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On December 12, 2006, Chance 4 Children (formerly East European Missions or EEM) will celebrate the launch of its 2006 Calendar, conceived by star photographer Rossano Maniscalchi. During this occasion it will also announce its recent name change - from East European Missions to “Chance 4 Children”. The festivities will start at 7.30 PM at the Prague Crossroads venue in Prague 1. Details at C4C's new website www.c4c.cz Since 1996 the Chance 4 Children team has been focusing its efforts on helping institutionalized and terminally ill children. In 2004, using C4C’s  (Chance 4 Children's) programs ROBIN HOOD, DR. CLOWN and SPRINGBOARD TO LIFE as a vehicle, the organization provided over 33 million CZK worth of aid and services to more than 120 institutions in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. “We couldn’t have done this without the help of our partners in the business community”, explains Manfred Franke, co-founder of C4C (Chance 4 Children) and father of five children himself. With the corporate contacts he had as a businessman, Franke and his team set out to rescue huge stockpiles and surpluses of clothing, cleaning supplies, foods - even tons of ice-cream, marked for disposal or destruction, for the benefit of institutions and children. The incurred savings the institutions then re-invest into educational programs, computers, vacations and improvement of the infrastructure of the homes. “The spirit of our ROBIN HOOD program is as simple and as old as the legend itself - you take it from those who have and you bring to those in need”, smiles Vaclav Cermak, project coordinator for C4C. “Of course our tactics are not quite as coercive as ROBIN’s of old. A little gentle persuasion is often all it takes!” With their latest program, SPRINGBOARD TO LIFE, Franke and his team are now focusing in on the educational needs of the children they care for. In keeping with their motto “Every Child deserves a Chance”, this program aims to relate the necessary vocational and social skills to youth before exiting their respective institutions. Roving teachers relate skills like foreign languages, cooking, baking and computer knowledge to institutionalized children. “If anything is going to help them find their place in society, it’s an education” says Cermak. “We’re trying to make the playing field a little more level for these kids.” This is not were it stops, the team also tirelessly helps to organize the yearly national Czech Orphan Olympics and regular special outings for the children, like bowling and dart tournaments, disco and movie evenings, etc. Their DR. CLOWN team visits on a regular basis Children suffering from cancer at Motol hospital to help them overcome the trauma of prolonged hospitalization. C4C recently also struck an agreement with the National Cirkus Berousek, who will, starting in 2006, dedicate their first performance in any given city to the children C4C (Chance 4 Children) cares for in that area. Says Karel Heller of Ceska Lipa, Vice-president, Association of Czech Orphanages: “The C4C team never seems to run out of new and innovative ideas to help enhance the quality of life of our children. C4C’s humanitarian and educational programs have certainly made a big difference in this country.”