Philanthropy

As the daughter of parents raised during the Great Depression and part of a military family with active service during both world wars, ICAFE-MN’s founder was raised to believe that you assist persons actively involved in improving their own lives and lives of others facing similar challenges. Beginning in 2008, ICAFE-MN has supported a non-profit organization that demonstrates this philosophy. Read about the recipient organizations below and click on the related link to learn more about their mission, goals and accomplishments.

2011 Recipient Organization: Randy Shaver Cancer Research & Community Fund

During the 2010 season, the National Lacrosse League launched its first "Black Out Cancer" campaign to increase cancer awareness and raise much-needed funds for critical research with the benefits of the game donated to a local charity. Our own Minnesota Swarm owners John and Andy Arlotta, coaches, players and performance team will host their second consecutive Black Out Cancer event, “The Hive Cares”, on April 16th. The Swarm will show their support by sporting commemorative helmets and jerseys and have chosen the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund as their local nonprofit organization.

Internal Control and Anti-Fraud Experts is a proud sponsor of the Minnesota Swarm. Their commitment to raising awareness of the sport of lacrosse and reintroducing the sport within the Native American community demonstrates the importance of business and community involvement. With their permission, we have selected the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund as our 2011 recipient organization beginning with The Hive Cares event.

The mission of the Randy Shaver Cancer Research & Community Fund is to support the cancer community in Minnesota by funding research, prevention, treatment and other programs relating to the cancer community’s needs. Grants given are spent on technology and tools that enhance early detection of cancer, new programs promoting research to help prevent cancer relapses, projects that demonstrate research in the area of cancer, and programs that enhance the lives of Minnesota’s Cancer Community by providing aid and assistance. The organization operates on less than 10% of the money raised, leaving more than 90% available to finance research and patient aid projects as well as community outreach and support activities.

Click here to learn more about the Randy Shaver Cancer Research and Community Fund.

Click here to learn more about the Minnesota Swarm, "The Hive Cares" event and to purchase tickets.

2010 Recipient Organization: Northern Voices

Northern Voices is the only nonprofit school in Minnesota offering children who are deaf and hard of hearing a true auditory-oral program. Northern Voices maintains open enrollment throughout the school year and also offers summer school. When Northern Voices opened its doors 10 years ago, it was their hope to provide an auditory-oral program to children with hearing loss, prepare their students to thrive in the mainstream school system, and for the students to realize their dreams throughout their lives. At Northern Voices, those dreams become reality through early, specialized intervention, children with hearing loss can and have learned to use listening and spoken language to find their voices. To date, over 100 children from Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota have experienced the Northern Voices auditory-oral program experience.

Northern Voices’ student/teacher ratio of better than 4 to 1 allows for programming that is specifically designed to fit the unique abilities and learning style of each child. They offer 3 programs: parent/infant, toddler, and preschool. In addition, mainstream/ancillary support is available to their students during the early elementary school years in a mainstream setting so their students continue to benefit through supplemental speech and language therapy conducted by Northern Voices teachers. The summer school program, critical to capitalizing on early childhood development for mastering spoken language skills, is attended by virtually all Northern Voices students.

The staff consists of full-time and part-time licensed teachers specializing in deaf education, speech language pathology, early childhood special education and elementary education and teaching assistants.

The school is supported through program fees paid by school districts, family-paid tuition, foundation grants, individual contributions, and sponsored events. Their upcoming 9th Annual Charity Golf Tournament and Silent Auction will be held at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids on Thursday, August 12th!

Click here to learn more about Northern Voices and to register for the upcoming golf tournament and silent auction.

2009 Recipient Organization: Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance

The Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance (“MOCA”) was chosen as ICAFE-MN’s recipient organization because of its commitment to fund ovarian cancer research in Minnesota, raise awareness of this silent killer and provide support to patients and their families. Since 1999, MOCA has awarded $1.7 million for ovarian cancer research to promote earlier detection, better treatment and a cure.

Click here to learn more about the Minnesota Ovarian Cancer Alliance, the symptoms of ovarian cancer, ongoing clinical trials, and ways you can help them continue their mission to increase awareness, create and promote resources for support, educate individuals and organizations and advance ovarian cancer research.

2008 Recipient Organization : Mano a Mano International

Mano a Mano International was chosen as ICAFE-MN’s 2008 recipient organization because of its commitment to infrastructure for health care, education and economic development in Bolivia that is constructed, supported, and ultimately run by Bolivians. In the most rural areas of Bolivia, schools consist of dilapidated buildings or sometimes no building at all, let alone the most basic supplies and furnishings that would provide a good learning environment. Knowing of these conditions and that Bolivian children are only entitled to education through the eighth grade, ICAFE-MN focused its donations on improving education.

Realizing that Mano a Mano had partnered with a rural Bolivian community to construct a new school due to open in the fall of 2008, we worked with Mano a Mano’s Executive Director to strategize on ways to help. What we take for granted, sharp pencils and paper to write on, is scarce in Bolivia and when it can be obtained, families are unable to afford it. In response, ICAFE-MN sourced, purchased and donated the highest quality school supplies, all from United States companies and purchased through Minnesota retailers, for each of the 250 children in that new school for an entire school year.

Click here to learn more about Mano a Mano International and ways that you can help with their mission to create partnerships with impoverished Bolivian communities to improve health and increase economic well-being.