CHANTAL ABITBOL

IT’S said you’ve got to be in it to win it, and that’s exactly what NSW Friendship Circle is betting on.

The special-needs charity has partnered with 80 sister organisations around the world to help win the Chase Community Giving Challenge on Facebook and the $1 million jackpot.

Its parent organisation, Friendship Circle of Michigan, is leading the charge, and is the only Jewish organisation to have been selected from among 500,000 charities to reach the final round of 100 entries in which Facebook users will vote for their favourite group.

The weeklong challenge kicked off this Friday, January 15, and will award the top five charities with a $100,000 each, while the top-place finisher will snag the $1 million prize.

If successful, the Friendship Circle has pledged to develop a bringing educational training tools to its network of 11,000 teen volunteers located throughout its branches worldwide.

The group is currently appealing to people to log on and cast their vote in time.

NSW Friendship Circle director Rabbi Sender Kavka said:“With the help of your vote we will bring in critical advocacy tools improving the current and future life of people with special needs. The best part is, all you have to do is click one button and vote.”

The Friendship Circle — run by Rabbi Kavka and his wife, Chana – aims to reach out to children with special needs and families by pairing them with teenage members of the community.

Since being launched in 2007, the program has steadily grown to include 20 families and 40 teenage volunteers from Jewish day schools, including Moriah College, Yeshiva College and Kesser Torah College.

To vote, visit www.votefc.com. To get involved locally, call (02) 9388 9476 or visit www.sydneyfc.org.