Happy Birthday Sophie!!!!!

Wow is all I can say! For those of you who weren't with us on Friday to remember our little girl, I want to take a moment to tell you how awesome the event was.

The weather was perfect, and over a thousand people of all ages came together to run, walk, eat, and/or play in honor of our Sophie who would have and should have turned five that day. We don't have the exact amount, but it is safe to say that close to $50,000 was raised through the dedication of so many different people. It truly was amazing, and we couldn't have asked for a better way to kick off our Smiles For Sophie Forever fundraising efforts. Equally important was the fact that the children in attendance had fun. That makes me smile, because I know that is something that Sophie would have wanted. She loved birthdays, parties and decorations. The fact that we raised money for our cause and had fun doing it is what we want our foundation to be known for.

Our next step now, is to develop our application process so that we can begin providing financial support to those families fighting the battle we fought. Our plans are to form a board of directors so that we may collectively decide what families and organizations will be given money so that we may fulfill the mission of Smiles For Sophie Forever.

We want to express our gratitude to the many people who have helped us these last few months to get the foundation off the ground and plan our maiden fundraiser, but most importantly we want to thank God for giving us the strength to continue on this journey by giving us the support of our family, friends, and even strangers. When I stopped periodically throughout the day to reflect on just how awesome it was, all I could think about was how inspiring it is to see the good in so many people.

There are so many people we have to thank, some we know, and others we don't. I am including below the "thank you" that we wrote for the race program, as a way to express the gratitude we feel.


We wish we could say a personal “thank you” to each and every one of you who made today’s event possible. We know we could never have pulled this off without the dedication, love, and support of so many. Nor would it have been successful without all you runners, walkers and children who made this event part of your 4th of July celebration. Thank you to all of our supporters.

We would also like to thank our family and friends, who supported us from the beginning, when the thoughts of this event were still just forming in our heads, and who continued to support us throughout the months leading up to today. We are grateful to all of the volunteers who made sacrifices to attend the planning meetings, made phone calls and wrote letters on our behalf, and worked on the various race planning committees, as well as those who worked today.

We’d like to say a special thank you to Kristin Van Euwen, who stepped up to the plate and volunteered to be the race director/event coordinator. Since this is our first annual run/walk, it sure did take a lot to make it happen! Kristin, and her husband Pete, who diligently worked on the legal paperwork to make us an official non-profit organization, have been dedicated from the get-go. We certainly would not be here today without all their hard work.

Finally, we express our gratitude to all of you who took the time to create a fundraising page through activegiving.com. We appreciate your dedication to our cause and your efforts to solicit donations from your families and friends. We were astounded by the response this year, and next year hope to meet our goal of $50,000. We are also grateful to those of you who made personal financial contributions to the foundation. We cannot wait to begin awarding this money to families and research facilities in an effort to fulfill our mission.

Today’s event was more than we had imagined and we owe it to all of you. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We know Sophie is smiling down on us all from her special place in Heaven!

In addition to the race and the kids activities, we had some special touches that completed the day. We sang "Happy Birthday" to Sophie before the race. I know Sophie heard us loud and clear, and I know she was smiling when she heard Daddy singing in the microphone!

Some local florists donated colorful carnations that a few volunteer girl scouts passed out to the runners and walkers before the race. The race course went past our house, and we asked the participants to drop their flowers on our grass as a memorial to Sophie. Over 500 flowers were placed on our lawn and it was beautiful. (My Mom, Dad, and sister and I took the carnations to the cemetery and placed them in front of Sophie's headstone.)

There was also a group of local high school students who came together to play their instruments in our driveway as the runners and walkers passed. I wasn't there to hear them, but have heard from many people how great they sounded. After the race, the participants were invited to enjoy a cupcake from a couple local bakeries who donated them. There was a DJ, a ton of activities for kids, and food for sale. It was quite a sight as we came together to "race towards FREEDOM from pediatric brain cancer." All in all it was a huge success, and I've heard great things about the event from many people.

This is a link to a short video recap of the day's events created by my friend Andrea. I was told that it took over 4 minutes for all the participants to cross the start line. Pretty unbelievable for a first time event.
http://app.talkfusion.com/talkFusionStudio/view.asp?221888_1827609

I know there are many of you who like to keep on giving and making a difference. We have the perfect way for you to do so. If you haven't already registered for the Prayers From Maria Foundation 5K and 1 Mile that will be on July 12 in Bay Village, you can still come to the event and register that day and continue to raise money to find a cure. You will find more information on the www.prayersfrommaria.org website. Hope to see you there!

A friend of mine sent me a card saying that Sophie was like the sparkler she would light on the 4th of July...a beautiful light enjoyed by all who see it, but a light that would be gone all too soon. I couldn't agree more, and I am grateful to those of you who sent us cards and emails wishing us peace on Sophie's birthday. It is comforting to know that we are loved and thought of by so many.

I have to say that Sophie's birthday ranks up there in the "hard days" category, even though every day is a hard day when you've lost a child. I was able to put on a strong face for the day, and the business was a needed distraction, but as always, the quiet moments alone were the most difficult. I'm grateful for all that has been done in Sophie's honor, but I must admit, I'd trade it all in a heartbeat if I could have my little girl back.

Sophie I know you were with us yesterday as we celebrated your birthday even though we couldn't "see" your beautiful face. I could feel you and see you in the faces of so many wonderful people. Your birthday celebration was awesome, and the only thing that could have made it better was having you there with us.

So many people came together because of YOU. You are the reason that people feel compelled to give, compelled to do something to find a cure and to help other families. Happy birthday sweet Sophie Girl. I love you, I miss you, yet I find some comfort knowing that your 1st birthday celebration in Heaven was even better than the one we had here, so it sure must have been something spectacular!