Finally, the evening of gathering to raise funds and awareness for the MGH cancer patients’ financial challenges has arrived.  I have been planning an evening of HOPE on a Saturday evening in April.  I am so thrilled that many of my musician friends will come out for a night of music with a Healing Hope theme. There will be tables of healthy snacks.  A silent auction will be featuring a beautiful handmade quilt, 2 Boston Bruins tickets to the April 15th game, an Ulrike Welsh photograph, and several other items to bid on. Please save the date on your calendars and plan to join us for an evening of HOPE.

Healing Hope 2013 Fundraiser!

When? Saturday, April 13^th What time? 6-8:30

Where? NSAG Fellowship Hall 77 Kennedy Drive, Malden

Cost:

Gift card or monetary donation to:

Healing Hope Ministry 

On the night of the event, please make checks payable to: NSAG

100% proceeds go directly to recipients

Mary-Margaret Almonte, Founder of Healing Hope Ministry

P.O. Box 80105 Stoneham, MA 02180

For now, all applications for Healing Hope Ministry gift card to cancer patients have been placed on hold until we can replenish the funding with the third fundraiser coming soon. The plan is to have an evening of music and raffles to help raise funds for reaching out to cancer patients that are struggling financially.

Please stay tuned for details in the coming weeks.

We (meaning a bunch of us Batanians and extended family members) spent the day at Cedar Point.  I had not been there since 1978 when “The Blue Streak” was the rave.

The roller coaster they have now are mind (and body) blowing.

I ended my excursion with a swift (but nauseating) ride on a roller called the “Raptor”.  Yikes!  I was as nauseated as chemo can make one…but it passed by the time I had traveled an hour home to my sisters, and laid my tired (but happy) head on a pillow.

Elisha experienced his very first roller coaster ride (s) and the verdict is still out on if he liked the experience or not.  My sister Cathy and I laughed so much throughout the day-especially on the ride home when we were all a bit ‘punchy” from the days events.

I won't eat a hot dog, but I will take a pic with one!

Cousins Sarah & Elisha

"Iron Dragon Roller Coaster Stress!"

Ice cream & a funny photo cured Roller Coaster Stress!

 We raised just over $2,600.00 yesterday for the Healing Hope Ministry!

Healing Hope Fundraiser at the Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Oregon, Ohio

Healing Hope Fundraiser

Fundraising items!

Today between 3-7 many will gather for the purpose of raising funds and gift card donations for the Healing Hope Ministry.

We are gathering in my sister’s church for this event.

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Oregon, Ohio.

http://www.princeofpeaceoregon.com/

The gift card ministry to cancer patients at MGH is expanding west!  It is naturally expanding to a Toledo area hospital-Mercy cancer Center.

My sister Cathy has headed up this event, and it is going to be amazing.

We are holding a silent auction, and I am excited about seeing people bid on the many donated items.  I am in awe at the generosity of family, friends and customers of my sister and brother in law.  My Ohio visit is about this event, but once it is through, onto visiting my siblings that live here, and my parents more deeply.  Since my return from California, my time has been occupied on assisting with this event.

I will be posting the results this coming week, and trust the fundraising event will be blessing many patients and their families in the weeks and months to come…

I heard my sister state to someone that this will become an annual event.  I smiled inside to hear that.

Max & Elisha Kayaking

Yesterday we all piled into the van and headed down to the harbor so that the kids could get together with some friends and have an hour of kayaking in the harbor.  Elisha was hesitant, at first, but then he was up for the adventure.  He still has not shaken off the images from “Soul Surfer” and the shark attack the main character endured.  I had no intention of showing Elisha that movie-especially before we were to embark on a Pacific northwest adventure…but he snuck a peek at that movie on an evening he should have been snug in his bed, and the images of that fated shark attack are burned in his brain.  He was becoming convinced that a kayak adventure could turn quite bloody on the harbor  called “Gig”.  I loved the way my sister in law, laura, calmly gave him the nautical facts about the safe harbor they live near, and left the decision up to him.I have come to really appreciate my sister in laws calmness.  She is steady, and in the midst of lots of bustling activity with four children (pre-teens and teens) two golden retrievers, and a menagerie of other animals.  Elisha is in the mix of all this, and is loving every second.  He will love visiting Uncle Matt in San Francisco, but will go through cousin withdraw, for sure.