Christine DeSavino Photography

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WE DID IT!

I am so happy to announce that today we reached our fundraising goal to help fight pediatric cancer!

Earlier this afternoon, two good friends (and clients) of mine made a very generous donation which brought us to $1000 in donations to Alex’s Lemonade Stand!  Now, not only have we raised the money, but a family affected by pediatric cancer will receive a photo session and print collection. We are working together with the ALS Foundation in choosing the right family and we can’t wait to meet them…so stay tuned for more information on that.

I want to send out a HUGE thank you to everyone who donated…your generosity towards this important cause is truly appreciated!  I’d also like to announce the winner of the free mini-session and package, and that goes to Andrea M who guessed 3:10pm! Congratulations to you, Andrea!  I’ll be in touch with you very soon and can’t wait to see you again!

One last thing, that I think is both poignant and bittersweet…today, by coincidence, happens to be the birthday of Alex, the brave little girl who created Alex’s Lemonade Stand.  She would have been 15 years old.  I wanted to share this video today that commemorates her life.  Her courage, optimism, and vision serve as an inspiration to us all…..

Thank you Alex, for letting us take part in your dream.

Win a Free Mini-Session by guessing what time we reach our $1000 goal…

$650 and Climbing!

My winter fundraiser is well underway and we’re over half way to our goal of raising $1000 in donations to the pediatric cancer foundation…

Christine DeSavino Photography's donation page to Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation

Raise Awareness and…


Win a Free Mini-Session & Photo Package!


To help spread the word, I am giving away a free Mini-Portrait-Session & Photo Package to one lucky family. Read on for details…

To have a chance at winning, all you have to do is take a guess as to what time of day we will pass the $1,000 mark in donations. Right now we’re just over half way, but you can see our current donation status here.

To enter, just leave me a comment either on my facebook page or below this post stating the time of day (ie. 3:37pm) that you think we will surpass $1000. The actual day does not matter – the time is all that is needed in your guess.  If there is a tie, the first to guess wins.

Yes, you can ENTER TWICE! Just take a different guess on both sites (facebook & blog) and whoever guesses the closest time will win! (Mini-Session cannot be in lieu of previously scheduled session; however, the mini-session is transferrable. Session must take place in my normal working area of Northern NJ, the NYC metro area, and LBI/Jersey Shore.)

The mini-session will consist of a 1/2 hour photo session with 10-12 images in an online gallery from which the winner can select.  The package will include the following prints: 1 11×14, 2 8×10’s, and 4 5×7’s!

Also, when we reach our $1000 goal in donations, I’ll be giving away a complete portrait session and photo collection to a family affected by pediatric cancer, so come join me now in this great cause:

Fight Pediatric Cancer with Christine DeSavino Photography


‘Tis the Season of Giving…So please come give (and receive) with me while fighting Pediatric Cancer!

Come help me give a special gift to a deserving family

As a children’s portrait photographer, I feel so blessed to be able to work with children on a regular basis.  Whether it’s capturing a smile, coaxing a giggle, or preserving a beautiful moment for Mom and Dad to treasure for years to come…these are the things that give me a deep sense of joy and happiness in what I do.  But I also know that not all children are as blessed as the ones that I have met and photographed this year. That’s why as 2010 comes to a close, I’d like to give something to the children and families that need our love and support.

So please join me in the effort to help fight pediatric cancer, and in doing so, we will give a very special gift to a deserving family…

flyer for Christine DeSavino Photography's Winter Fundraiser to fight Pediatric Cancer by donating to Alex's Lemonade Stand

To participate, here are the details:

To Donate, Book a Session,  & Claim Your $200 Print Credit:

  1. Contact me to secure a session date, get your $50 session fee discount, and go over session/payment details.
  2. Then go to my donation page at Alex’s Lemonade Stand and make your $50 donation.
  3. Next, come back to my blog or facebook page and leave a comment announcing that you have donated!  By doing so you’ll be helping to raise awareness for this cause.
  4. Once I see your comment, you will then be eligible to use your print credit for your order.
  5. Get ready for your session!

