Posted by Big Daddy on September 28, 2009
….Well, maybe not in the way that he meant it in Wedding Crashers….but the line works for this blog post.
Over the weekend I had the chance to be the DJ at a fundraiser in my hometown of Pepperell. It was for a local family dealing with cancer. The young, married father of 3 young kids was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and even though had been given a good prognosis was starting a very tough road of treatment. They have insurance, but are responsible for the 1st $7000 of treatment plus anything not covered by insurance. Needless to say, they need help, prayers, support and good luck.
The family had rallied together to put on this fundraiser. They rented a hall, had some finger food brought in, purchased a Nintendo Wii to raffle off and also had a 50/50 raffle where the tickets were $100. I brought down my little DJ/Karaoke setup for entertainment and everything seemed to come together.
What really struck me was when I met his little daughter (I won’t use her name as I just decided to write this and would want to ask permission 1st). She was a beautiful little 7 year old girl. After talking withher and telling her some of my horrible little kid appropriate jokes (and yes, she humored me and laughed), I found out that she was in the same grade as my daughter. I asked her if she knew “Libbie” and and she said, “Is here real name Elizabeth?”. While they were not in the same class, she did know her and even remembered who she had for a teacher last year! It was at that moment that I realized this wonderful little girl had a father who has cancer and even though she was aware of it, was strong. It made me think of my daughter (as well as my son) and what would be going though my mind if this was me going through this? Would I have the $7000 to pay this deductible? Could my family survive with me out of work for months? I could go on and on with the questions I would have in my head, but I think you all get the picture. It is scary and something I pray I or anyone else never has to go through. I am glad this family has the support it does to help lighten the load a bit.
The little girl asked if she could sing some Karaoke. I said no problem and asked her what she wanted to sing. She picked the song Barbie Girl, which at the time I thought was just a fun little song. Well, a minute into it, I realized for the 1st time in MANY years of playing it, that it really wasn’t appropriate for a 7 year old to sing and quickly changed over to a much safer Taylor Swift song! She was so happy singing for everyone and received a nice round of applause from the crowd.
Near the end of the night, the winners were announced. There were 4 people who won cash in the 50/50 raffle. At the time of me writing this, 3 of the 4 winners donated their winnings back (which were $1000.00 a piece!). It was really generous of the winners to donate the money back. These days, everyone could use extra money, but when you step back and take a look at it, this family needs it more. It was also great to know his work was behind him 100% and bought some 50/50 tickets and were helping him at work.
What made me post this today is that this is just 1 example of someone (or a family) who are dealing with cancer (or any other serious disease). Most are not as lucky as this family is to have people put together a fundraiser like this to help them. Some people are also afraid to ask for help. Either way, there is much more we can all to do help people. I encourage everyone out there to take the time to find out how members of your family are, how your neighbors are, how people in your community are and do what you can to make a difference.
Here at MIKE-FM, we have a page called “Random Acts of Kindness”. You can click on it from our homepage, or here is a direct link: http://www.937mikefm.com/pages/5069381.p… At MIKE-FM, on December 18th we will be doing our annual “Request for Help” to benefit the Franciscan Hospital for Children. If you have not heard of them yet, I encorage you to check them out at: http://www.franciscanhospital.org/
I had the chance to visit this hospital last year and it is full of wonderful people helping wonderful kids in need. They not only are looking for donations of any amount, but also for donations of just your time. You can play a game with a child or just hold a baby who is sick and whose parents have to work to pay the bills during the day or is parent-less. This hospital takes in the kids that Children’s Hospital can’t take due to the severity of the illness (or at least that is how I understand it). They have a wonderful staff there and I encourage all of you to take the time to go to their site and see how you can make a difference.
That is what this is all about. People helping People. If we all just do what we can, it can make a world of difference to those in need. If you have money and can donate to a cause, great. If you don’t but can spare and hour every now and then reading to a sick child or stopping by to check on a senior citizen in your town who is home bound, great. Maybe you can just get a few donations and participate in a walk or attend a local fundraiser like I spoke of about and just pay a few bucks to get in…it all matters and makes a difference.
Life isn’t about how much money you make, how expensive your house is or what kind of car you drive. If you have kids, it is about spending as much time with them that you can, teach them right and make a lot of great memories. Keep your family and friends close and be there for each other. When you need help, ask. When you see someone needs help, offer.
Okay, well that is my sensitive post for the year. Now, off to go get a diet coke and find a way to skip some meetings around here and take a nap on the couch!
“Britain’s Got Talent” superstar Susan Boyle has covered the Rolling Stones’ hit, “Wild Horses”, for her upcoming album, “I Dreamed a Dream”. Not only that, but it’ll reportedly be her first single. To hear it (and to judge for yourself if it is any good), click on the audio player below: