This year in Clarke, Banks, and Cherokee counties, Halloween was about more than just costumes and eating too much candy. Trained Tar Wars presenters ⎼ including medical students from the AU/UGA Medical College of Georgia campus and Northeast Georgia Family Medicine Residents Dr. Shaina Alleyne and Dr. Nickeya Wynn ⎼ delivered the tobacco, nicotine, and vape prevention Tar Wars message as a part of Red Ribbon Week.

Our volunteer presenters facilitated multiple presentations to elementary, middle, and high school students reaching nearly 10,000 youth during Red Ribbon Week alone. They encouraged students to stay healthy and resist the temptation to use and abuse harmful nicotine and e-cigarette products. They also provided cessation resources and other informative handouts to the students.

We are thankful to these amazing Tar Wars presenters and are so encouraged by the impact they made on students.

There are two ways that you can help stop Georgia youth from smoking or vaping in YOUR community before they ever start:

1. Become a Tar Wars presenter! Program Q & A and Presenter Training Sessions are available weekly during most lunch hours through September and October. Click HERE to sign up!
2. Become a Tar Wars champion in your community! Are you connected to your area principal, school board and/or school nurses and health educators?  Would you love to see students in your local school systems receive the Tar Wars program?  Please connect us with your area school leaders so that we can spread our anti-tobacco and anti-vaping message to students across our state.  Please email tarwars@gafp.org for resources and information on how to get connected!

Deputy Executive Director Kara Sinkule beams with pride to receive the award

The Georgia Healthy Family Alliance (GAFP’s Foundation) was awarded the 2023 Program of the Year award from Pride Philanthropy. Pride Philanthropy is a national fundraising consulting company that focuses on health care nonprofits. They have helped more than 1,000 nonprofits successfully raise donor support from $2 million to more than $100 million. The leaders of Pride Philanthropy, Patti and Jim Lyons, assisted the Alliance through the first-ever capital campaign to raise more than $4 million to advance our mission and goals to keep Georgians healthy.

Situation & Goals

The campaign was structured to raise $4M to fulfill its mission to enhance the well-being of Georgians through outreach programs that promote healthy practices. Another goal of the campaign was to further the organizational capacity of the Alliance to increase the number of community health grants and Tar Wars presentations statewide.

Objective

Philanthropically engage and mobilize a statewide association of family practice physicians in their initial, dual-pillar campaign.

Strategy

• (1st pillar) Expand physician member-sponsored Community Grants program (also added Immediate Needs Grants during the pandemic) to underserved populations throughout Georgia.
• (2nd pillar) Implement Tar Wars anti-tobacco and vaping education programs in schools in targeted Strike Force communities.
• Cultivate and solicit signature gift ($50,000 and above) support from hospitals and corporations statewide.
• Expand donor-giving clubs with a focus on Caduceus Society ($10,000 and above)
• Optimize philanthropy director efforts by utilizing physician leaders and senior association staff as volunteer connectors and closers.

Results

• Exceeded $4 Million
• 49,000+ Georgia students received Tar Wars education in the 2022-23 school year.
• Distributed over $500,000 in Community Grants plus 53 Immediate Needs Grants during the campaign.

The Alliance staff were astonished to receive the highest award that Pride Philanthropy designates to one key client annually.  To learn more about your foundation go to www.georgiahealthyfamilyalliance.org.