Back row l-r: Karl Anthony, Nichelle Nichols,
Peggy Lebo, Marian Michaels
Front row: Jeff Gelder, Phillip Tanzilo

An Evening of Holiday Magic:

Wrapped Up in Generous Talent and Song

The tables glittered, the candles flickered, the center pieces delighted the senses and the talent shined!  An Evening of Holiday Magic was enjoyed by all who generously attended this fundraiser Saturday December 8th, 2012 at Casa De Luz in North Park San Diego.

Holiday Magic, A Gift For Children Of All Ages is an annual CD produced and provided free-of-charge to hospitalized children through the Children’s Holiday Magic Project foundation.  

To cover the production costs, Saturday’s fundraiser, An Evening of Holiday Magic, will provide the gift of song and stories to hospitalized children this holiday season.

President and Founder Jeff Gelder is proud of the momentum the organization has made in its 10 years, and now fields many inquiries about the CD all year long. “The submissions for this year’s CD were terrific and plentiful, and the selection committee had a difficult time narrowing them down to what would fit on the CD,” said Gelder. “At least 6,000 CDs are being delivered in December to kids in Children’s Hospitals around the country plus in London and Singapore.”

The highlights of the evening were graced in song and stories with special appearances by Nichelle Nichols, an American actress, singer, and voice artist.  Before turning to acting, Miss Nichols sang with Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton, and her most famous role is that of communications officer Lieutenant Uhura aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise in the popular television series Star Trek.  In addition to Miss Nichols, appearances by artists featured on the CD included Marian Michaels, Ashley Fox-Linton, Teri Wilder, Peggy Lebo, and Karl Anthony. 

Food tasting was provided by Casa De Luz, known in San Diego for an organic, gluten-free, vegan and whole food menu. As an organization that promotes health and wellness, Casa De Luz was the perfect venue for the CD release event since the children are striving for health and to live the healthiest lives they can.  Casa De Luz plans to be a part of the fundraiser again next year.

Several businesses provided Silent Auction Items where additional funds were raised.  Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Tickets, A Romantic Weekend Retreat in Big Bear, A Week Stay in a Maui Condo, Farmer Insurance Golf Classic tickets, Sea World Tickets, Art Work and Handcrafted Jewelry by local artists to name just a few of the fabulous items that were won.

The event was open to the public and if you weren’t able to attend, you can still make your donation online by going to the Children’s Holiday Magic Project Donations page, holidaymagiccd.org/donations.  More info about participating in this heartfelt event this year may be directed to info@holidaymagiccd.org or (619) 795-1740.

Founded in 2003, Children’s Holiday Magic Project, Inc. is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation.

The winners have been selected for the

10th Anniversary Holiday Magic, A Gift For Children Of All Ages 2012 CD!

Song and Story Submissions for this years CD were terrific and plentiful!  Our selection committee had a difficult time narrowing it down but have finally done so and the CD has been mastered and is in duplication now. At least 6000 will be delivered to kids in Children’s Hospitals around the country plus in London and Singapore in early December!  Thanks to everyone who sent us their submission, and if you didn’t get selected this year go ahead and get started on next years entry! We’ll be accepting them beginning 1/1/13 and we’d love to have yours!  Check out the CD track list below and see who’s on it.   And, be sure to congratulate those talent that you know or meet soon!  A special thanks to Tim Keenan and James Alburger for offering their studios and production talents to our artists free of charge! 

That is true generosity! 

