In my last post I mentioned that we were going to see a documentary called I-Heart Revolution. It dealt with highlighting social injustice in this world and definitely stirred emotions to move a person to action. I think one thing I walked away with was a more heightened realization how young girls, particularly in India are trafficked for prostitution, it just broke my heart. Then the very next day I was reading a blog I love to follow of a family who are in the process of adopting several children internationally when it came to their attention that it is very possible these children's biological parents do not know what is happening, they do not realize they are being adopted out. So the adoption is at a stand still obviously....and now a new fight is on their hands to protect these children, but how? And how does one do anything to help when the social issues are all so much bigger than ourselves?
As a family we decided that we would all do "something"...even if in the scheme of things it is a small something, it is still "something" and for that we feel good to be apart of a tiny sliver of hope. For each of us it looks a little different but after having Reid... and learning about Reece's Rainbow and the many, many children with Down syndrome cast aside with a grim future... that has became our passion. A person cannot help but be pained when perusing the site, knowing these little ones are without a family....all because they have an extra chromosome.
A while back I mentioned on my blog about a benefit dinner we were trying to help organize for Reece's Rainbow, but was postponed. Well, it was rescheduled to last Saturday and it went so beautifully!!! I am so grateful for the heart and generosity of our friends who a year ago began hosting benefit dinners every other month where the proceeds would go toward a different cause. We had mentioned Reece's Rainbow once as a possible charity and they were on board from the start... They left it up to us how we wanted the funds to be used and we decided more than anything we just want these little ones home with their "Forever Families" as soon as possible and so we decided we wanted to help a very special family, The Garcia's, get closer to their fundraising goal. We are so excited to say that we were able to raise $2,o51 for their family and their newest Special K. Many of you who follow this blog are also very familiar with Renee and Life with my Special K's....if not you can click here to find your way over to their adoption blog and follow the beautiful unfolding story for yourself as they are right smack dab in the middle of the process of getting their little girl.
Our hosts Mike and Nancy were so generous to open their beautiful home and Steve who is our favorite IT guy by day and favorite "chef" by night created the meal from scratch.....and as you can see from the pictures it was not just a meal...it was truly art, the most delicious art ever! :) It was simply... elegantly delicious! Can you see from the pictures the pumpkins he used for serving dishes?! So creative and fun! (BTW, Steve and his beautiful wife Meghan are expecting their first baby....and they found out just today they are having a little boy!)
As part of the benefit dinner it is suggested that each person donate $35 toward the cause at hand. However, to raise additional funds for the Garcia's, Nancy mentioned having a raffle of items....and it was so fun!! Below you can see several people adorn with oodles of tickets! Nancy provided beautiful gift baskets, a tower of toys (see pictured below that the children were all putting their raffle tickets toward), wine, ....and we even had a beautiful blanket donated by Heather, Zoey's mom, that was a hit amongst the girls in the group! (Thank you Heather!) You can click here to read about the incredible heart behind these blankets. But wait that's not all.....it was also casino night, so lots of chips were being traded....and guess who raked in the most chips at the roulette table??? Luke! :)
I am sorry this post is long...but so much to share! I wanted to point out that in the pictures below Nancy and her two daughters are wearing Reece's Rainbow shirts! Adoption is something very dear to their hearts, as both of their daughters were adopted from Russia....and can you see that the youngest's shirt is written in Russian?! How cool is that?!!
To open the evening Toby and I shared a bit of our hearts and shared the newest Reece's Rainbow ministry video with the group. Afterwards we had many people, including men, share with us that seeing these orphaned children brought tears to their eyes. I love that we also had an opportunity to share this cause with those unfamiliar with it! Mike, Nancy, Steve, and Meghan...............THANK YOU, from the bottom of our hearts for making this beautiful evening possible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Toby and I had the opportunity to share about Reece's Rainbow and our precious ones with Down syndrome....and share via the TV the newest Reece's Rainbow video
Our amazing chef for the evening
..and his beautiful wife Meghan
...and we can't forget Mason! :) What a little flirt Reid is!!!!!!
We've created a new gambler I am afraid! :)
Gifts baskets, blanket, and "Tower of Toys" for the raffle
A few of our ticket purchasers :)
and Vanna....oops I mean Danielle!
I was so excited that this sweet young lady won Zoey's blanket!
Little Reid at the end of the evening...absolutely konked out!
...and poor Steve was absolutely WIPED out by the end of the evening, and understandably so!
12 comments:
Cheri,what an awesome evening.I wish we could have been there.Next time for sure because as you know, Reece's Rainbow is near and dear to our hearts.We continue to prayerfully contemplate where our hearts will lead us.In the mean time, we have helped with a few different families on their journey's to their children waiting for them.I am happy to say,all three of those children are home with their forever families!Reece's Rainbow has also gifted me with a beautiful friendship right here in town with a family that brought home their little Tate last year.
You guys did an incredible thing.Not a small thing.An incredibly huge thing.Awareness and advocacy and money,because as much as we don't like that life requires money and we readily acknowledge that is not the most important thing,it still is necessary to the process.But most of all you did this amazing thing with great love.Be proud of yourselves because I certainly am.
What an AMAZING evening! Heather is right - you did an incredible thing. Reece's Rainbow is an amazing organization and I am so glad you were able to spread awareness in such an inspiring way!
The food really did look amazing - the chef must be very talented!
How lovely, and I third... nothing small about this, your heart is huge and I am proud to know you!
I'm overwhelmed by how generous you are. This is an amazing thing that you did. So incredible. HUGE kudos!
Wow, that is amazing! Great job!
WOW - what an amazing evening! What an inspiration you all are to all of us to do more, help more, give a little here there, give big here and there just as you did cause every bit does help and make a difference. And can I say YUM...well done chef!
Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I am still new to this and slowly finding my way around. After having Landon I had been looking for resources with anything positive. Thank you for sharing your family with Ds community and me. It has given me the courage to share my story also. It is my hope that I too can help a new family with a Ds diagnosis. Thanks again Cheri!
I wish we lived closer so we could come to the NEXT one of these evenings! I think it's so amazing that you guys get together and do this! I think we need to start something like this here. Thank you so much for all you have done for our family! We are overwhelmed and humbled. You have helped us bring our daughter home! She's almost here! YAY!
That is awesome!!!! Bless aqll of you!!
*Very* impressed by your big hearts. A wonderful cause, a great evening, and open hearts.... beautiful! You sparked an idea in me on how to fundraise.
Reid's cheeks in that picture where he is fast asleep? so delicious! what a cutie pie!!!! also, thank you for reminding me that I really need to go buy Reece's Rainbow gear!
That's amazing! What a wonderful gift!
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