013.To its credit, the United States has been by far the largest AIDS donor in recent years, providing almost half of the funding commitments made by donor governments. But when measured against the size o...
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Happy Father's Day
2007-06-18 01:48:00
To all the wonderful fathers out there. Both young and old, I want to wish you the very best, on this very special day."He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it". ~Clarence Budington KellandTags: Fath er's Day, Fathers, Holiday,
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Japan Contributes $19.5 million to UNICEF
2007-06-15 14:18:00
Japan is contributing $19.5 million to UNICEF to boost up the global effort towards polio eradication, and reinforce child survival programs in Nigeria, Afghanistan, Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo.The support will be used to purchase 63.8 million doses of Oral Polio Vaccines in the four countries and 700,000 long-lasting insecticide treated bed nets for the three countries in Africa. In addition, it will support community mobilization to prevent malaria and other infectious diseases through provision of information and training."With this generous support, UNICEF can strengthen the fight against the infectious diseases that threaten millions of children in these four countries", said Dan Rohrmann, Director, UNICEF Tokyo Office."It is a recognition that child health and human security go hand in hand. Childhood diseases do not only kill, they leave children unable to learn or reach their full potential, undermining national progress. The Government of Japan is a steadfas...
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A different world than our parents
2007-06-14 15:39:00
As the world gets closer, and countries blend together, erasing borders we are heading towards a Global Citizenship. Countries are realizing that what happens in another part of the world, also affects them, there is no island nations anymore. China is joining the World Superpower Club, which in my opinion is a good thing, the more money and power a country gives to it's people, the more power the people have over the government.The world's naivete got us into a war in IRAQ, because we assumed things would work out as they always do, yet we have learned that the world is very complex and that we can no longer march an army into a country and expect them to obey. Change is slow, and change is hard to accept for many people, most of us would like things to stay the way that makes us the most comfortable, but life does not allow for that, it demands change, it demands constant improvement.Everything needs to adjust to this, our skills, our views, our environmental intellect and our ...
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Goals and Planning
2007-06-13 14:01:00
For quite a while now I have been living on a set of goals, and have been very much into making plans and trying to follow them.Not too many of you know much about my personal life, but I am a pretty laid back and relaxed person, on the "outside" but on the inside.. is a totally different thing.I tend to be very intense on the inside and push myself to achieve everything I want to achieve, even at the cost of my own sanity it seems sometimes lolSo for the past month I have been trying something new, being less hard on myself, and putting less pressure on myself to achieve certain goals in life.Goals are great, making plans is also a great idea, but lets try not to forget that we do not have to achieve every goal in life in order to be happy and content... sometimes it's okay to just take it easy. :)Tags: Goals, Life, Plan ning , Living, Relaxing, Motivation,

Eyes on Darfur
2007-06-13 00:04:00
Eyes on Darfur Amnesty International, launched "Eyes on Darfur this month, and if you have not yet heard of it, it's a project whose major component is a website that focuses on 12 specific Darfur villages, the intention being to depict the ongoing tragedy on a human scale as a way of motivating visitors to take action.The use of satellite cameras to capture developments on the ground allows computer users around the world to keep a virtual eye on vulnerable populations in faraway, otherwise inaccessible places.Explore the satellite evidence and detailed on-the-ground information and see with your own eyes what is happening in Darfur... then join the global neighborhood watch. Act to prevent further attacks by monitoring villages with high risk.Stand up. Raise your voice. Get involved. Take ActionNo longer can we claim Ignorance...Tags: Darfur, Amnesty, International, Global, Satallite,
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81 Year Old Man and his Bicycle
2007-06-12 14:38:00
Here's a little story I found this morning while surfing the papers.An 81-year-old man has set off on a 2,000-mile bicycle ride around Arizona?s perimeter.Bill Anderson of Yuma plans to complete the trip in 14 to 16 days. He is riding to raise money for Yuma?s Crossroads Mission, which provides shelter, meals, showers and clothing to the homeless.Last year, Anderson rode from the Mexican border to the Canadian line and back again to raise money. In 2004, he made two trips for the mission: one from Canada to Mexico and another from San Diego to Jacksonville Beach, Fla."It's so awesome. I'm having a blast," Anderson said over the phone on a stopover. "I'm seeing a lot of new country and taking lots of scenic photographs."To Learn more about the Homeless and how you can help please visit: Coalition for the HomelessTags: Homeless, Bill Anderson, Charity, Arizona,
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Morocco's successes
2007-06-11 17:53:00
Kind of a part II of my previous post about UNICEF's work in Morocco and it's fight against child labor.I discovered this video while surfing YouTube ( A hobby lol )Enjoy!Vist UNICEF TODAYTags: Queen Rania, UNICEF, Morocco, Child Labor, Children,
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Memories
2007-06-08 14:34:00
While having dinner with a friend last night, we chanced upon someone we knew way back when we were both in school. Wow, it brought back a lot of good memories .... it was as if we were transported back to a simpler time, when all we had to think about was ourselves, school and getting good grades and what we were going to do after school. Good memories are a wonderful thing, a gift actually, our memories - our past created who we are today, but last night also reminded me just how short life on earth really is, how quickly everything changes. Life is good, often very complicated and filled with hardships but all in all, life is a gift we should treasure, and continually build great memories. :)Tags: Memo ries , Reflection, Relationships, Friendship,

Tired of Scammers?
2007-06-07 14:49:00
Anyone else tired of Email Scam s, Phishing..and just outright thievery?It amazes me how many emails I get everyday telling me I've won an internet lottery that I never signed up for, or some person saying they inherited millions of dollars and want to share it.In fact they are getting really good at these scams, and lots of people are falling for them, so.. because I am a little bit annoyed by them today I will give you a few helpful links which contain every possible scam.. so you can know what to look out for.Email ScamsEmail Banking ScamsMostly it's common sense, but why take chances, Learn about them and how you can report them, and to whom you should report them to.We may not be able to stop them, but we should at least have the satisfaction of annoying them as much as they annoy us! :)Tags: Scams, Scamming, Email, Phishing, Fraud,
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150,000 Wishes Come True
2007-06-06 14:30:00
Twenty-seven years after granting the wish of a terminally ill 7-year-old, the Make-A-Wish Foundation on Tuesday made its 150,000th dream come true.That's Right.. one hundred and fifty THOUSAND wishes for children with life threatening illnesses. With the Help of many Celebrities, organizations and YOU who have donated or became Wish Granters!Amazing!To celebrate the milestone, the charity has launched a new campaign called "Destination Joy," presented by Lays brand potato chips. The campaign encourages people to give their money, time and talent to the organization and to help it fulfill its objective of granting a wish to every one of the 25,000 children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses every year in the United States.Currently, the foundation grants one wish every 41 minutes, but is able to fulfill the dreams of only about half of the children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses every year.As part of the Destination Joy drive, Lay?s is inviting consumers to share...
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