Request for support for the Live Free fundraising concert

Dear Sir/Madam:

Greetings from Life Haven.

Life Haven is a non-profit organization of persons with disabilities (PWD), duly registered with the SEC, guided by the Independent Living (IL) Philosophy and a frontrunner of the Independent Living Movement in the Philippines. We are working towards the empowerment of persons with disabilities with the goals of restoring self-respect, improving self-confidence, and promoting active participation on issues concerning the society to which we belong. It is our belief that persons with different types of disabilities will benefit from the Independent Living Movement, hence our cross-disability approach.

As part of our mission to provide continuous services to PWD, a fundraising concert entitled “Live Free” will be held on May 30, 2009. Proceeds of this event will be used to support our activities, sustain the services that we provide, and assist the Association of People with Disabilities-Sta. Rosa (APD-SR) in their IL-related programs. The concert will have as its main performer, the Beautiful Gate Performance Art Troupe from Malaysia. Two local PWD groups as well as two featured mainstream bands supportive of our cause are also slated to perform in the said concert. We are expecting an audience of at least 1,000. We have also enlisted support from broadcast, print, and online (YEHEY.com) media for ad string and promotions.

We would like to ask for your assistance by sponsoring the “Live Free” concert charity event. We believe that you becoming a sponsor will show your compassion and will make you an instrument of social change that will let persons with disabilities to have a life and enjoy that community life to the fullest. In return we will provide optimum merchandising and exposure for you or any product or company you want to endorse. Please email us at lifehaven@gmail.com for details of the sponsorship packages.

We recognize the fact that what we can give you is miniscule compared to what your support can contribute to the success of the “Live Free” concert.

We are looking forward to your favorable response. Thank you very much.

"Live Free" Concert

Concept Paper

Project Title: Live Free Concert

Project Background:

Life Haven, Inc. (LHI) is a non-profit organization of persons with disabilities duly registered at
the SEC with a mission to promote the Independent Living (IL) philosophy. The Independent Living
movement started in Berkley, California during the 70�s and became a worldwide phenomenon
encouraging the restoration of self-confidence and self-respect of persons with disabilities, promoting
active participation and awareness of our inherent rights such as equal opportunities. The movement is
striving for social change that will result to a barrier-free society where persons with disabilities are living
in the community and enjoying life to the utmost.

Life Haven's vision, mission and goal can be summarized as establishment of an IL centre in the Philippines. Life Haven is a member of the Asia-Pacific Network for IL Centers (www.apnil.org),Philippine Council on IL and an associate organization of Asia Pacific Development Center on Disability (www.apcdproject.org). Members of Life Haven have undergone orientation seminars and workshops about independent living philosophy and movement here and abroad. We have a steady progress with regard to our activities and the services that we provide. We have held several workshops and orientations of our own with guest resource persons from Japan and Korea and attendees from different provinces of Luzon.

Life Haven provides the following services:

• Advocacy
• Peer counseling
• Peer support group
• Peer visits
• Information dissemination
• Wheelchair assistance
• IL program

To sustain our activities and continue the services that we provide we will hold the �Live Free� concert on May 30, 2009. This fundraising project will showcase performing arts talent of persons with disabilities. The main performer is the Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled Performance Art Troupe which will be joined by Filipinos with disabilities and mainstream bands that support our cause.

In 1993, the Beautiful Gate Foundation (BGF) for the Disabled was established in Petaling Jaya Malaysia. They provide accommodations, job trainings, education, recovery programs and various services including independent living programs and services to support persons with disabilities to live independently. The BGF Performance Art Troupe has proven their mettle as shown in their numerous performances like in states and cities throughout Malaysia, such as Sabah, Penang, and Kuala Lumpur. BGF Performance Art Troupe has made a Malaysian record by presenting a wheelchair dance with the most number of dancers and represented Malaysia in the International Disability Art Festival. Beautiful Gate hopes to demonstrate the beauty and strength of persons with disabilities; inculcate a culture of love; and bring hope, warmth and encouragement to the society through performing arts.

Purpose of the Project

• To raise funds for IL activities and services;
• To encourage cooperation amongst organizations from foreign and local to showcase their talentsin performing arts;
  
• To demonstrate the determination of persons with disabilities and the desire to live
  independently;
  
• To promote the greatness of loving and caring spirit of the society and their social responsibility.

Performance Date: May 30, 2009

Expected Outcome:

We are expecting that the audience of the show will have a better understanding about the lives of persons with disabilities and their determination, aspirations and their potentials as human beings. It is also expected that the audience will understand the meaning of independent living for persons with disabilities, more particularly, how people with severe disabilities achieve their independence.

Presented by:
Abner Manlapaz

President: Life Haven, Inc.


Email: lifehaven@gmail.com