There are only 4 days left to donate to Seeds of Hope on Groupon! This organization is founded through Youth Advocacy League, an organization I have dedicated several years to. Lexy Werner founded Seeds of Hope to create awareness about the difficulties veterans face when returning home from war after her mother was deployed 12 times and her step father suffered severely from PTSD. Seeds of Hope creates community "victory gardens" to help support vets and their families. 

Recently, they began partnering with organizations such as the Girl Scouts to spread Seeds of Hope cross country. This gives the teens a chance to learn to garden, and a chance to work with veterans and learn about the challenges they face. Gardening is also a great pass time for vets suffering from PTSD. 

One of these garden beds cost $250 to build. By donating $10 through this Groupon fundraising, you can play a role in helping those who serve our country. Seeds of Hope is holding this fundraiser to expand into 10 different states by the end of this year. 

For some more information check out this article on TribLive  that was written after the group was honored in the Jefferson Awards for Public Service Youth Service Challenge.

To donate to the cause click the button below!

So the first cause I've decided to write about is one that is near and dear to my heart. In April of last year, my father was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease. Here's a little bit about what ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease) is from the ALS Association. 

This disease will take my dad's life in the next few years. While this is a devastating diagnosis, we have tried to take it with as much positivity as possible. My dad has vowed to live life to the fullest and enjoy every day he has left. On Wednesday May 1st, my dad and I got to share one of those great days at the Allegheny County Courthouse. 

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald met with members of the The ALS Association to declare May 2013 as "ALS Awareness Month" in Allegheny County for the first time. Watch the declaration below. 

This was a really great day to meet with the women of the ALS Association of Western PA office. I had a chance to talk to some of them and some of the other ALS patients that came for the event. 

Here is a picture of everyone in attendance with Count Executive Fitzgerald. My dad is just to the right of me in the pink shirt. 

This day was a great way to kick off a month of ALS awareness and to start to fundraising for this year's Walk to Defeat ALS!

Please donate to our team, Nutty Buddy's Friends that Care! You can really make a difference in ALS research as well as helping me and my dad's friends and family reach our fundraising goals.