1 – SCENE 1 – THE GREAT IDEA
2 – Its Christmas  Dave Blackburn sung by Erin McGraff                                 
3 – The Squirrel Who Spied Christmas – Glenn Hascall         
4 – Anticipation  Matt Forrest Ensenwine   Produced by: Tim Keenan, Creative Media Recording
5 – SCENE 2 – PUSH!                                          
6 – Let’s Get Out Into Christmas   Kelly Fitzgerald & John Diggins
7 – The Dreidl Poem  Beth Wernick written by Eve Grant * Produced by: Tim Keenan, Creative Media Recording       
8 – SCENE 3 – A NEW LEARNING EXPERIENCE                                         
9 – Ho! Ho! Ho! It’s A Holiday   Fawn
10 – Pinky & Turbo Bird  F.T. Botham read by Pearl Hewitt  Produced by: Tim Keenan, Creative Media Recording                
11 – The North Star   Ashley Fox Linton – Denver Casado  
12 – SCENE 4 – SOMETHING’S MISSING!                                        
13  – Night Before Christmas   Lance DeBock                              

14 -  Patches Christmas Story   The Voxy Ladies   Written by: Phil Lollar
15 – SCENE 5 – A SOLUTION?                                      
16 – Your Face   Karl Anthony                                                
17 – Magic Bell – Bobbin Beam   Produced by: James Alburger, Voiceacting, LLC          
18 – SCENE 6 – SANTA HELPS OUT                                      
19 – Navidad  Fawn    
20 – Greetings from Around the World  Deb Munro, Elley-Ray Hennessy, the Calgary Workshop Students
21 – Maccabee! The Story of Hannukah  Tilda Balsley  read by Adam Hanin
22 – SCENE 7 – THE REVEALING                         
23 – I Choose Joy – Teri Wilder                                      
24 – The Carol Singers   Jay Britton “Written by Lydia Jaillon © 2011 Elfinet Sarl / SantaGames.net, All Rights Reserved”           
25 – Angels  Peggy Lebo  Piano and Voice: Peggy Lebo       
26 – SCENE 8 – SINGING UPLIFTS EVERYTHING! 

Children’s Holiday Magic Project, Inc.(CHMP) is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation

~ You can help bring Holiday Magic to the kids at Children’s Hospitals

~ Help a child smile!  For every $10.00 donation 4 CDs will be gifted

~ Donate online via PayPal at www.HolidayMagicCD.org or mail a check

(Complete details are below)

Help us meet our 10th Anniversary goal of delivering 10,000 CDs to the deserving kids! 

Donations are needed immediately.

Please consider an opportunity to help underwrite a holiday CD project for the children and their siblings at Children’s Hospitals around the country, England and Singapore.  All funds will go to producing copies of the CD and delivering them free of charge to Children’s Hospitals for the hospitalized kids who cannot go home for the holidays and their siblings. This year we hope to raise enough funds to send CD’s to Children’s Hospital’s in San Diego, Milwaukee, Albuquerque, Orange County, Los Angeles, Miami, Taos, New York, Houston, New Orleans, Delaware, Tacoma, Seattle, St. Louis, Palo Alto, Denver, St Louis, Rhode Island, London, Singapore and more!
Here are the details… Through the generous donations of several singers and actors we are creating the 10th annual compilation recording titled “Holiday Magic, A Gift for Children of All Ages 2012.”  Jeffrey the reindeer and Santa Claus share the tale as they make their way from the North Pole to visit the children. Jeffery’s cousin Carlito who lives at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, Kate the adventurous reindeer from Milwaukee, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph and Thalion Master Elf who runs Santa’s workshop, joins them!  This year’s story theme is fueling your happiness by joyful singing!  Santa gets a new sleigh built by the reindeer, but they don’t realize it runs on happiness.  They soon discover that joyful, inspirational singing will create a tank full of fuel!

Our goal is to brighten the holidays for the children spending the season at Children’s Hospitals and their siblings who often feel lonely due to the other child being absent as well as requiring more attention from the parents.   Last year 5000 copies of the CD were delivered to 28 Children’s Hospitals and they were thrilled to have them and distribute them to their patients!

This year’s goal is to produce and deliver a minimum of 10,000 copies, in honor of our 10th Anniversary, which will be delivered beginning in early December.  Please consider donating a minimum of $50 or more.  No amount is too big or too small.  Your gift is appreciated immensely!

Please make your check payable to Children’s Holiday Magic Project, Inc. Mail it to: P.O. Box 3386, San Diego, CA  92163-3386.  Or, you can use PayPal by going to our website www.HolidayMagicCD.org and clicking on the Donation button.

