Hi, All ~
I wanted to thank everyone who came out to join us Sunday for our 1st ever Lumpy Palooza FUNdraiser! It was unbearably hot, so the sno-cones, sprinklers and bottled waters were by far the favorite attractions. We had a really good turnout considering the horribly hot weather. I wish we had door prizes for those who traveled the farthest. Gavin came in from California, Adina from Minneapolis, and my dedicated contracts administrator, Ruth, made the drive from Hampton, VA. While we didn't get to talk to everyone, please know that your attending meant a lot to us. By 5:00, everyone who remained looked like the dregs of society, but it was all for an unbelievably good cause.
Our primary objective was to raise funds for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation of the United States (PBTFUS). I'm very pleased to report: mission accomplished! Those who attended helped us raise nearly $7,000, which added to our previous totals from June and July is almost $17,000!!! Kevin, Chris, Randy and Chaya all worked their tails off to plan and prepare for the event, and once they returned to their homes Sunday night -amidst showers, air conditioning and more cold drinks - they each let out a big, huge sigh of relief. Please, if you see or speak to any of them. remember to praise their efforts. I can't do it enough on my own.
Ethan had a blast! He didn't fuss at all when we ordered him to sit and drink a beverage, apply more sunscreen, or to wash his hands. He's such a trooper! And speaking of. he met 2 REAL policemen who were patrolling the area. They were a little peeved at the fireman's patch on his hat and vowed to get equal representation. They requested our address, so let's hope its just about the patch.
The Bake Off was a bigger draw than we anticipated. We expected about a dozen or two entrants, and were shocked to find that nearly everybody who attended brought a dessert - or so it seemed. We had a whole pavilion stacked full of fat and calories! The judges were green by the end, but managed to award some great prizes. Unfortunately, many of the desserts didn't get eaten at the event. Maybe 100 degree weather with high humidity curved people's appetites. Who would have guessed?? ;-) Since the shelters would not accept food that had been sitting out in the heat, those desserts that were deemed safe were packaged up and sent home with the die-hards who stayed until the end. I imagine a lot of office workers enjoyed the breakfast of champions this morning.
Ethan got to see many of his friends all gathered in the same place, which he thought was pretty neat. He even met some new friends, including a Harley-Davidson riding club that seemed to have very soft hearts. Sadly, Fireman Kevin told us that he's moving to Richmond to pursue medical school. While we're happy for him, we've told him that he can arrange visitation privileges with Ethan if he agrees to be a hot shot Pediatric Oncologist someday.
On a personal note, I finally got my shot at the moon bounce. What a disappointment! As it turns out, jumping in those things is a highly aerobic activity. After about 5 minutes, Wendy and I were laying flat on the bottom wondering how we got so old, while Ethan and Clay jumped in circles around us.
As if the moon bounce wasn't depressing enough, when Bert & I returned home with the kids last night we discovered that our air conditioner had quit working while we were gone. The nicest thing I can say is, again, what a disappointment! It was finally fixed around 5:00 pm tonight, so I'm delighted to report that the temperature in the house is now (at 10:00 pm) down to 81o. It feels like Antarctica compared to what we've endured over the last 2 days.
Medically, Ethan is doing terrific! His counts are on the rise and he's feeling fantastic! I guess this is payback for the month of July. We're scheduled to start his 4th cycle of chemotherapy around Labor Day so we hope for more smooth sailing between now and then.
Again, thank you to everyone who came out and bore the incredibly hot weather with us in honor of little Ethan. Best Wishes!
Kim, Bert, Ethan and Kyra