Okay gang...we are down to the wire! 2 days, 19 hours, 4 minutes and seconds before KARING FOR KARSYN FUNDRAISER begins. My stomach is feeling like the day before the night before Christmas. Like how it did on my first date, job interview, before I had my wisdom teeth out...you get the picture and you know the feeling.
I know I am joined by so many people who are having this same gut feeling as I am. I saw a couple of them today out and about in town, and as we talked they said, "I have goosebumps". Mine is nausea, but the feeling is the same.
We are all so excited for one reason: One day, one little girl, one wonderful family and the potential to raise terrific amounts of money to help them in their journey with a child fighting cancer.
So, this is my wish. I wish that the skies Saturday morn are a crisp blue, with white fluffy clouds. A gentle breeze (GENTLE, Lord) blowing and 80 degree temps would also be favored.....I wish that from the time the smell of Richvalley tenderloins fill the air on North Cass Street until the moment we are out of food (well past 7 p.m.)....that the line of traffic is level, constant, and safe. No fender benders...we have no time for police cars, reports, etc. on THIS day!!! As a reminder...in from Cass and out on Harrison. Please and Thank You.
I wish that every volunteer gets there on time, is pumped and ready to give their very best for however long it takes. I also wish the porta-potty is in place very early in the day and that someone remembers to stop and get coffee on the way in!!!
I wish that no bass player breaks a string. That the mics all work, voices are in their prime and that everyone enjoys the wonderful sounds to be made by all the great artists that have signed on for the day.
I wish that our Silent Auction items break records. I wish that our Moon Walk doesn't fly away (remember CNN from last weekend?) I wish that every kid at the fundraiser wants to play games and keeps Diane and her group so very busy. Diane is like a big kid....so ready to play games for charity.
I wish that Karsyn feels really good on this day so that she can come to the fundraiser for a little while. And, while she is there, I wish that she feels like Homecoming Queen, Miss America, and Cinderella all in one...because all eyes will be on her. Our hearts will be open to receive her, and her sisters, cousin, mom and stepdad.
And finally, I wish that when I fall in bed on Saturday night...sunburned, achy, worn out, ready to sleep a solid twelve...that I will feel in my heart two things: That God truly does answer worthwhile prayers, and that whatever else may be wrong in our world...on June 11, in a little town called Wabash, Indiana, for just a few hours we all felt like everything could be right if we all worked hard enough, prayed long enough, and dreamed big enough.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
HOLY COW!!!!
"To those whom much is given, much is expected."
— John F. Kennedy (The Uncommon Wisdom of JFK: A Portrait in His Own Words)
(Paraphrased from Luke 14)
HOLY COW!!! Modern paraphrase from Karing for Karsyn Committee Chair!!!
OK....this has been quite a week! All the work, phone calls, asking businesses for donations, meetings, more phone calls, more meetings, advertising, blogs, Facebook updates and emails are coming to a close. We are down to 9 days and hours before the Karing for Karsyn Fundraiser begins.
We have now sold about 600 tickets....not that great for a super-successful fundraiser, but we are ordering 2000 cuts of tenderloin because we KNOW we will sell it!!! There has been nothing about this Kampaign that has been small, from:
LaFontaine Elementary coming up with 2000 snack cakes in about two weeks time;
Sharp Creek Elementary, along with help from Southwood 2nd Grade and Metro North raising over $5,000 in their Penny Pitch Campaign;
to the many businesses all over town who are using their electronic message boards to the good of the Karsyn Kampaign;
to the many other businesses who have donated toward the dinner as in napkins, carry=out sacks, etc.;
or businesses, hospitals (near and far away) donating all the drinks we need;
or the businesses who have donated toward the Silent Auction (now up to a number of gifts all valued from $10 to $100 and over);
How about the many folks who have just sent in a check for $20 or $50 0r $100 or $1,000 and haven't wanted a tenderloin ticket, but have wanted to give to Karsyn?
And then there are the businesses who have excelled at helping out the Kampaign....Milliner Printing (all the tix, all the posters for free);
Dr. Garner and his Midwest Eye Care Parking Lot, and
Kristy Kisner and Duke's Memorial Hospital and their Parking lot...both in use the day of the fundraiser;
Brian Howenstine from True Value----$500 from the Weber Grill Days and a donation of a "Moonwalk" for kids to play in the day of the Fundraiser;
Mitting Electronics....donating their airtime for advertising on The Bash to be used for PSA's for the Karsyn fundraiser;
The Auto Laundry, who raised over $200 with cars going through the car wash ON THE RAINIEST DAY OF THE YEAR!!! Then, they felt so bad that they hadn't raised more, that family members put in another $100 in donations....
The Plain Dealer, the Paper of Wabash County, Wade Weaver of The Bash and KISS 95.9....All have kept Karsyn's name in the headlines through articles, mention on the radio or interviews with organizers (Friday, June 3 at 9 a.m.)...
And finally, did I mention Dave and Lee Ann Pefley of Pefley Implement? They had an auction today and set up a row of merchandise (Lee Ann generously called "old stuff") for those attending to bid upon. Are you setting down???? Drum Roll Please......$13,110 was raised by auctioning off the "old stuff" today and a check has been written to the Karing for Karsyn Kampaign in that amount!!!