Also, stay updated by becoming a fan at www.Facebook.com/HolidayMagicCD and be sure to sign-up for our newsletter updates at www.HolidayMagicCD.org.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, and please call (619) 795-1740 or e-mail jeff@holidaymagiccd.org with any questions.  Thank you for your time, consideration, and generosity!

Happy Holidays to you and your family,

Jeff Gelder – Board President – Children’s Holiday Magic Project, Inc.

Children’s Holiday Magic Project, Inc. (CHMP) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation

Tyler DeBock was beat. The fifteen-year-old hockey player was usually energized after an early morning practice and his steaming shower, but not on this bitter February day. He struggled to stay awake during school, and when he arrived home that afternoon all he wanted to do was climb into bed.
     The next morning, Tyler awoke uncharacteristically lethargic, with a rash on his arms and legs. Concerned, his mother Beverly took him to the family’s doctor, who suspected an allergic reaction. The following day, the lethargy was so pronounced that Tyler couldn’t even leave his bed. Beverly called the doctor again. Probably a virus, he surmised; just let it run its course. But after seven more days, during which Tyler remained bedridden, couldn’t hold food down, and was dropping pounds frighteningly fast, Beverly insisted his doctor see him, as in now.
     The doctor took a look at Tyler’s bloodshot eyes, linked them to his other symptoms, and suspected Kawasaki’s disease, a rare childhood disorder that can affect coronary arteries. He called a cardiologist for a same-day appointment, and after his examination, the doctor told Tyler’s father, Lance, that it wasn’t Kawasaki at all. He then detailed the following: Tyler’s heart was alarmingly enlarged and exceedingly weak. He suffered from myocarditis, a viral inflammation of the heart, and his natural antibodies, instead of fighting the virus, were diverted to attacking the heart muscle itself. 
     The cardiologist then directed Lance to take Tyler to the ER, where he had alerted the staff to stand by to receive him. He had phoned the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) to dispatch an ambulance staffed with coronary care nurses to monitor Tyler during the 60-mile return to CHOP. Tyler was to be admitted immediately to the cardiac intensive care unit.
Lance said, “But our son will be all right, won’t he?”
“To be frank, I can’t assure you of that.”
 The ambulance arrived and Tyler was loaded aboard. Lance said to the EMT, “He will be all right, won’t he?”
 The EMT replied, “There’s a good chance that he won’t. You’ve got to make yourselves ready for that.”
 How exactly do parents make themselves “ready for that”?
     The EMT wasn’t sure Tyler would be alive by the time the ambulance returned to the hospital. Fortunately, he was alive, but even the cardiologist who gave him his initial exam told his parents that it was too soon to tell if their son would survive. “If he does make it, I’m afraid he’ll be a candidate for a heart transplant.” Echoing the EMT, he advised them to prepare themselves emotionally for the worst-case scenario. “I can tell you this: If the cardiologist back home hadn’t recognized Tyler’s condition, your boy would not have survived one more week.” 
     Tyler spent the next eight days in the ICU, hooked up to a series of IVs, with nurses monitoring his vital signs day and night. Then he spent another three days in the cardiac care unit, where he found himself the only patient not in a crib. Observing the babies suffering with their own heart problems, the once glib athlete found his feelings of empathy for others intensified; and observing his parents’ emotional trauma, he called upon his own religious training and renewed his acquaintance with prayer.
     By the end of his eleven-day ordeal, Tyler was still weak but ready for discharge — on two conditions: that he not participate in any athletic activity for at least one year, and that he not return to school for three months. A tutor provided home instruction, and when he wasn’t occupied with schoolwork, Tyler returned to his passion for hockey in the only way available to him — playing NHL on his X-Box.

     Ten months after his discharge, Tyler convinced his doctor that he was fit to return to the ice for real.
     And two years later, on the day of his eighteenth birthday, Tyler visited a tattoo parlor. On his arm he now wears an inked cross, the date of his admission to CHOP, and the proclamation, “In God I trust.”