To Donate & Claim Your $50 or $100 Print Credit:

  1. Just go to my donation page at Alex’s Lemonade Stand and make your $25 or $50 donation.  Anyone can donate at anytime!
  2. Then come back to my blog or facebook page and leave a comment announcing that you have donated!  By doing so you’ll be helping to raise awareness for this cause.
  3. Once I see your comment, I will then contact you via email or facebook about your print credit.
  4. Go tell your friends to donate!

To Donate & Get Us to that $1000 level:

  1. Well, …..just DONATE!

Further Info:

  • Anyone from anywhere can donate at anytime.
  • You do not have to live in the NJ area to participate, but all sessions resulting from this fundraiser must take place in my normal shooting area:  Northern NJ, the NYC metro area, and LBI/Jersey Shore.
  • If you do not wish to use this print credit for yourself, feel free to give it to a friend!
  • Yes, current clients who have not ordered yet can donate and qualify for a print credit.
  • Sessions booked via this fundraiser must be completed by April 1, 2011.
  • Please, only 1 credit from this fundraiser per client, and all credits must be used in 2011.
  • Print credits are eligible only after the minimum print purchase of $400 has been satisfied.
  • Print credits do not apply to announcement cards.
  • When we reach our goal of $1000 in donations, the donated portrait session & photo collection will be determined in collaboration with Alex’s Lemonade Stand.

About Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation

Below are a few details about this wonderful foundation, but if you’d like to learn more about them or pediatric cancer you can do so here:

www.alexslemonade.org

  • Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is committed to finding a cure for all childhood cancers.
  • To date, they have raised over $35 million and have funded over 150 research projects at more than 50 institutions across the country!
  • They  are also innately aware of the struggles that families face throughout their battle with childhood cancer, emotionally, financially and otherwise, and have created programs to assist them.

Pediatric Cancer

  • On the average, 36 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer everyday in the United States.
  • Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children under the age of 15 in the United States.
  • One in every 330 Americans develops cancer before the age of twenty.
  • The causes of most childhood cancers are unknown. At present, childhood cancer cannot be prevented.
  • Despite these facts, childhood cancer research is vastly and consistently underfunded.

**this information was taken directly from the website of Alex’s Lemonade Stand

Save $100 and support a great cause…

…anyone who is thinking about booking with me, this is the time!   Book before this Saturday, May 1st and you get a complimentary $100 print credit to add on to your order, and I will donate $50 to Autism New Jersey. Also, keep looking for new autism stories this week and don’t forget to submit a comment to be entered into our free gift drawing on Friday!

Shine a Light on Autism with Christine DeSavino Photography…

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Three Ways to Raise Autism Awareness
April is Autism Awareness month and sadly it is now reported by the Center for Disease Control that 1 out of every 110 children by age eight have an autism spectrum disorder, and for boys the rate is even more alarming at 1 in 70 having some form of the disorder. Autism is an epidemic that has the potential to affect each and everyone one of us, if it has not done so already.

Paul and Christine on the beach near the time of his diagnosis.

For those of you who don’t know, my younger brother Paul was diagnosed with autism when he was 2 years old. At the time of his diagnosis, in the early 70’s, we were told that he would need to be institutionalized. After many challenging years and unending persistance by both my family and many dedicated professionals, Paul has been able to emerge from his world and come into ours. Though he is now able to lead a comfortable life where he is an active part of his community, it is still a constant struggle for him to keep from withdrawing, and his search for acceptance in our world is a day-to-day journey. Fortunately, the awareness and treatment of autism has come a long way since Paul’s diagnosis. But we need to do more…

And so this month, I want to use my photography as a vehicle to raise both money and awareness for a cause that is near and dear to my heart. To do so, I am very excited to offer the following three ways to help the cause and add some incentive for you as well:

