Think FAST

Here's a little reminder for you for the coming holidays. Holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas, are the most stressful of the year. They are also the most indulgent involving food and beverages. Did you know that alcohol consumption is greater at Thanksgiving than it is New Years Eve or St. Patrick's Day? I know, hard to believe, but true! Stress, overeating, alcohol, shoveling snow, now there is an invitation to stroke or heart attack. 

Please remember the following test shown below as you celebrate the coming holidays. You could save a loved one or even a complete stranger. Wouldn't that make your day? 

If you see any of these symptoms, don't delay. There is nothing I can stress more than: DO NOT think these symptoms will go away and you'll be fine after all, and not go to the hospital. I have heard of a couple of instances lately, one in my own family, where the person had the symptoms, then felt them go away and thought they were ok only to have them come back the next day but even worse. Remember, when there is a blockage to your brain it is estimated that 1.6 million brain cells are dying each minute. 

I think, in some cases, the person is afraid of the medical bill if the symptoms aren't really a stroke and insurance won't cover the expenses. Please don't take that chance. If you see these symptoms, you're having a stroke. Get to the hospital. I don't want to hear of you lying in a hospital bed unable to talk or move and you thinking, "Well, at least I saved $1,000 by not going in yesterday."

To Identify Stroke Symptoms 

Remember This Simple Lifesaving Test

F.A.S.T. 

[F] Face          - Ask the person to smile. 
                   
                     Does one side of their face droop?"

[A] Arms       - Ask the person to raise both arms.

                     Does one arm drift downward?"

[S] Speech  - Ask the person to repeat a
                     simple phrase.

                     Is their speech slurred or sound 
                     strange? Do they have trouble
                     understanding you?

[T] Time        - Call 911 immediately. 

                     Brain cells are dying quickly. It is
                     estimated that 1.6 million brain
                     cells die every minute after blood
                     flow is cut off.
   

We Need a $15,000 Office Makeover

If you are on Facebook you most likely know about this already. For those of you who are not, here's what we have a chance to qualify for, and you can help us by doing two simple clicks.

Now in its 8th year, the Make My Non-Profit Run Better contest offers non-profit organizations the chance to win an office makeover that will help them run better. The Make My Non-Profit Run Better contest is organized by RK Dixon.

Click on the below icon and vote for Retreat & Refresh Stroke Camp by clicking the VOTE box located next to our name. We are listed at the bottom of the Blue Zone:

You can vote once every day until Nov 8th 5pm from any internet connected device and you can vote each day from as many different devices as you have access to. For instance, if you have an iPad, a desktop computer and a laptop computer you can vote from each one once a day. That give us a total vote count from you of 3. How great is that?

The top winning organization will receive an office technology makeover valued at up to $15,000. The first runner-up will receive a multi-function printer selected by RK Dixon and Premier valued at up to $10,000. The three remaining winners will receive a multi-function printer selected by RK Dixon and Premier valued at up to $5,000. In addition, we will award 10 runners up with printers valued at up to $1,000 each.

There is no purchase necessary to enter or participate. This contest is their way of thanking our organization for the work we and you do in the community.

We have already obtained enough votes to make it to the final round. There are now 25 finalists left in the contest and we are one of them. The 25 finalists will be narrowed down to 5 by Nov. 8, 2013 through this second round of online voting. The second round of online voting is taking place Nov. 1 at 8 a.m. – Nov. 8, 2013 at 5 p.m. RK Dixon and Premier will select a winner from those five finalists and announce the name of the winning organization on Nov. 20, 2013.

Prize: RK Dixon and Premier will assess the needs of the winning organization and then provide an office makeover valued at up to $15,000.The top winning organization will receive an office technology makeover valued at up to $15,000. The first runner-up will receive a multi-function printer selected by RK Dixon and Premier valued at up to $10,000. The three remaining winners will receive a multi-function printer selected by RK Dixon and Premier valued at up to $5,000. In addition, we will award 10 printers each valued at up to $1,000. No more than 25 percent of the $15,000 makeover may be allocated towards IT solutions.

Please help us and THANK YOU for your help.