Non-Profit (or Doing) of the Week: The Consignment of Your Life Line

In my bottom night stand drawer, I've got a Star-Tac, Color LG, and a Nokia cell phone. A cell-phone user for over 8 years, I've got quite a collection going as a result of a rotating 2-year contract with Verizon. Every two years, right around Christmas time, a new phone arrives (with a manual, thank goodness) and the old one goes right in the drawer. Can't throw them away, would be too harmful for the environment, but what am I to do with them? Recently, I've learned, just flip them for cash! Better yet, flip them for a cash donation to a charity!

The folks over at Flipswap have answered all the questions when it comes to your old cell phone devices and even your ipods. The average cell phone user changes their device every 18months, leaving millions of unused cell phones out there. As electronics aren't biodegradable and even contain toxic parts that could leak into landfills and pollute our environment, we should put our old cell phone junk to better use.

Flipswap lets you get rid of your cell phone while helping those in need (an if you're in need, you can even take the cash yourself, but let's stick to being philanthropic here). In just three simple steps you can help your environment by properly recycling your cell phone and send your favorite Charity a little cash as well. Here are the steps.

1. Look up the value of your cell on Flipswap.com. for an instant quote. It's like the Kelley Blue Book of Cells, be honest here!

2. Print out the prepaid shopping label online.

3. Drop the phone in your mail box.

And voila! Once they've received your phone, they'll process it and send the check to your chosen charity. With free shipping, there is no reason not to partake. Once my new phone comes in December, my Motorola Q is going right to the Biggs Museum.

Free Gift With Purchase

Aren't those words just music to your ears? Well, lately Museums have been just as generous with incentive gifts as your local Clinique Cosmetics counter.

In honor of Philadelphia’s remarkable World Series champions, the Phillies, the Philadelphia Museum of Art will give away its own signature baseballs—Philly All Star and All Star Artists—to the first 100 Museum members and the first 100 general purchasers when tickets for the upcoming exhibition, Cézanne and Beyond go on sale. Member tickets have already gone on sale, but beginning 9 a.m. Saturday, November 1, and tickets for the general public go on sale at 9 a.m. November 15.

Cézanne and Beyond (February 26-May 17, 2008) will present some 150 works, including 60 paintings, watercolors and drawings by Cézanne (1839 – 1906), along with those of 16 later artists for whom Cézanne has been a central inspiration and whose work reflects his extraordinary legacy. Although Cezanne was not known to have played baseball, the PMA created the first Cezanne baseball in 1996. The Museum developed the Philly All Star and Artists All Star baseballs later. The Philly All Star baseball reproduces autographs of Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, Benjamin Franklin, and others; the Artists All Star baseball represents the international league, including signatures of such luminaries as Henri Rousseau, Leonardo Da Vinci, Claude Monet, and Benjamin West.

If Philadelphia is not on your agenda anytime soon, the Biggs Museum is offering our own incentive gift in November and December! If you sign up for a new membership, renew or gift a membership in November and December, you'll be the lucky new owner of either a Greetings from Delaware Exhibition Catalog or a Greetings from Delaware Christmas Card Set. And no one is saying you can't regift your gift from us. We can keep a secret.

Non-Profit (or Doing) of the Week: Ch Ch Ch Check It Out

I'm at WAWA daily, for coffee that is. I just can't seem to get enough of that Hazelnut flavored goodness brewed fresh for me (or atleast I believe it's for me) in a hot pot. Unfortunately, many (or millions) of people also enjoy WAWA, so I find myself frequently in line to pay for my $1.35 cup. Normally I'm staring at the Tasty Kakes and Entenmann's wishing one day they wouldn't contain 45 grams of fat, but today I noticed tons of post-it flyers strung along the counter that read, "Check Out Hunger." So while waiting to check out my thirst for caffeine, I was intrigued to know more about the possibility of checking out my hunger.

Entering into its ninth year, WAWA is hosting the Check Out Hunger Campaign to benefit local food banks in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia from Nov 3. through Nov. 30 in all of its 570 stores. And all it takes to help combat hunger is adding $1, $3, or $5 to your bill. Your donation comes with a "soup bowl" cutout that is displayed in the store with your name. The donation will directly benefits the Feeding America food banks in the area.

I love this campaign because I know my support will go directly to my neighbors in need. Last year, Check out Hunger received over $100,000 in donations providing 1 million meals to local food banks. In light of this economic crisis, there is more of a need than ever to help those struggling in our community, especially during the holidays. So next time you're checking out your hoagie, Herrs chips and a Nantucket Nectar, add a dollar on there..... as a convenience to something important.

Caution! A Fragile New Year

There are several fantastic go-to sites for every New York visitor (who really wants to be called tourist?)... Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, Macy's, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the list goes on for days(and alot of your hard earned cash to see it all). In the next two months New York enhances all of their attractions, making it a must go holiday destination; the most popular of course being the Times Square Ball that drops at midnight New Year's Eve kicking off a brand new year and a morning full of hangovers.

Yesterday, the 2009 Times Square Ball was revealed and it's smashing. The Waterford Crystal ball is bigger than ever, coming in at three-and-a-half meters in diameter and weighing nearly 6 tons. Last year's ball was less than two meters across and less than a ton. A new shaft was built to withstand the increase in size, able to hold the ball almost 145 meters above Times Square.
What's the ball made of? 2,468 Waterford crystal triangles, each etched with a stylized star burst or a stylized angel. Pretty fancy. Some people consider this object a work of art. Is it? It certainly has a design aspect and enough detail to go along with it. The ball is a symbol to many of the new year, of what is to come in the future.

