Aug 2 10
Andrew lives!
This past Saturday, we had the privilege of attending the wedding of our neighbor and friend, Kayla DeSeta. As I walked into the reception, I was taken back, to say the least, to see a B+ shirt hanging from the head table!!! Also, attached to each table placement card was a B+ card with our boy’s picture on it. Kayla addressed the audience and told them that “a 14 year old friend” couldn’t be there in person with them. She went on to tell everyone that the money raised from the ‘dollar dances’ with the bride and groom would be donated to The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. I was so proud of Kayla and so appreciative of Kayla’s and Buck’s generosity. Yesterday, Kayla’s grandparents brought over the proceeds — $600 —to support our mission! Amazing! It was also really nice that so many people at the reception asked us about Andrew, said they prayed to him, and that they’ve followed our journey. I’ll bet my boy was smiling.
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While most of the Heroes that I write about are children facing cancer, you will probably recall another Hero that I’ve written about — Elizabeth Loncki. Senior Airman Loncki, from New Castle, DE, was killed in action in Iraq on Jan 7, 2007. There will be a 5k run for the Elizabeth Loncki Scholarship Fund on Sat. Aug. 14th. Please come out and support the Loncki family and this great American HERO. For registration, please visit:
www.trisportsevents.com or www.oldnewcastlerun.com
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Just a reminder - you can help The B+ Foundation just by searching the internet. When you use GoodSearch as your search engine, a donation is made to our Foundation. If you purchase merchandise through GoodSearch, an additional amount is given to us. Add GoodSearch to your tool bar and register that your donations should go to The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation. I like things like this where we don’t have to ask you to do anything beyond what you would normally do. Thanks for helping us.
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Please mark your calendars for two exciting, upcoming B+ events.
Thurs. Aug. 19th — Block Party in Wilmington - located in the area between the Nemours and Brandywine Buildings. There will be bands, food & drinks. The B+ Foundation is the designated charity for this evening. If you would like to join us, please let me know and we’ll get wristbands to you. Admission wristbands cost just $5 and 100% of the money goes to our Foundation. You can sell them at work, to your neighbors, friends, etc. Just email me if you want some… joe@livelikeandrew.org. Come out and join us for a fun night after work!
Fri. Aug. 20th — “B+ Night at the Blue Rocks”. We’re going to take over the place with B+ Heroes going on the field, throwing out the first pitch, the players wearing special B+ jerseys (that will be auctioned off after the game), tables of B+ merchandise, a lot of fun, AND fireworks! Please visit www.BePositive.org to order your tickets. The B+ Foundation receives $2 from every ticket sold through our site.
Iron Hill Brewery’s “Double Chocolate Hill”. Why not cap off the night (on B+ Night or any night) with a decadent chocolate dessert at Iron Hill Brewery on the Riverfront in Wilmington. For every “Double Chocolate Hill” dessert that is ordered, $.75 is donated to CureSearch and $.75 is donated to The B+ Foundation in support of our common cause to fight childhood cancer. Chris, Ali, & I shared one last night…it’s really good!!! And, when you’re doing it for charity, the calories don’t count! Trust me!
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Finally, I was driving past a nearby school the other day when I saw a hundred or so pint-sized Phillies players. It brought back such memories. A couple of times each summer, the Phillies run their kids camps around the region and Andrew participated in the camp on two occasions. I remember how excited he was to wear his “official” Phillies uniform. I also remember how proud he was when he won an award at one of the camps. Andrew was a really good baseball player; he loved the game. As I slowly drove by the field, it really felt like someone was turning a knife inside me. I miss just having a catch with him. Andrew gave me such great memories. It was at that very field, just 2 weeks before Andrew went into the hospital, that we had batting practice for the very last time.
Incidentally, Ali and I returned there the other day and I pitched to Ali in the cage. She hasn’t swung a bat in a few years, but it only took a swing or two to knock the rust off. Before I knew it, she was drilling the ball. I’ll bet Andrew was smiling then as well.
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Live Like Andrew — HAVE FUN.
B+
Ali’s & Andrew’s Dad
www.BePositive.org
P.S. Don't forget -- Kind Joe B+ Coffee is available for sale at http://bepositive.org/gear.php. This coffee is purified to be low-acid, comes in 6 varieties, and a portion of the sales price goes to YOUR Foundation. Please order a bag and see if you like it.