ENERGY, CHARITY COMBINE IN CONTEST WOMAN COULD WIN FOR HELPING THAI KIDS.Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, -- A Newhall woman who formed a children's charity in Thailand stands to win a contest for folks with can-do spirit. Some five years ago, Carol Hart established group homes abroad to shelter children at risk for being sold into child prostitution and slavery. Distraught by the plight of youngsters and teens ensnared in human trafficking, Hart and her husband, Michael -- who five years ago were assistant pastors at a large Woodland Hills church -- gave up a comfortable life to travel halfway around the world to intervene. "It has nothing to do with where we hold our citizenship or our ethnicity," Carol Hart said via phone from Bangkok en route to the children's homes. "If it was your child, you would fight the rest of your life for their freedom. Although they're not our blood, they matter to us and they matter to the heart of God." The couple sold their custom home in Newhall and all their belongings and established ZOE Zoe (born c. 978, Constantinople—died 1050, Constantinople) Byzantine empress. The daughter of Constantine VIII, she married Romanus III Argyrus in 1028. He died in 1034, perhaps poisoned by her, and she married her lover and chamberlain, who became Michael IV. International Ministries, which oversees three children's homes in Chiang Mai Chiang Mai (jyäng` mī`) or Chiengmai (jyĕng`–), city (1990 pop. 164,902), capital of Chiang Mai prov., N Thailand, on the Ping River, near the Myanmar border. , Thailand. There, 60 children ages 3 to 18 are cared for and schooled in academics and religion, in keeping with the Christian beliefs of the nonprofit group. All of the children are from impoverished mountain villages; some are orphans, others are victims of family tragedies and are cast adrift. "Carol was chosen as a semifinalist because of her perseverance, determination and never-quit spirit," said Samantha Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Energizer, which sponsors the contest. Created last year, the Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame publicizes stories of people whose drive rivals that of the indefatigable Energizer Bunny The Energizer Bunny is the marketing icon and mascot of Energizer batteries. It is a pink rabbit that beats a bass drum and wears sunglasses and blue sandals and has been appearing in television commercials since 1989. . The winner snags $10,000 and a $5,000 donation to a charity of choice. The contest is a synergy of product promotion and good deeds. ZOE, derived from the Greek word for "life," is trying to raise $2.5 million to expand and consolidate its Thai operations. The group hopes to buy property and buildings so it can house up to 500 children under one roof, and establish a resource, training and vocational center for volunteers, caregivers and children. According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the U.S. State A U.S. state is any one of the fifty subnational entities of the United States, although four states use the official title "commonwealth". The separate state governments and the federal government share sovereignty, in that an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and Department Web site, in 2006 the nation spent roughly $74 million for worldwide projects fostering efforts to combat human trafficking. Asked whether she might walk away from the daunting daunt tr.v. daunt·ed, daunt·ing, daunts To abate the courage of; discourage. See Synonyms at dismay. [Middle English daunten, from Old French danter, from Latin task, Hart didn't miss a beat, saying, "Never, never, never." Winnowed from roughly 1,000 entries, Hart is among 100 semifinalists vying for 10 finalist spots. Following the popular reality show format, Energizer will let voters choose the winner via the Web. Hart may have an edge on the others, having once been a mascot herself -- at Hart High School Hart High School may refer to:
"It's not just one bunny; there's thousands that stand with us here in the U.S. and abroad that are fighting to make a difference," she said. Should she win, Hart could funnel the $5,000 into ZOE, Leavitt said. Meantime, Energizer Holdings Energizer Holdings (NYSE: ENR), headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri is an American manufacturer of batteries with a market share of approximately 25% [1] with markets in over 165 countries. Inc., which is traded on the New York Stock Exchange New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) World's largest marketplace for securities. The exchange began as an informal meeting of 24 men in 1792 on what is now Wall Street in New York City. , announced recently its net earnings for the quarter were $66.6 million, up from earnings of $50 million in the second fiscal quarter of 2006. A link on the contest's Web site, which features Energizer's mascot -- the pink drummer bunny in shades -- encourages viewers to "Tell your Friends" about the project with just a click of the mouse. Semifinalists span the nation. Other California contestants are from San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden and Lake Sherwood. Voting begins June 14 and ends Aug. 1. judy.orourke(at)dailynews.com (661) 257-5255 CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Carol Hart, formerly of Newhall, is a semifinalist for the Energizer Keep Going Hall of Fame award, which publicizes stories of people whose drive rivals that of the indefatigable Energizer Bunny. The winner gets $10,000 and a $5,000 donation to a charity of choice. |
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