Have you wondered what would happen if the ball ever truly dropped? Or smashed into a million pieces? No Worries, the ball has been tested for winds up to 225 kph and in temps ranging from -20 to 120.
Coming in at a cost of several million dollars (paid for privately), this is the seventh ball in the 101-year history of ball dropping in Times Square. In addition to the news of a new ball this year, it was announced that the Ball will be displayed year-round, not just during the Christmas season. For those of thus who couldn't possibly bear the shopping crowd in early December or the craziness that is Times Square on NYE, this is great news. Just one more thing to add to the agenda on my next trip.

Non-Profit (or Doing) of the Week: Stuff that Bus!

No, I'm not pretending to be Ty Pennington on Extreme Makeover Home Edition, although I could use a megaphone when trying to promote this fun event.

Talks of favorite Thanksgiving side dishes (my mother's corn casserole is to die for) were talked amongst Biggs staff members the other day, meaning this "stuff yourself" holiday is right around the corner. If you're not the family chef, it's likely you may take for granted how lovely it is to sit down to turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, pumpkin pie, galor. So when comfort food holiday season comes along, so do food drives; our opportunity to make sure everyone in our community sits down for a warm meal this Thanksgiving. If you're within the Delaware community, I've got just the drive for you.

Food Bank of Delaware and DART (Delaware Bus Transit Service) have teamed up, along with many other partners such a local radio stations and Chick Fila to host the 11th annual Stuff that Bus Food Drive. Last year, they collected over 8 tons of non-perishable foods! The drive begins next Monday, November 10th at the Dover Acme and the Milford Wal-Mart, and continues through the rest of the week in several Wilmington locations. So get to your pantry this weekend and gather up those Tomato Soup and Cranberry Sauce cans. They're looking for tons of items, such as Macaroni & Cheese, Mixed Vegetables, Instant Mashed Potatos, Beans, canned fruits, paper products, laundry detergent and diapers.

Chick Fil-A is helping Food Bank of Delaware to increase participation this year by holding a food drive through November 10 at their Camden location. Bring in 3 cans of food to donate for a FREE chicken sandwich. And if you donate 6 cans, a FREE combo meal is coming your way. If you're unable to make it to Stuff the Bus next week, check your local paper for food drives in your area. Remember, every bit (and bite of food) counts.

Grant Us A Little Of Your Time

After you have voted today of course! No excuses! I stood in line 45 minutes to press that green "vote" button, and I walked out feeling like a certified good citizen. But tomorrow after all the Election Day hoopla, not only will we have a new President, but we shall also have a brand spanking new exhibition at the Biggs Museum, and I must tell you it is fantastic.

On display beginning tomorrow through the end of February, visitors to the Biggs will get a chance to see the brilliant work of regional painter, Edward Grant. Often times not recognized, this exhibition is the first retrospective look at never before seen work of this painter. Born in Wilmington in 1913, Grant (I have nick-named him Mr. Ed myself) studied with some of the most recognized Delaware painters such as Frank E. Schoonover and N.C. Wyeth. With a career spanning over 70 years, Edward Grant dabbled in just about every artistic style including illustration, murals, Photo Realism and Abstraction. Most of the pieces are form Grant's studio, and from what I've heard there was so much to choose from our Curator, Ryan Grover, felt like a kid in a candy shop.

So what should one expect from Edward Grant? I consider this Edward Grant's "hello, world" introduction, so it is definitely comprehensive, displaying examples from all periods of his career. Anyone who appreciates regional landscape will enjoy Grant's work. Many of the depicted "forgotten" scenes of Eastern Shore Maryland and the Delmarva Peninsula will leave anyone wondering, "I've seen this place before."

Well, I don't want to give too much away, mostly because I want you all to visit, you've got plenty of time, but don't you want to be first? Join us Wednesday night for the opening reception, beginning at 5:30. If it isn't the art, Nage Catering should be more than enough to get you through the door.

Putting Good Ole Abe in the Top Right Hand Corner...

of your envelope that is! With all of the promotional material the Biggs puts out each month, the post office feels like my second home, so much that the PO Box stuffing crew knows me by name and PO box number. On the side of personal side of my mailings, am I the only one still trying to use up my 41 cent and 1 cent stamps? My 41 cent American Flag stamps are really starting to bore me, but a penny saved is a penny earned these days. To that end, I wanted to share some news released today about a new set of stamps coming out next year to celebrate a big birthday of a man who made big history in the United States, Abraham Lincoln.

Last Thursday in Springfield, IL, the United States Postal Service gave the public a sneak peak at the artwork design of the four stamps to be issued next February to celebrate Abraham's 200th birthday. And since Mr. Lincoln was a postmaster in Illinois, Springfield was selected as the First-Day- of-Issue city when the stamps are issued on Feb. 9, 2009.

The stamp art was designed by Mark Summers, who has created several portraits for previous U.S. postage stamps. Mark used a scratchboard technique, a style distinguished by a dense network of lines etched with exquisite precision. Each stamp commemorates four stages of Lincoln’s life and legend:rail-splitter, lawyer, politician and president.

The stamps will be available in post offices across the country on Monday, February 9, three days before Lincoln’s 200th birthday. Besides stamps, alot is being planned to celebrate Abe's Bicentennial. Visit http://www.abrahamlincoln200.com/ to see more ways Lincoln's legacy will be celebrated. Now, the problem at hand is, am I going to get through my 41cent stamps before February? Time to find a few pen pals I suppose.