TAN's Efforts Produce 'Chunk of Change' for Children With Hea...( MILLERSVILLE Md. April 14 -- All it ...),Health

MILLERSVILLE, Md., April 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- All it takes is "a big chunk of change" to make Jen Ross smile. This Travel Advantage Network employee spearheaded the effort to raise more than $1,000 for Custom Hearts, a Washington D.C.-based charity that supports families of children with congenital heart defects or heart disease.

"Now that we have a big chunk of change in our checking account, we can start to do things that we've wanted to do for a year and a half," Ross says. The donations will help fund speaker forums that address issues involving heart defects or heart disease, social events for the young patients, care packages and a visitor's program.

"If our donations better enable families to cope with the challenges they face, that's something to celebrate," says TAN President Brad Callahan.

Ross organized a bake sale, 50/50 drawing, carnation sale and a basket drawing. "We raised almost $200 on (the basket) alone," she said.

In 2008, TAN employees donated more than $10,000 to charities like the Muscular Dystrophy Association, National Alopecia Areata Foundation and The MISS Foundation. For more information about Travel Advantage Network, call 410-729-1133, or visit its website: www.planwithtan.com.

Custom Hearts falls under the umbrella of Mended Little Hearts, a national group that supports families of children with heart defects or heart disease. Mended Little Hearts partners with hospitals to connect families in crisis with other parents who can provide empathetic support. For more information about Custom Hearts or Mended Little Hearts, please visit their websites: www.customhearts.org and