The conference was very successful!!!!
All of us just clicked and got along great, like we always do here!There were a few bumpy starts with health, car and travel issues for some, but everyone made it here safe and sound.
The doctors were AMAZING! Dr. Longoni and Meaghan Russell - wonderful doctors and just great people! They hung out at the hotel, sat in on round table discussions and offered information to anyone who had questions. And their presentation was so wonderful! They had just the right blend of information so that none of felt like they were talking over our heads or down to us. And we learned SOOOOO much! Wonderful, wonderful people! Dr. Chiu flew in from Toronto on Friday morning, hung out with us for the day, gave her speech and few back to Canada on Friday evening - out of her own pocket (all doctors did). Her speech on pediatric surgery was incredible as well! Very, very informative! All 3 doctors are such caring people and so genuinely supportive of our CHERUBS families and of CHERUBS. We are just so impressed and appreciative of them. And Brenda.... wonderful job on her speech as well! She really gave us great insight on being on the medical side of CDH and how that impacts doctors and nurses and what we don't see. Just wonderful!
The round table discussions were great as well! We didn't get to all of them... we are a talkative bunch and ran out of time on some!We laughed, learned, talked and cried. But we really learned a lot - about CDH, each other, and how so very true it is that none of us are alone.
The pizza party was wonderful! We met each other, talked, ate, sang Happy Birthday (cha, cha, cha Amy!) to those July babies and it was all a lot of fun.
I had to drive home on Thursday (an hour and a half each way) to pick up my mom for Friday so I missed the partying that night, but I'm sure there will be stories... or maybe not....
Wednesday night several of us went out for dinner and I have to say.... Barb's boys, the Olivarez girls and Miss Ayla..... angels. Dinner took a while, they all had driven all day.... and every one of those kids were so well behaved!
Friday, the kids had visits from clowns Hubba Bubba and Magic Dan. The adults partied again Friday night a bit and helped me finish up things for the Angel Ball on Saturday.
A HUGE thank you to all of our conference committee volunteers, all the dads who helped tote things and run errands, the family members who helped with the Angel Ball programs, those who helped with clean up and prep work and to Stephanie - girl, you are an angel and the conference wouldn't have happened without you!
Thursday night they all - and even some of you who didn't go - made me cry.Barb put together a book with photos and letters from members to me and it is so beautiful and special and wonderful and amazing... Barb, I love you girl, and all of you... thank you so much. This book means more to me than any gift I think I've ever received. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.
I am so ashamed to say that I took no photos.
Angel Ball....
Was beautiful. All of our members were GORGEOUS - guys included!!! Our event planners, the Jr. Women's League, Tournament guy, florist.... made the ballroom spectacular. The band was amazing, the M.C. was wonderful, the volunteers were so great! We are so, so lucky to have had so much support to pull this off! ALL of the vendors and volunteers have already signed on for next year!!!
We had a blast! Shane had more fun that most I think. LOL.
There was definite basket fighting. Stephanie is ruthless. lol.
Almost all of our raffle winners were members! I'll let them tell you what they won! Judi won the grand prize.
Attendance was low I think but our event planners keep telling me it was an amazing turn out and event for our first year - far better than most charity's first events like this ... I don't have any numbers yet on how much it made but even if it was just $1 - we raised a heck of a lot of awareness in the community!!!!!
A really great thing happened at the Angel Ball.... a couple became engaged. A local guy bought tickets to bring his girlfriend on a date and proposed to her. No, it was not me! Darn it!
Golf Tournament....
is tomorrow. I'm working on everything and sitting here printing off programs and finishing up the signs. We need more players or we will be very much in the hole on this event. Please say prayers!
I had to leave the hotel early today and didn't get to say good-bye to everyone.
It was so, so great to see so many of you again and to make and see new friends as well. We really are like one big (dysfunctional) family and I love it!!!
It was / is all a great weekend! But never, ever again 3 events in 1 weekend while working & commuting 12 hours a day! I wasn't nearly as prepared as I wanted to be and I didn't get to party with everyone much. I could barely keep going Friday night. Tuesday is my first day off in 2 months from work and CHERUBS event stuff - no one call or e-mail because I will be asleep ALL DAY! LOL. But it was all so worth it!!
Stay Connected 
Reply With Quote
