We are very excited about the upcoming Ethiopia trip for June 2010. Please attend our fundraiser art auction and exhibition of Bay Area artists "Artists for Ethiopia" at Asmara restaurant in Oakland on May 2, 2010.

Prior to this years Ethiopia trip we will also be doing a short trip to two orphanages in Mexico's Valle de Guadalupe in the Baja Peninsula, expanding our scope in April 2010 and working together with the Corazon de Vida Foundation based in Orange County.

In 2009 we traveled to Ethiopia for 3 1/2 weeks in May and June. We were thrilled to have an international group of 14 volunteers helping with the workshops in Ethiopia, including a number of students and faculty from the American University in Cairo. We had an exciting program and once again had the pleasure of using donated art supplies from Dick Blick. Thank you Dick Blick Art Supplies!! We have made good on our big plans to expand our activities including both larger metal welded sculpture and large mural-like paintings in paint and black ink.

We had a successful show at the World Affairs Council Gallery in downtown San Francisco CA. We showed collages, ink canvases, mobiles, and paintings....thirty five vibrant works in all. We also had an opening night and promoted our organization through a public presentation and Q&A in the WAC auditorium.

This was a transitional year for WIGUIWTB as our boardmembers moved across the country. Nevertheless, we managed to have one major exhibition of artworks at The Rosa Parks Museum and Library, in Mongomery, AL. Additionally, there were a number of talks and presentations given at business clubs at our board members new home base in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Last year our exhibit traveled to many exciting venues including Chicago's Daley Center Front Lobby, Deerfield High School, New Trier High School, McHenry County College, Fox River Country Day School, Marquette University Student Union (sponsored by MARQUASA) Milwaukee's City Hall, and an extensive show at the College of Lake County replete with Ethio jazz band Magic Carpet, Ethiopian food and great appetizers. There was a great turn out thanks to the marketing efforts of Steve Jones and his terrific staff. Thank you to all institutions who have participated, welcomed our show, listened to our presentations and been supportive of our efforts.

We have had success in our fundraising efforts of late with coffee drives, our storied car wash, and fabled rummage sale. We also have been collecting many generous small personal donations, donations from service organizations and once again this year Dick Blick Art Supplies ( www.dickblick.com ) came through for us with a generous donation of art supplies.

Last year board member Erik Blome traveled to Ethiopia and conducted a series of workshops at 4 different orphanages and returned with wonderful artworks that now compose the bulk of our traveling exhibition. Later, we sponsored workshops at AHOPE done by graduates of Addis Ababa School of Fine Art.

Toward the end of 2006 additional workshops were conducted by Gloria Simoneux who traveled to Ethiopia in the fall. Gloria is an artist and teacher from California who works in the San Francisco area with homeless children.

The big news for this month is that "When I Grow Up I Want To Be Inc." is now officially a 501C(3) organization and we have finally launched this web site which has been talked about since we started this project a year ago.

All of this is great news and a big step because folks can now make tax-deductible donations. We are grateful for this privilege extended to us. We have several fundraising ideas in the works including a car wash on August 19 for which we are soliciting volunteers (please let us know if you are interested...all are welcome), talks to local groups and a rummage sale is scheduled for mid-september at board member Priscilla Harper's driveway.

Our speaking engagements for the month of July included the "Blue Sky" organization, a local arts education organization for McHenry County youth, and we will be talking to the morning dawnbreakers Rotary Club of Barrington, IL on the 20th.

Last month we enjoyed meeting with Deerfield Rotary Club (who generously gave us altogether several hundred dollars in donations.) Later in the month, the Blome family traveled to New England and presented the organization and our effort to a group of University of Michigan students at the University of Michigan's "New England Literature Program". A $500 honorarium was sent to Erik Blome and Erik promptly transferred this to the "When I Grow Up I Want To Be" account. Erik and Charlotte and family enjoyed meeting with fellow board members Jill and Harold Abilock in Burlington Vermont en route. We were pleased to meet other people working for causes similar to this and to leave a portion of the artworks and exhibit with the Abilocks for exposure in Burlington.