This is what my 14 year old daughter, Jessica, is doing. She and some of her friends started creating and hand making bookmarks. Each bookmark is 3" x 8-1/2" and a one of a kind design, unique and personalized for any occasion, colorful, decorated with stickers and laminated to preserve the artwork. She will even create one with a picture of you, your child or your pet, etc. Your original photo would be used if you like or we will scan to size and return to you.

Our program is called: Mark Our Words
Our concept is simple: "Children, helping to find a cure for children's cancer"
Donations to benefit: Children's Cancer Research

We are asking for a donation of $5.00 for each bookmark, but you may donate whatever you want. Your donation goes to Children's Cancer Research. With your help, we can help a child who wants to help "find a cure for children's cancer" come to light!

How Mark Our Words was Created . . .

"Two months short of turning 44. I was blessed with a healthy daughter, Jessica. Now. as a single mother at age 56, I have been struggling to find out what my purpose was in life. She and I started reading together the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren. Out of the blue Jessica said to me "Mom, maybe this is MY purpose in life." Think about it, an 11 year old finding her purpose in life through this? How awesome for her"

During the week of April 11, 2005, my then 11 year old daughter Jessica, came home from school with a green folder and on it she wrote her name and under it "Find a Cure." Inside there were a lot of bookmarks which she and some of her classmates started to make out of colored construction paper with a saying on it and they decorated them with stickers. I thought they were very creative and I even made one to add to her collection. For some reason the words "Mark My Words" came into my mind. What a great name! I can honestly tell you that my mind filled up instantly with ideas. I could hardly write them down fast enough. I realized that this is not about my words. It is about the children's words.

I had to work that Sunday for a short time and I brought Jessica in with me. She sat in a room across from my desk and kept herself busy by making more bookmarks. When someone I knew came by I brought them in to meet her. After seeing what she was doing, a couple of people bought a bookmark. Two people special ordered some and one person gave her a donation without even taking a bookmark. They were impressed with what she was doing and when they found out she was donating the money to a "Find a Cure" foundation they did not hesitate to help. After work, she and I excitedly went to buy some more stickers. We went to my sister's house to show her and her husband what Jessica was doing and both of them special ordered a bookmark. One with cats and one with a golf ball. They also ordered one for a friend with a tennis ball. I even asked her to make me one which said "One day my prince will come." This is how personalized bookmarks were started. While we were at my sister's house and since Jessica wrote on her green folder "Find a Cure" we were talking about finding a charitable organization that did not have high administrative costs. I was going to start looking into this on Monday, April 18. I can honestly tell you that my mind filled up instantly with ideas. I could hardly write them down fast enough. I realized that this is not about my words. It is about the children's words.

Now, all we needed to do, was to find a charitable organization that did not have high administrative costs to donate the money to. We found out it was not that easy. When you hear the phrase "things that happen, happen for a reason" just listen to how we got involved with the PapCorps.

We did not want to form our own organization and go through all the legal paper work, so, I started to look for a charitable organization that would be an umbrella over us, a charitable organization we could donate money to. I work at a Country Club and one day some of our members came to the front desk and excitedly said that they were going to form a cancer unit at the club and raise money for the PapCorps for cancer research. I said "Oh my gosh, I am looking for an organization to donate money to. I asked if they do children's cancer research. I told them that my daughter and some of her friends were making bookmarks and raising money to help children and wanted the money they raised to be donated to help find a cure for children's cancer. I was given the phone number of a person to contact and I called to explain what we were doing. After many conversations, we were invited to a luncheon to present to the Presidents of the PapCorps units our "Mark Our Words" bookmark program. It was agreed that 100% of the proceeds would be earmarked for Pediatric Cancer Research Programs at UMSylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center in Miami, Florida.

As I wrote early in this letter, Jessica wondered if she could have found her purpose in life by being inspired with this idea. I am wondering if I found MY purpose in life by helping my daughters idea of wanting to help "Find a Cure" come to light. Remember when I said that I asked Jessica to make me a bookmark that said "One Day My Prince Will Come?" Jessica suggested a new bookmark for me. It said "One Day My Purpose Will Come."

Yes, all this inspiration happened in a matter of days and for a reason? I truly believe it did. We are ready. We have colored paper cut into strips thanks to my mother. We have a variety of stickers and laminating sheets. My brother Bob in Minnesota has been busy designing and updating our web site and Jessica and her friends are anxiously waiting to create your bookmark. Our plan is set in motion and now with your help we can go help "Find a Cure."

Mark Our Words . . . This is the start of something big!