Aug 8 10
While I thought it was a little crazy, we ordered glow in the dark, B+ Silly Bands. Boy, was I wrong! People love these things. What has surprised me the most is that people of all ages like these things. We only got our shipment about a week ago and have already given out a couple of hundred.
To thank you for your support, the B+ Silly Bands are FREE! Can’t beat that price, huh?! For those of you who are local and interested, I will put a box of B+ Silly Bands on our back porch and you can just help yourself. If you live farther away, just email me (joe@livelikeandrew.org) and we’ll send you some. Also, if you join us for the Aug 19th Wilmington Block Party or August 20th “B+ Night at the Blue Rocks”, we’ll have them there to give out as well.
The B+ Silly Band has been mistaken for a church on a hill or a crown with a cross if you look at it sideways. That works for me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Please indulge me for a minute as I brag about my daughter. Once again this year, Ali is volunteering her time for the next 7 days at “Kay’s Kamp”, the first oncology camp in Delaware. “Kay’s Kamp” was the brainchild of Kalyn Warren, who went to Heaven a few months before Andrew. It’s an awesome ‘kamp’ for kids with cancer and my congratulations go out to the Warren family. Ali will be leading the children with cancer in arts & crafts. I wouldn’t blame Ali if she turned the other way, but she never has. She has such a kind heart and lives to make a difference in the lives of others; particularly children with cancer. Ali, as I’ve said many times in my talks, I am TREMENDOUSLY blessed to be your Dad. Thanks for being you. Andrew had a wonderful role model!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chris, Ali, and I slipped away for a quick overnight stay in NYC this past week as an early birthday present for Chris. We had a nice time and saw an really fantastic show — Promises, Promises (Sean Hayes from “Will & Grace” and Kristin Chenowith from “Wicked”, “Glee”, and a million other shows). Unfortunately, cancer never takes a break. While in NYC, I was arranging for a woman in VA to fly to VT to see her niece before the little girl goes to Heaven. Another family that YOU have helped…
~~~~~~~~~~~~
I would like to thank the Christiana Rotary for inviting me to be their luncheon speaker this week. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and sharing some “Andrew Stories” with you. Thank you, Dave Griffith, Ted Elder, Vessa Fulton, & everyone for your hospitality.
~~~~~~~~~~
Following the Rotary lunch on Thursday, Katie (former Chair of UDance at UD and now employee of The B+ Fdn) and I headed to Newport News, VA to attend the national conference of Kappa Delta Rho. The men of KDR invited us to speak to them about our organization and I am hopeful - and optimistic - that many of the chapters are going to get on-board in helping us in our fight to raise awareness and funds for the battle against childhood cancer. I was SO impressed by how philanthropically minded these college students are. The media will often paint a certain stereotypical picture of young people…boy, is it wrong. I was re-energized by these amazing young men! Thank you, Kappa Delta Rho!
~~~~~~~~~~
Please keep all of the B+ Heroes in your prayers. I would appreciate it if you could please visit the following sites to give these Heroes a boost. These are 4 amazing young people who need a little extra attention. Thanks!
Noxah Palomo:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000962605374&ref=ts
Alex Blythe (Mr. AB+)
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/alexblythe
Miranda Ram-Nolte
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/mirandaramnolte
Rina Goldberg
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/rinag
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry for being so long-winded. It’s been pretty hectic lately and I’m just catching up and wanted to share a lot with you. Thank you very much for continuing to read Caringbridge and BePositive.org. Please feel free to leave messages to let us know you’re out there and please feel free to post any questions that you may have about The Foundation, the life of a family with a child with cancer, ideas of how you can help, etc. I get a LOT of questions asked of me when I give talks and only a few have been inappropriate. So, if we can help, post a question for me. Thanks.
Live Like Andrew – “Be Who You Are, and Be That Well” (Francis de Sales)
B+
Proud to be,
Ali’s & Andrew’s Dad
www.BePositive.org