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Awareness MVPs of 2011

Awareness MVPs of 2011

NFCA’s Awareness MVPs: 2011

Awareness All-Stars logoIntroducing NFCA’s Awareness MVPs! The young stars listed below were the top money-raising kids in NFCA’s Awareness All-Stars Fundraiser, which ran October-December 2011. These MVPs set out to make a difference for other kids and adults with celiac disease, and they blew us away with their success!

To participate in the Awareness All-Stars Fundraiser, each kid created his or her own fundraising page at www.firstgiving.com/celiacawareness/allstars. The page featured his or her personal story, photo, and a video from NFCA. After creating their page, the All-Stars contacted family members and friends to tell them about celiac disease and why they are raising money for NFCA.

The top three kids who raised the most money were named NFCA’s Awareness MVPs. You can meet them in the videos below.

NFCA wants to give a big thank you to all of the All-Stars who participated, and a special thank you to Ian’s Natural Foods and Froose Brands for donating the grand prize packages for this fundraiser. See all the prize details.

Jump to: Jack Simpson | Noa Spanier | Madison Pilavin

Jack Simpson

Jack, age 13, proved that a little initiative can go a long way. He began by collecting donations through an online fundraising page. “Mom said it will be just like fishing. I will keep trying and be patient and I will be able to reach my goal,” he wrote on his page.

When that wasn’t enough, Jack called on a friend’s dad who worked at ideas4funds.com, which makes t-shirts, cups and other items for fundraising. Jack created something special for his community, and it turned out to be one of the hottest selling items of the holiday season.



Noa Spanier

Noa, age 8, is in good company. She has two friends who, like her, have celiac disease and eat gluten-free food. While they are healthy, Noa knows that other kids aren’t as lucky.

“I want to help kids and families that need this fundraiser, because if those kids don’t get diagnosed, they’ll just get sicker. I want all the kids in the world to live a long and happy life,” her fundraising page said.

With support from family and friends, Noa met her fundraising goal. The funds she raised will help NFCA continue to offer free resources, including daily mailings to newly diagnosed celiacs and brochures that help other people get diagnosed.



Madison Pilavin

Madison, age 12, has been diagnosed for several years. She’s seen the good and bad of gluten-free food. “The first time my mom came home with a gluten free [pizza] pie i was so excited to open the pizza box and take out a slice. Most people take that for granted,” she wrote on her fundraising page.

Madison dreams of a day when gluten-free food is available everywhere and celiac or gluten sensitive kids feel just like everyone else. With the funds she raised, we’re one step closer to making that dream come true!

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