Can I getta YES!?

So have you registered yet? Have you sent an e-mail out asking your friend/sister/mom/dad/cousin/neighbor to join you? Have you called in to KFDI thanking them for telling others about what you support? Are you pumped to give pediatric brain cancer the what-for? YESSSSSS!!!!!!

You know, at the golf tournament, I remember thinking: this is where the cancer war is won and lost. We often think it's in the laboratory or in a hospital room, but really this war on cancer is won or lost in our hearts and minds right this very minute. We learned through PBTF that it's money that gets the cure. That's it. It's money that attracts the researchers/institutions to study a cancer to get better treatments, to get the cure. That's why the odds for survival are better now for breast cancer and for leukemia. It's because the money was raised for the researchers to do the work. That's it.

So, here's the thing: the decision to go or not to go is really the decision to cure cancer or not. It's the decision to make a pledge, to be a sponsor, to bring your friends—that's what wins this war, not necessarily a microscope somewhere. Strange, isn't it? Suddenly YOU really, really, really, really matter. That $10? It really, really, really, really matters.

Register TODAY! www.kyriefoundation.dojiggy.com

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for a dream I had this week.

We were in a hospital hallway with Kyrie, who was older but still the same 1-year-old size. There was a lot of hustle and bustle with nurses and recreational staff members. A group of teenage patients were following a staff member outside to the basketball courts; the staff member scooped up Kyrie to go outside with all of these older kids to play, and I screamed. They ran. I ran faster and grabbed her out of the staff member's arm, screaming how careless he was for disregarding her condition.

We got back inside, I looked at Kyrie and told her I loved her. She said, "I love you, too, Aunt Megan."

Just hearing this in my head as I type this gives me goosebumps. She was never old enough to say a sentence like that, much less to me or especially to her parents.

Next, a bunch of Kyrie Foundation supporters are in a beautiful wheat field at dusk. People are driving in, piling out of cars and what-not. The event was simply dinner grilled on the new Kyrie Foundation grill and Kyrie's tribute video.  After dinner, a little into the video, a few people start leaving, heading onto other plans for the evening. The rest of us look at each other in disbelief and share an unspoken feeling of "it takes a special kind of person to care about this." The video ends. Jordan stands up and tells everyone that even though it's hard to watch, "we play this so we can all imagine a different ending."

I'm imagining a different ending right now, for Kyrie and for Ethan and for Taya, for every family on their knees today in shock over a diagnosis. Imagination, though, can become reality at the Twilight Walk next month. I really hope you'll join me.

What are you thankful for today?

Golfing was a blast!

So, first off, I must thank our volunteers. This being our first-ever golf outing created by a team of people 90% of whom have never golfed, our volunteers made it happen in a big way. THANK YOU!

It was a gorgeously hot August morning--with a couple degree break from triple-digit heat.

We had a birthday girl on deck. Happy birthday, Andi!

 Lotsa groovin' golfers.

Plus, some crazies.

And more craziness.

Our raffle ticket contessa for the pro-milled Tour Standard custom putter by Jerry Remkus!

Plus, KZSN's Wake Up with the Antman team!!

Lunch was grilled courtesy of Danny Schneider and Kruse Corporation with their massive donation of time, talent and treasure: this incredible wood-fired grill!!!!!!!

 A work of art, I tellya. It grilled Farmland franks and brats like a champ. More lunch bunch thanks to Farmland, Sherri's Cookies and Wonder Bread for the vittles.

And all of this was to honor the little heroes we've come to know. All to fight a dastardly cancer that no one seems to be talking about but you and me.

Two of our sponsors, Heartland Pest Control and Maughan & Maughan, just happened to meet that morning to form a 4-person team ... and they won the tournament!! Can you stinkin' believe that? I just love how good boomerangs back.

 Again thank to Sierra Hills for allowing our brood on the premises. ;) And to our incredible sponsors for allowing something incredible to happen on an ordinary August morning.

Maughan & Maughan, LC

Wilkinson Construction 
EMC Insurance  

Heartland Pest Control 
Weigand Realty

Heartland Animal Hospital 
Klee Watchous

Gary Thome
Simon Property Management

Criser, Gough &Parrish, LLC 
Security 1st Title 

Clarke-Wilkinson & Associates

American Family Insurance, Valerie Mejia Agency

Nathan Brenzikofer Construction

Liquidynamics 
Gorges Auto

Tech tip!

Hey, all! Just a little tip from me to you about our new Twilight Walk software. The great thing about using DoJiggy is that you can register and create your own fundraising page. Last year, we heard you wanted some sort of tool to do this and we responded! This means that you can send an e-mail out to friends and family to support what you're doing with The Kyrie Foundation for the Twilight Walk, no matter where they are in the world!

So you can create you own fundraising page, and you can also create a team or join a team of fundraisers! If you create a team and are the team captain, remember: you'll have your own personal fundraising team AND you'll need to create the team's fundraising page so that all their funds channel into the team goal.