This brings us to about $22,000 and change so far in the Kampaign. We still have (1) the fundraiser, which encompasses selling the food, plus the Silent Auction, the 70/30 Raffle, and the Kid's Games (donation required). A week after that will be the Golf Tourney at Etna Acres (still needing teams of four to sign up....call Kathy Evist0n 765-981-2820)....Then there is the Gen R Us Fund from Bachelor Creek, which will be accepting contributions for Karsyn through June, and The Works (Manchester Avenue) is donating $2 for each KARSYN SUNDAE ordered in their store.
Originally, I thought it would be great to raise enough money to supplement the income Burchett's are losing when Linette is away from her job caring for Karsyn. Now I am thinking that only God knows how much we will raise. Which brings me full circle to the quote I put at the beginning from John Kennedy with apologies to Luke: To those whom much is given, much is expected.
I think every person, every business, every volunteer, every one who has made a donation or purchased a ticket has demonstrated that they KNOW they are lucky....they KNOW they have been given a good life....And they know and demonstrate through their actions that they are expected to give back and to pay it forward to help others in their time of need.
Thank you one and all!!!! Now, on to June 11 !!!!!
— John F. Kennedy (The Uncommon Wisdom of JFK: A Portrait in His Own Words)
(Paraphrased from Luke 14)
HOLY COW!!! Modern paraphrase from Karing for Karsyn Committee Chair!!!
OK....this has been quite a week! All the work, phone calls, asking businesses for donations, meetings, more phone calls, more meetings, advertising, blogs, Facebook updates and emails are coming to a close. We are down to 9 days and hours before the Karing for Karsyn Fundraiser begins.
We have now sold about 600 tickets....not that great for a super-successful fundraiser, but we are ordering 2000 cuts of tenderloin because we KNOW we will sell it!!! There has been nothing about this Kampaign that has been small, from:
LaFontaine Elementary coming up with 2000 snack cakes in about two weeks time;
Sharp Creek Elementary, along with help from Southwood 2nd Grade and Metro North raising over $5,000 in their Penny Pitch Campaign;
to the many businesses all over town who are using their electronic message boards to the good of the Karsyn Kampaign;
to the many other businesses who have donated toward the dinner as in napkins, carry=out sacks, etc.;
or businesses, hospitals (near and far away) donating all the drinks we need;
or the businesses who have donated toward the Silent Auction (now up to a number of gifts all valued from $10 to $100 and over);
How about the many folks who have just sent in a check for $20 or $50 0r $100 or $1,000 and haven't wanted a tenderloin ticket, but have wanted to give to Karsyn?
And then there are the businesses who have excelled at helping out the Kampaign....Milliner Printing (all the tix, all the posters for free);
Dr. Garner and his Midwest Eye Care Parking Lot, and
Kristy Kisner and Duke's Memorial Hospital and their Parking lot...both in use the day of the fundraiser;
Brian Howenstine from True Value----$500 from the Weber Grill Days and a donation of a "Moonwalk" for kids to play in the day of the Fundraiser;
Mitting Electronics....donating their airtime for advertising on The Bash to be used for PSA's for the Karsyn fundraiser;
The Auto Laundry, who raised over $200 with cars going through the car wash ON THE RAINIEST DAY OF THE YEAR!!! Then, they felt so bad that they hadn't raised more, that family members put in another $100 in donations....
The Plain Dealer, the Paper of Wabash County, Wade Weaver of The Bash and KISS 95.9....All have kept Karsyn's name in the headlines through articles, mention on the radio or interviews with organizers (Friday, June 3 at 9 a.m.)...
And finally, did I mention Dave and Lee Ann Pefley of Pefley Implement? They had an auction today and set up a row of merchandise (Lee Ann generously called "old stuff") for those attending to bid upon. Are you setting down???? Drum Roll Please......$13,110 was raised by auctioning off the "old stuff" today and a check has been written to the Karing for Karsyn Kampaign in that amount!!!
This brings us to about $22,000 and change so far in the Kampaign. We still have (1) the fundraiser, which encompasses selling the food, plus the Silent Auction, the 70/30 Raffle, and the Kid's Games (donation required). A week after that will be the Golf Tourney at Etna Acres (still needing teams of four to sign up....call Kathy Evist0n 765-981-2820)....Then there is the Gen R Us Fund from Bachelor Creek, which will be accepting contributions for Karsyn through June, and The Works (Manchester Avenue) is donating $2 for each KARSYN SUNDAE ordered in their store.
Originally, I thought it would be great to raise enough money to supplement the income Burchett's are losing when Linette is away from her job caring for Karsyn. Now I am thinking that only God knows how much we will raise. Which brings me full circle to the quote I put at the beginning from John Kennedy with apologies to Luke: To those whom much is given, much is expected.
I think every person, every business, every volunteer, every one who has made a donation or purchased a ticket has demonstrated that they KNOW they are lucky....they KNOW they have been given a good life....And they know and demonstrate through their actions that they are expected to give back and to pay it forward to help others in their time of need.
Thank you one and all!!!! Now, on to June 11 !!!!!
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