In December, I had one of most rewarding experiences of my tenure at the U.S. Fund when a friend invited me to speak to her daughter Riley’s third grade class at Pine Bush Elementary School in Guilderland, NY. Riley’s teacher, Ms. Germano, and her fellow third grade teachers have been raising funds for Trick or Treat for UNICEF for the past 8 years. This year the classes raised $1,700 to support UNICEF’s work.

Like any seven-year-old, Jasper likes to play basketball, build Legos and watch a whole lot of Cartoon Network. He’s also got a mischievous streak and appreciates things a bit on the silly side.

For most of this past summer, his mother Erin began a tradition of reading a nightly newspaper story at the dinner table in order to foster a connection with the world and events beyond his own community. After an endless stream of articles about high oil prices, the U.S. debt ceiling and power outages, one hit Jasper above all others: The stories and faces of starving children in the Horn of Africa.

He knew he needed to help.
Like any kid, his heart broke when he saw the suffering of children his own age or younger. But Jasper knew he wanted to do more than feel bad. So Jasper enlisted his brother Beckett, 9, and bugged his mom Erin to set up a lemonade stand to raise money to see if—even though he was only about to start the second grade—he could help UNICEF achieve its goal of zero children in hunger.

Given the fact that I was walking around with milk cartons almost 40 years ago, it’s a pretty good bet that UNICEF will be around to help children for many years to come. This is why I have selected UNICEF as a beneficiary of my estate plan. Join me and become part of a group of dedicated individuals supporting the U.S. Fund for UNICEF through planned giving through estate and financial plans.

Now that our favorite fall tradition, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, is officially over, it’s a perfect time to thank our partners and supporters who’ve helped make this campaign one of the most exciting ones yet!

The annual sweet-treat extravaganza known as Halloween draws ever closer, and as parents prepare costumes and children get their legs in gear for their door-to-door excursion, we at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF have been reminding folks of how they can make Halloween count.

This Halloween, American Airlines customers and employees will be Trick-or-Treating for UNICEF in the skies and at Admirals Club lounges, raising funds to make a difference in the lives of the world’s most vulnerable children through UNICEF’s Change for Good program on American Airlines.