If you are joining an already existing team, go ahead and register but don't include a team name at registration. Once you've finished registration, log in and select from the list of teams which you want to join. Sound good?

This is a whole new ballgame for us, too, so if you have questions, feel free to e-mail me and I'll do all I can to answer. ;)

P.S.
Don't forget to pass the word on about the Facebook contest! KFDI is giving away a slew of CDs! Plus you get Kyrie Foundation goodies to keep or give away--this includes a 4-pack admission to the Twilight Walk!

News Flash!! You could WIN!!

I'm going to post our Thankful Thursday a bit later, but I wanted you have this little bit of info. KFDI and The Kyrie Foundation have teamed up for a little Facebook contest for the 2010 Twilight Walk. Here are the details:

The Kyrie Foundation is giving away a prize pack consisting of a cook book, t-shirt, bracelet, cd's from KFDI and family 4 pack of passes for the Twilight Walk! Just "like" Kyrie Foundation, change your profile pic to The Kyrie Foundation Logo and post "I'm going to the Kyrie Foundation Twilight Walk 2010" as your status. ...We will pick a random winner Wed. August 25th.
GOOD LUCK! Tell your friends to do the same!

We're super excited for you all to spread the word and invite your pals to learn about what you're doing to fight cancer and to save babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Still here!

Promise I didn't fall off the map. Just crazy-busy, as in so busy that I'm getting crazier every day over the details, details, details. Have so much to share with you about the first-annual Kyrie Klassic, which was a big hit! We were so inspired by this event that we're hatching ideas to make next year's even cooler. And we've been up to our eyeballs with plans for the 2010 Twilight Walk! I hope you're asking a few friends to make a team with you--the more the merrier, we say! And ... rolling along with the to-do list for the art auction in November, too. Plus, did I tell you that the foundation's headquarters moved to a new address? Yep, that just happened over the weekend, so look for revisions to the website and foundation materials, too.

So, you know, just your average week here. ;)

I'll be back with photos and stories from the golf day!

Today on Dr. Phil!

Please tune in today, if you can, to watch little Kate McRae's family on the Dr. Phil show. We here on Kyrie's blog have been praying for Kate nonstop since we learned of her battle with brain cancer last year. Her mother graciously allowed us to include Kate's photos & story in our video for the Twilight Walk last year.

My prayers for Kate rock my core. It's irrational, but it's as if I get to pray for Kyrie again. I get to ask once again for what we weren't able to have three years ago. It's another chance.

I also think this segment may give you some insight on why it's so important to do what we are doing. If you know someone who is on the fence about golfing with us Saturday or walking with us next month, please pass this along!

Meanwhile, ... in September ...

So we know that we'll see some of you this Saturday--yea!!!!!!!!!!!--and we hope to see the rest of you on a certain Saturday in September!

You can sign up right now! How's that for cool? And this year we did something kind of special. 

Several of you wanted to raise money for us and tapped friends and family to help fund your goal. We thought it would be a good to give you a tool that would allow you to do that easier and with anybody you knew in the entire world, so we bought a subscription to DoJiggy, and online software site that allows you to register and create your own fundraising page! Plus, you can connect your friends' pages together to form a team!

You can still ask for donations with a regular paper form, too (just download it from the site!), and add it to your total.

We feel like we took a huge leap forward with this. Probably sounds like a given in the professional charity world, but remember we're just feeling our way on all of this.

And we have some fun new ideas to share with you about this year's Twilight Walk, too! Can't wait!

The Kyrie Klassic Golf Tournament THIS SATURDAY!

Don't forget about the first-every Kyrie Klassic Golf Tournament at Sierra Hills Golf Club this Saturday!!!!! We're all very excited to try out a new fundraiser like this. And ... we're grateful to Sierra Hills, EMC Insurance Companies, Maughan & Maughan Law Offices, Heartland Pest Control, Wilkinson Construction, Farmland Foods, Weigand Realty, Heartland Animal Hospital, Klee Watchous, Gary Thome, Simon Property Management, Criser, Gough & Parrish, LLC, Security 1st Title, Clarke-Wilkinson & Associates, American Family Insurance—Valerie Mejia Agency, Nathan Brenzikofer Construction, Liquidynamics,  Gorges Auto, Art's & Mary's Tater Chips, Sveta's Skin & Body Therapy and to all of our players for supporting this event.

There are still a few spots, too! So register now! We've heard some feedback about what a good deal this particular golf tournament is, which is GREAT considering we're newbies at hosting this kind of thing. ;) Plus, we'll be raffling off the chance to build your own custom putter thanks to Jerry Remkus and Tour Standard!

Again, we're really exited that a simple Saturday morning on a golf course in Kansas could mean scientific breakthroughs for sick children. Incredible, don't you think?!