Mary Says: Create "New York Plays," a series of “community PLAYgrounds” in NYC

Dear friends,

My friend Mary has asked me to let you know about an opportunity to support a progressive cause. This is a great organization and, being a friend of Mary's, I'd love to introduce you to "New York Plays". I could go on and on about the great work of the East Side Institute around the world, but, why don't you check it out for yourself and I'll let let Mary talk about the opportunity:

Through “New York Plays” the East Side Institute continues to make new friends around the world and introduce the power of play to communities the world over. We are receiving many votes from Africa and made it to the 140s by reaching out to everyone we know. Here are 8 ways you can help:

1. Vote again, and up 10 times/day, at http://www.refresheverything.com/newyorkplays
 2. Put this in your status update on Facebook: Help us win this grant by voting for New York Community Plays (with link): The project has gone from 350 to 146 in just a few days and with your help, we can make it to the top ten, which means $50,000 to make this project a reality.
3. Are you on Linkedin? Put this in your status update: A great organization is in the running for a $50,000 Pepsi grant. Vote here to Help New Yorkers Play
4. Change your email signature to add a link  hanks_nancy@hotmail.com
5. Get your Twitter following involved: http://twitter.com/NancyHanks My Friend Mary Says: Have You Refreshed Pepsi Today? Support "New York Plays": Dear friends,  My friend Mary has a...http://bit.ly/cbEs8a
5.B Add this: Vote Create New York Plays on Pepsi Refresh grant $50K to help New Yorkers play http://pep.si/atHHjy 6. Are you on any listservs concerned with grow, play, development, performance, etc.? If you are, let your communities know.
7. Vote every day. Rinse and repeat the previous 6 steps.
8. Do you have any other ideas? Let us know. Help us spread the word! Imagine hundreds of New Yorkers from all walks of live coming together to play with each other - creating new conversations and new confidence in themselves as agents of change. Your support will make a difference! Thanks for anything and everything you can do!
Mary

You can email Mary directly at mfridley@eastsideinstitute.org

Pepsi Refresh PLAYgrounds for New Yorkers --Yes We're Human, and Yes We Can Develop

Dear Hankster Readers:

The East Side Institute, an international research, education and training center for human development and community that grew out of an experimental community organizing project started by Fred Newman and others in the sixties, and an organization I personally have supported for many years, is in the running for a $50,000 grant from the Pepsi Refresh Project -- a web-based grant competition -- in support of New York Plays, a series of community PLAYgrounds for New Yorkers of all ages.

It's a lovely concept and New Yorkers could use your help to win this competition. In order to win, the Institute needs to be among the top ten vote-getters (they are currently in 145th place) by April 30th, so they're asking friends and supporters to:

• Go to http://www.refresheverything.com/newyorkplays and VOTE!
• Vote as many times as possible until April 30th (their rules allow this)
• Spread the word through email, Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, listservs, blogs, etc. A Facebook and Twitter link are available on the contest site.

It only takes a minute, but your vote really makes a big difference to the Institute and to the communities throughout New York.

Thanks from The Hankster!