Dec 7 09
It’s been a really busy last few days… allow me to bore you!
On Friday, Chris and I had the opportunity to spend an overnight in Annapolis, MD with our friends, the Kovariks. I think it’s so cool that Terri Kovarik (who now lives in VA) and Chris went to high school together in Brussels, Belgium and are still so close. We had a really nice time and were greeted with the greatest surprise when we returned home. Ali, who was home watching the dogs, had decorated our house for Christmas. It looked SO great when we walked in! Ali, thanks for the surprise.
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On Saturday night, the UDance Executive Committee threw a Holiday Party for the B+ Heroes. We were fortunate to have 11 of our 16 Heroes present and the fraternities and sororities did an AMAZING job welcoming their respective ‘adopted’ Hero and showering them with gifts. I think the B+ Heroes had a blast! (see picture above)
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On Sunday, I had the privilege of being the Guest Speaker at the Radnor (PA) High School Soccer Banquet. I always love speaking with kids even though it’s pretty tough sometimes talking to soccer players who are Andrew’s age. As you probably know, Andrew would be a senior this year. Thank you RHS for your kind donation and the Radnor shirt. I will wear it proudly!
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From Radnor, I headed to “Circus Savannah”….not exactly the kind of circus that you’re thinking of. Sherry Vance, a good friend of Savannah and the Pauley family, offered to do a hands-on “Cirque du Soleil” class for some B+ Heroes. This was sort of a ‘pilot class’ to see how it would work. Savannah used to love to go to Sherry’s gym and we thought other kids might as well. The kids seemed to really enjoy it…and really worked up a sweat. And, most importantly, safety was the primary concern for the Heroes. If there are other brave warriors out there battling cancer that might want to try this, please contact me at joe@livelikeandrew.org and I’ll put you in touch with Sherry.
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The next stop on Sunday was, by far, the hardest. I was the Guest Speaker at the Delaware All-State Soccer Banquet in Dover, DE. In addition to speaking, I was very honored to be able to present each athlete with their awards. As I looked out into the crowd, I saw so many familiar faces. Some have been great friends for years, some were teammates, some were opponents. But, it felt like one big soccer family and I couldn’t help but think that Andrew should be there - in person. Sure, I’m biased, but I think he would have been receiving one of the large silver plates that I presented to each honoree. It was a pretty sad time for me, but hopefully, I faked it well. Thank you, Paul Booton and all of the Coaches, for inviting me to be your speaker. I appreciate being included. Andrew, you will always be “1st Team All-State” in my book.
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Finally, PLEASE take a minute to vote for The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation on Facebook. We have only 4 days left of voting and we’re starting to slip behind the pack a little bit. Now is the time that we need an extra push. As a reminder, if we finish in the top 100 charity vote-getters, we will receive $25,000 for our mission.
This contest is sponsored by Chase and it’s all very legitimate. Please take a minute to vote and send the link to EVERYONE you know. Thank you!!!
Click here to vote for The Andrew McDonough B+ Foundation
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Live Like Andrew - helping others is not a choice, it’s an obligation!
B+
Ali’s & Andrew’s Dad
www.BePositive.org