Printer Friendly Version - USCS Hoping Again for Your Vote

Representing United States of Community Service, Inc. (USCS), Guilford sisters Addie and Delaney Kenney and their mom Laurie are shown accepting a $10,000 check for charity as part of the group's USA WEEKEND Make a Difference Day 2011 award. Now, USCS is in the running to win a $10,000 for charity in 2012 with the help of online votes cast now through Feb. 29 at www.makeadifferenceday.com.

They're on the verge of doing it again, but they need everyone's vote to make it happen.

Right now, Guilford's United States of Community Service (USCS) kids are in the running to earn a second $10,000 for charity.

Last year, the USCS kids won $10,000 from Newman's Own and donated it to LifeHaven of New Haven as part of their National Make a Difference Day Almost Sleepover 2011 Award.

For the 2010 award-winning project, Delaney Kenney, Addie Kenney, Marlah Hohlfelder, Willow Coleman, Rosalie Coleman, Sophie Marnin, and Isabel Kessler and about 60 of their friends fundraised, collected new pajamas for kids in need, and performed community service projects to create one night when kids could make a difference for organizations in their community.

In 2011 the girls, with help from parents, launched USCS, Inc., as their own community service organization, taking their almost-sleepover idea nationwide. They inspired more than 1,200 kids in 26 states to support more than 100 charities with 2011 almost-sleepover events from Connecticut to California.

A five-minute video of the year-long journey from launch to nationwide almost-sleepovers on YouTube explains the group's mission and features USCS's original theme song, written by Guilford teens Colleen Burkle and Kara Welch, here in Guilford.

Due to the tremendous momentum USCS has achieved, on Feb. 6, USA WEEKEND announced the 2011 USCS Make a Difference Day Almost-Sleepover nationwide project as a finalist for the 2012 Make a Difference Day All-Star Award. The All-Star Award is presented annually to a single past national Make a Difference Day honoree that has continued to make a difference in its community.

Now, the girls are hoping for "lightning to strike twice," as Guilford mom/USCS co-founder Laurie Kenney puts it, by asking every Guilford resident who can to help by voting online now through Wednesday, Feb. 29 at www.makeadifferenceday.com to help make USCS the All-Star winner.

If the girls win, they'll be holding a random drawing to select the name of a non-profit organization supported by one of their almost-sleepover hosts nationwide.

"Our project is a finalist for this award because of the 1,200 USCS kids and their parents, grandparents, teachers, and scout troop leaders who joined with us to make a difference in 2011. What better way to say 'Thank you' than by giving one of our almost-sleepover hosts the chance to surprise their charity of choice with $10,000 donation, should we win the online vote," said Kenney.

Vote for USCS at www.makeadifferenceday through Wednesday, Feb. 29 (see voting details at website). To view the USCS youtube video, visit www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYfOHhnV9A0.