Springbok Cares is Springbok's charitable giving program. From the sale of special puzzles, we are able to give financial support to charitable organizations that support loved ones fighting Alzheimer's Disease and cancer. Springbok also supports other good causes, and recently became a proud sponsor of the Kid's Wish Network.
Fighting Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive and deadly form of dementia that is not part of the natural aging process. It is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States and it is on the rise. Over 5 million Americans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Mostly, they are cared for by over 10 million loved ones.
Current brain research shows that some forms of mental exercise, like jigsaw puzzles, can slow the progression of this disease. Jigsaw puzzles are especially helpful as they stimulate multiple areas of the brain at once. Traditional jigsaws, however, are too difficult for advanced Alzheimer patients, causing agitation and frustration.
Puzzles to Remember are created for the Alzheimer's patient. These puzzles are the same overall dimensions as our 500-piece puzzles, but they have only 12 or 36 pieces. Much larger than even traditional children's jigsaw pieces, they are easier for Alzheimer's patients to manipulate. Plus, the nostalgic and cheerful themes are chosen for their ability to provide gentle stimulation and positive reinforcement.
Our puzzles were inspired by the work of Max Wallack, a family caregiver who saw, firsthand, the impact of Alzheimer's on his great grandmother, and the calming effect of jigsaw puzzles. When Max was 12, he created www.PuzzlesToRemember.org for collecting and distributing puzzles to Alzheimer's patients. To date, Max's organization has donated over 5,000 puzzles throughout all of North America.
Puzzles to Remember allows us to give back to the community twice: first, through the benefit patients derive from working them and second, through the donations we make from the sale of these puzzles in November, National Alzheimer's Month. During November, Springbok Puzzles donates 50% of the proceeds from the online sale of these puzzles to Max Wallack's charity, Puzzles to Remember.
Fighting Breast Cancer
During October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Springbok Puzzles helps support the MetaCancer Foundation, an organization with a single goal: to improve the psychological and emotional well-being of survivors of metastatic cancer. The MetaCancer Foundation provides support and resources for metastatic cancer survivors "to go meta: to live beyond [the] diagnosis right now with strength, grace, and peace."
The MetaCancer Foundation website is dedicated to the memory of Elizabeth Anne Prostic, a 31-year old wife and mother who passed away from metastatic breast cancer on March 31, 2005. Our puzzle, Pearls & Pumps!, was designed for the Foundation with Elizabeth in mind: The shoes in this puzzle were Elizabeth's shoes.
100% of the proceeds from the online sales of the Pears & Pumps! puzzle are donated by Springbok to the MetaCancer Foundation during the month of October.
As we grow, we will continue to give back.
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