Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Thanks to your generosity, we raised more than $26,000 for Passports with Purpose 2009. That's more than twice our goal! Not only will we be able to build a school in Cambodia, but we are going to pay to outfit it with a school nurse, a clean water system, a garden and a gardener, and a cook. About 300 Cambodian children will learn to read and write and will have at least one nutritious meal each day thanks to you!

Thanks also to KiwiCollection.com, sponsor of The Gypsy's Guide's fabulous prize. All prize winners will be notified on January 5, 2010.

If you still want to contribute, visit the Passports with Purpose donation page. We are still accepting contributions, but the drawings for prizes are closed.

We will be doing Passports with Purpose again in 2010. If you're interested in being a corporate sponsor, contact me.

Thank you again for all of your support! I wish each of you a very happy holiday season and blessings in the coming year!

Links: Passports with Purpose (view on Google Sidewiki)

Link Love: Frozen Venice

Venice got some snow this weekend, and I thought you'd like a peek!  My friends over at Venice Daily Photo have some great pictures of this weekend's snow storm:

But Living Venice has something equally interesting.  They posed the question: does the Venetian lagoon ever freeze?  To answer that question they looked back at some vintage footage from the winter of 1929.  It was a particularly harsh winter in Europe, and, indeed, the Venetian lagoon froze during the winter!  Check out this vintage footage of a very icy lagoon:



For more vintage footage of Venice, check out this YouTube site!

And what is winter in Venice without a little Vivaldi.  Here's a great recording from Anna-Sophie Mutter and Herbert Von Karajan of "Winter" from the Venetian composer's "Four Seasons."



So very cool, eh?
Stay warm, my friends!


If you love Venice, I highly recommend you follow both Venice Daily Photo and Living Venice.  I find both to be highly entertaining and informative.  

Mid-Morning Addition:  
On the subject of snow and cold, check out these fantastic photos of a snowball fight in Times Square this weekend.  Chasing Light really caught some great shots!   


And don't forget: today is the last day to donate to Passports with Purpose 2009.  Help us finish building the school in Cambodia!

Passports with Purpose makes the New York Times!

I've always enjoyed the Frugal Traveler blog in the NYT, but today I loved it even more! This morning Matt Gross, the Frugal Traveler, writes about ways travelers can give back including a great big shout out for Passports with Purpose!


Link: Frugal, But With Plenty to Give - Frugal Traveler Blog - NYTimes.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Thanks, Matt!

And thanks to all of you who have participated so far, Passports with Purpose has already raised enough money to build our school! But we aren't done yet. We have one week left, and this week we want to raise $7500 more -- enough to outfit our school with a school garden, a cook, and a gardener.

The Passports School will be built in the Preah Vihear region of Cambodia and should open in mid-2010. Almost half of the children in Cambodia are malnourished. If we can raise enough money for the garden, the cook, and a gardener, each child at the school will receive at least one nutritious meal each day.

So, how do you help?  Donate.  It only takes $10 and for every $10 you donate, you get a chance to win the Passports with Purpose prize of your choice.  There are incredible prizes to choose from, too, including camera equipment, gift certificates, luggage and travel gear, and vacation packages.  And don't forget about my prize: two nights at the Shangri-La Hotel in Vancouver courtesy of KiwiCollection.com. 

Links:
Passports with Purpose Donation Page

Two Nights at the luxurious Shangri-La Hotel
Passports with Purpose 2009