Gabriel’s Journey: One Step Closer to a Cure for SMA
Join us in supporting Gabriel, and others just like him. Gabriel is a courageous 7-year-old living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). Through Gabriel’s Journey, and a community walk in Vegas at the PPAI Expo on Monday, January 13, we’re raising awareness, funds, and hope for children and families affected by SMA.
Gabriel’s Story: Gabriel is a true inspiration. Despite living with SMA, he’s an active, curious second grader who loves collecting rocks, playing piano, painting, and baking. SMA affects the motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness, which impacts his everyday life. With support from Cure SMA, Gabriel’s family has received life-changing resources and access to a community dedicated to providing better care and treatment options. Gabriel is on a mission to spread awareness and to raise funds to help kids just like him!
How Cure SMA Helps Families and Children like Gabriel
- Essential Resources: Cure SMA provided Gabriel’s first manual wheelchair, allowing him to experience independence.
- Community Support: From the moment of Gabriel’s diagnosis, Cure SMA has connected his family with other families, specialists, and tools they need to support Gabriel’s journey.
- Advocacy and Research: Cure SMA is on the forefront of SMA research, ensuring that children like Gabriel have access to the best possible treatments.
Help raise awareness one step at a time by joining our community walk in Vegas at the PPAI Expo on January 13. And, make your optional donation of $20 to Cure SMA to participate.
Get involved in your community and share your efforts with us for a chance to be featured!
Uniting to Make a Difference in Toronto
Through the combined generosity of our Partners, Suppliers, employees, and Facilis Cares, we raised over $13,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities South Central Ontario in memory of Lennon Wilson. These funds will provide families a place to stay, meals, and care for siblings while their children receive lifesaving medical treatment.
Every day can be Earth Day!
The St. Louis Facilisgroup team joined forces with our friends at Brand Addition for a special pre-Earth Day celebration on April 6. As part of our commitment to environmental stewardship we took part in Mission: Clean Stream, a volunteer event dedicated to cleaning up local waterways. With over 20 volunteers from Facilisgroup and Brand Addition we helped collect over 9,000 pounds of trash and debris including plastic and glass bottles, construction debris, furniture, clothing items, and more! What a great way to spend a beautiful Spring morning!
Facilis Cares Takes Atlanta
At the 2024 Supplier Showcase in Atlanta we partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities to make care kits for families staying at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite while their children receive treatment. With the help of our community we were able to create over 400 kits to make parents and siblings feel a little more comfortable while away from home. Thank you to our event sponsor and Facilis Cares Supplier Award winner S&S Activewear, and our Facilis Cares Partner Award winner Jeckil Promotions for making this event a huge success!
Tis the season for giving back!
Our team took part in Mission St. Louis’ Affordable Christmas to help families in need shop for Christmas presents. To kick off the event, the Facilisgroup office held a toy drive and collected over 90 toys for the event. Facilisgroup employees (and family members) helped by setting up a department store and became personal shoppers for some of the amazing event guests. What a way to kick off the holiday season!
Making a difference in Denver!
During our September 2023 Partner Summit in Denver, we partnered with Wish For Wheels, a non -profit organization to build and donate brand-new bicycles and helmets to children in need in the Denver area. Our community of Partners, Suppliers, and Facilisgroup staff had a great time working together and built 30 bikes for a group of happy second graders – GO TEAM!
Summer of Caring
Facilis Cares partnered with the St. Louis Area Foodbank during the 2023 Summer of Caring. We were able to donate 20 hours packing boxes, collect 1,189 pounds of food, and provide 974 meals to local families in need. Even some of our youngest Facilisgroup team members got in on the volunteering fun!
Helping kids learn through outdoor adventure!
During our July 2023 Partner Summit in Boston, we partnered with Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center, a non –profit providing outdoor field trips to inner city schools in the Boston area. Their mission is to help kids learn, thrive, and grow through the challenge of adventure.
Our community of Partners, Suppliers, and Facilisgroup staff had a great time working together and prepared 200 gear packs for a local school filled with everything needed for their Thompson Island field trip adventure.
The Facilisgroup Community threw a birthday party!
At the 2023 Supplier Showcase in Dallas the Facilisgroup Community came together to make birthday party preparations for some amazing kids in need. We partnered with The Birthday Party Project a non-profit organization that brings joy to children experiencing homelessness through the magic of a birthday celebration. 300 cards were decorated and 300 goodie bags were prepared, and all donated to children living across the United States.
We hit our goal of donating 500 hours in 2022
Through our charitable giving program Facilis Cares, and partnership with our community and the United Way we were able put over 500 hours of good out into the world in 2022.
Home Sweet Home
The Facilis Cares Committee has partnered with Home Sweet Home, a non-profit providing household goods and home furnishings to local families that are having difficulties with housing transitions. Teams of St. Louis-based Facilisgroup employees have volunteered for several Fridays to sort donations, make kits, assemble furniture, and more.
Progress towards goal: 42 hours
Ottawa Food Bank Volunteering
Facilisgroup staff from our Canadian team volunteered at the local Ottawa Food Bank to sort through donated crates. They got just over 100 boxes sorted and ready to ship to combat food scarcity!
Progress towards goal: 10 hours
Hand-Made Blankets in Orlando
At our Partner Summit and Supplier Showcase in Orlando, Florida, 90 people chipped in to make 50 blankets for local nonprofits: Harbor House, Vitas Healthcare, Seniors First and the Osceola Council on Aging! Volunteers donated a total of 100 hours towards the Facilis Cares 500 Hours of Good goal.
Progress towards goal: 100 hours
Park Cleanup!
On May 12 we had a special Facilis Cares Day that spanned multiple countries. 40 volunteers between the U.S. and Canada cleaned up local parks just in time for summer. Water Tower Park in St. Louis and Shefford Sports Park in Ottawa looked amazing afterward. It was worth the sweat we built up!
Progress towards goal: 120 hours
Giveback Gallery
How Facilis Cares
Standing with Ukraine
Our community raised over $30,000 to help the people of Ukraine. Special thanks to alphabroder, Cap America, and Next Level for supplying the decorated t-shirts and caps we sold on a fundraising Commercio Pop-Up Store! The money went towards World Central Kitchen and the National Bank of Ukraine for hot meals, shelter, and other essentials. We proved that we’re stronger together! You can read our press release here.
Dress Down for Charity
The best excuse to wear sweatpants ever! In May (Mental Health Awareness Month), our team had the chance to donate $5 for a dress down day benefitting the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Many people chose to donate more to help a great cause and rocked their casual looks. It was a very cozy and charitable month!