There have been moments in the last year when I've felt chagrined when I'm about to ask for a donation. I'm the kind of person who likes to be on the giving end—so hard for me to accept and much harder to ask for something. I guess I get a little embarrassed about being vulnerable or dependent on someone's decision. I have sat in my car in front of a business with my donation paperwork telling myself to take a deep breath and don't take a rejection personally. As a consequence, I've developed a little ritual. Before I ever ask anyone for anything, I look at Kyrie's picture. In a flash, the vulnerability is gone. If she can face cancer, I can certainly ask a question.
And those who have agreed to help in big ways and small have collectively manifested an mere idea into reality yet again. We are supremely grateful to have help from:
The sponsorship from Maughan & Maughan has allowed us do our work, to fight for children and their families. This means that Maughan & Maughan believes that finding a cure is just as important as we believe it to be. We are tremendously grateful for their solidarity.
Bishop Carroll High School
For research funds to grow from the Twilight Walk, we need help from more people. To get more people, we needed a centrally located venue. To host at a centrally located venue, we needed help from Bishop Carroll High School. We are humbled and honored to be allowed access to such convenient and hospitable facilities. Our hope is that we can give children the opportunity to grow up to attend schools just like yours.
Accent Mobile Music. Oh, these are just good people. Our DJ last year was phenomenal and bolstered our cause by offering to be a part of this year's Twilight Walk even before last year's was completed. If you are in need of a DJ for a wedding, anniversary, Christmas party or school dance, these are the people you want at your event.
A-1 Singer Sewing has been a constant means of support both for the foundation and for the family since day one. The depth and breadth of sincere care that is woven through the fabric of this company is tremendous.
One of the biggest challenges to any event like ours is simply getting the word out. Attendance is how fundraisers fundraise. We can't do this without you, and we certainly couldn't have spread the word without KFDI and specifically Tony Brueski. It's been so fun to hear from many of you who said, "I just heard about the Twilight Walk on KFDI!" We love that you're listening to them and hearing about us!
The Wilkinson family is keenly aware of the need for The Kyrie Foundation. Their darling Anna was our special guest last year, and today is a happy and healthy 6-year-old. We are in this for her, for her family and family just like them everywhere.
The snack aisle in your local grocery store is a much better place thanks to these folks. Art's & Mary's has long been a fav of mine because 1) great, natural potato chips, and 2) cool retro packaging. Tastes great, looks great, does great.
Dr. David Rosen
It's bittersweet for us to come to know Dr. Rosen. He was with us during the worst of the worst. For that, we owe him an immeasurable debt of gratitude. His support in the aftermath of this disease—for all pediatric oncology patients—is truly a gift.
There are unexpected times in your life when you need your employer to be more than another place of employment. Pratt, formerly LoveBox, was able to be just that for the family when Kyrie was sick. We are still honored to have their support two years later.
Who knew how much we needed R-Quip's help?! Event logistics aren't always the first things that come to mind when you're trying to find a cure for brain cancer. Luckily, these guys came through and will allow us to get things done much more efficiently.
Gotta eat, right? Thanks to Farmland you'll be able to enjoy the best hot dogs around on September 19. Served also at Arrowhead and Kauffman stadiums in Kansas City, these are the same hot dogs the pros eat. Good & delicious!
If ever there were a family-friendly pizza place, CiCi's is it. Their pizza buffet is brilliantly accommodating for any kind of pizza palette. Even better, they've made it possible for us to offer hot, cheesy slices to you next Saturday.
Guys in the heating and cooling industry are usually hard-working, technical, get-the-job-done kind of guys. You expect a little grease on their hands, yet we know that they have genuine tenderness in their hearts for sick children, too. Good guys and good work.
In the grand global thirst for Pepsi products, our need was just a smidgen of a smidgen, but fulfilling that request had made a world of difference to the success of our event and our work. Thank you Pepsi Americas!
BanquetTables.pro
We needed help, and BanquetTables.pro answered. Again, the reality of earning research dollars is sometimes far flung from chemo drips and PICU. When it comes down to organizing an event—a reason for people to join the cause—it simply cannot be done without help from businesses like BanquetTables.pro. Their help will be present at every Kyrie Foundation event we host from now until who knows when. So if you need to order tables for your company, your church, your school, these are the people with whom you want to do business.
Thanks to Heritage College, you can come to the Twilight Walk and relax. If that word sounds strange to you, maybe it's time for an appointment with a Heritage College massage therapist. If you can't find me next Saturday evening, look in the Massage for the Cause tent.
Gotta get the word out, right? E-Graf-X has helped us do just that. In fact, they help us tell you who's helping us. Look for the 2009 Twilight Walk sponsor banner next Saturday. Excellent work!
We have many other wonderful entities who have helped the 2009 Twilight Walk, be it lending tents or contributing to the silent auction. I still believe that business is never just business. We make choices based on what we like and who we like. We definitely like these companies and the people within them. We hope, especially in trying economic times, that your marketplace choices are swayed by these companies who are obviously much, much more than a logo.
1 comment:
Love what you said. If she can face Cancer, I can certainly ask a question...words to live by. I told a friend today...all you can do is put the information out there. We tell about Kyrie, we ask for donations...and we hope that they are touched by her life as much as we are. You can't make people give. You can't make people understand...all you can do is ask. If she can fight cancer...we can do ANYTHING. Go Kyrie Go!
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