Participating Charities

2005 Charities

	Cleveland Police Athletic League (PAL) Festival Dates: June 16th-19th & June 23rd-26th The Cleveland Police Athletic League program has been in existence for over 70 years and originally started in the late 1930’s by then Safety Director Elliot Ness. Cleveland PAL is one of the oldest and largest Athletic Leagues in the nation and has a rich history in providing quality recreational and educational activities for youth. Since its inception, the Police Athletic League has provided opportunities for children to participate in positive, wholesome sports, recreational and extracurricular activities. In this way PAL hopes to divert children from negative influences and enhance a child’s individual self-esteem, discipline, and actualization.

	Art on Wheels Festival Date: June 30th-July 3rd Our mission is to serve as a nonprofit traveling art education organization, to give a voice to individuals of all abilities through engagement in hands-on arts experiences that enrich the lives of individuals, their families and our community.

	Easter Seals Northeast Ohio Festival Date: July 7th-10th For more than 85 years, Easter Seals has been creating solutions that change the lives of children and adults with disabilities or other special needs and their families. Our commitment is to provide the highest quality services to help people with disabilities lead lives full of equality, dignity and independence. These services include educational, medical, support and recreational programs.

	Cleveland Baseball Federation Festival Date: July 14th-17th The Cleveland Baseball Federation is a 95-year old non-profit organization that provides the necessary funding so that the City of Cleveland’s boys and girls, ages 6-19, can have the opportunity to participate in youth baseball and softball programs at no cost to them. CBF provides the necessary leadership to ensure that these baseball programs contain components which promote social and educational values to help these youth become productive adult citizens.

	Greater Cleveland Special Olympics Festival Date: July 21st-24th Special Olympics is an international organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition. Special Olympics offers children and adults with intellectual disabilities year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports. There is no charge to participate in Special Olympics. Special Olympics currently serves more than 1.7 million persons with intellectual disabilities in more than 200 Programs in more than 150 countries

	Up Side of Downs Festival Date: July 28th-31st Up Side of Downs of Greater Cleveland is dedicated to providing support, advocacy, education and resources for persons with Down syndrome and their families. Our organization is committed to building a community where people with Down syndrome are independent and have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential. Our purpose is to improve the quality of life for all those families touched by Down syndrome.

	E.M.S. Rams Youth Football Team for Cleveland Municipal Football Association Festival Date: August 4th-7th The purpose of the Cleveland Municipal Football Association is to regulate, supervise and administer athletic competition in football and cheerleading among its member teams. The organization works closely with the city of Cleveland, Division of Recreation, the Cleveland Municipal Schools and other agencies and associations concerned with the health, recreation experience and the well being of youngsters of the greater Cleveland area.

	Amateur Figure Skaters of America Endowment Fund Festival Date: August 11th-14th The AFSAEF was created in 2001 to provide financial support to young and talented skaters that aspire to achieve greatness. Its goal is to identify, reinforce, and promote the skater's physical, mental and civic progress by optimizing training opportunities for low income young talented figure skaters particularly those that are demonstrating that active and successful skating careers can be combined with above average academics and normal youth activities.

	Garfield Heights Athletic Booster Club Festival Date: August 18th-21st The Booster Club has provided in excess of $1.5 million in the past 39 years for major projects like baseball and softball fields, football stands, weight rooms, soccer goals, wrestling mats and other sports equipment. It gives annual support for uniforms, equipment, rewards/recognition and scolarships. The club also started the Little Bulldog: Wrestling, Football, Basketball, and Cheerleading.

	Church of the Transfiguration Festival Date: August 25th-28th The Church of The Transfiguration is a 100-year old Cleveland Landmark Church in the University Circle area (8614 Euclid) between the Cleveland Clinic and The Cleveland Payhouse. We are involved in outreach to the community around us: Fairfax Community; Host for Hunger Center for over 35 years; Thrift Shop; AA meetings; Drums along The Ohio; and Share Church Space.

	Northern Ohio Breast Cancer Coalition Festival Date: September 1st - 4th Northern Ohio Breast Cancer Coalition Fund (NOBCCF) works to eradicate breast cancer by focusing public officials, community stakeholders, research institutions and consumer advocates on breast cancer. The Northern Ohio Breast Cancer Coalition Fund will work to inform, train and direct breast cancer patients and concerned others in knowledgeable and effective patient and research advocacy efforts at all levels. Our members advocate for the funding of quality research, improving access to high-quality screening, diagnosis, treatment and care, including access to clinical trials; and inclusion of breast cancer survivors and allies in the breast cancer decision making process.