  • 1. I want to celebrate the unique beauty that exists within a child with autism. Too often their potential is overshadowed by their disability, but I want to turn that around and shine a light on their true uniqueness with my camera. To do this I am donating a free photo session and print package to a family who has been touched by autism. This free session will go to the winner of a special drawing on April 30th, 2010. Here are the details:

Shine a Light on Autism: Tell me either about your own family or a family that you know that has a child with autism. Tell me about their unique journey and the hurdles that they have confronted along the way. In order to raise as much awareness as possible, we ask that you be willing to share your story on my blog. I will post as many of your stories as I can during my weekly blog posts. Then, on April 30th at 12pm, one story will be randomly chosen as the winner and announced on both my blog and facebook page. The winner will receive a free 2 hour photo session with me, including 25-35 images posted to your own private gallery on my website and my Astoria Portrait Collection which includes a large wall print or storyboard, two 11x14s and 15 gift prints (total value of $1100). To enter the drawing please see my “Shine a Light on Autism Application Form.” All entries must be submitted by April 25th, 2010. I plan to run this promotion again in the future…so anyone who submits this time but doesn’t win, will automatically be entered the next time.

  • 2. For those of you who are thinking about booking a session with me but have not yet done so, here is your chance to do so and also contribute to the cause:

Book a photo session with me in the month of April, I will make a $50 donation to your choice of either Autism New Jersey or Eden II Programs of New York.  In addition, you will receive a $100 print credit to be used for your shoot anytime before Sept 30, 2010. You need not have a child with autism to take advantage of this promotion.  To book, just contact me.

  • 3. And one last chance to win…and to raise Autism Awareness…

Leave a comment telling me why you think Autism Awareness matters and you will be entered into a drawing to win various prizes promoting Autism Awareness, including:  tote bags, tee shirts, car magnets and pins. To enter just leave a comment on this post, on a Personal Story of Autism post,  or on a post on my Facebook Fan Page that pertains to autism and your email address will automatically be put into the drawing. The more dialogue the better, so each time you leave a comment you will be entered into the contest! Let’s hear from you!

And of course if you wish not to take part in any of these promotions that I am offering, you can still give to the cause by donating directly to an organization. New Jersey has one of the highest autism rates in the country so I suggest making a contribution to an organization that will have an impact right here:

Autism New Jersey

For those of you who live in New York, I highly recommend:

Eden II Programs of New York

And for those of you who live outside of our area, a great place to donate would be:

Autism Speaks

Autism Society of America

And one last thing, if you know of anyone who might be interested in raising awareness with me, please pass this post on to them….every voice helps.

Thanks,

Christine

Please be sure to leave a comment below…simply by doing so you’ll be spreading love, and helping to raise awareness.

~Read Personal Stories of Autism~

~Submit a Story~

School Fundraisers this Weekend… | Children’s Photographer of NY and NJ

This weekend I’ll be participating in fundraisers for two premier schools in this area.  On Friday night the Saddle River Day School will be holding their annual auction at the Rockleigh Counrty Club.

Saddle River Day School Crest

And on Saturday the Green Meadow Waldorf School will be holding their annual auction on their school grounds.

Green Meadow Waldorf School Logo

So for any of you who might be attending and are thinking about a session with me, here’s your chance to donate to the school and win a children’s portrait session and print credit.  For more info on the events, look here:

www.saddleriverday.org

www.gmws.org

Haiti Fundraiser….a big thank you! | Children’s Photographer | Bergen County New Jersey

I just wanted to send out a huge thank you to everyone who participated in my Fundraiser for CARE’s relief effort in Haiti.  It was a great success and together we raised hundreds of dollars that will go directly to CARE’s Haiti relief fund. For more information about their wonderful mission statement, visit CARE.

Not all of my sessions are finished yet, but this is a little montage of some who participated in the promo…

Photo montage of baby and maternity portraits from my Haiti fundraiser sessions

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