Hogs for Hackleburg

 

This morning I had the privelege of helping the men and women of the Lone Wolf H.O.G. Chapeter raise money for the small, close knit town of Hackleburg, Alabama.  One of the chapter members works with me, and this is where his wife's family lives.  On April 27, the town was wiped out by an F5 tornado and are having to start the painful process of rebuilding. 

  I was stationed at one of the local WalMart's with some chapter members and asked for donations from shoppers.  This was definitely out of my comfort zone, but I surpassed the nerves and we were able to raise some money to support the cause.  The other chapter members visited with their bikes and ended the day back at Lone Wolf Harley Davidson for lunch.  Each biker paid a donation to ride in the event and have lunch.  Luckily, the rain held off and the ride was successful!

Thanks Jim and Paula Perry for having me!

Spokane Lilac Festival

   Last night I had the privelege of participating in the 2011 "Ignite The Spirit of America" Armed Forces Torchlight Parade.  The parade is the largest Armed Forces torchlight parade in the United States and a cherished tradition for those of us in Spokane.

I was lucky enough to ride in a convertable Porsche with Judi Baggarly-Mrs. Spokane and Anna Hiatt-Mrs. Seattle International.  We had a great time shivering and laughing together while we waited for our time slot (we were at the end of the parade and didn't start until 10:00pm).  While waiting, we were able to meet the Lilac Royalty, Miss Spokane America, Miss Spokane Interstate Rodeo, and the amazing KHQ news crew.  Overall, it was wonderful to see all the great people of Spokane and the surrounding areas, and even some of my students out in the crowd.

A big thank you goes out to Bo Lively and Porsche of Spokane.  We had an amazing car and Bo was so fun and accommodating as our driver.  We definitely had some memorable moments! 

Until next year...

                      

March of Dimes-March for Babies

 Today I had the privilege of walking with the Valley Hospital Team at the March of Dimes-March for Babies.  An old high school classmate of mine works in the maternity ward and sees the effects of premature birth both as part of her job, but also when she had her son prematurely over a year ago.

The March of Dimes is an organization committed to helping moms have full-term pregnancies and research the problems that threaten the health of babies.  It was great to see so many people out supporting this great cause.

My first daughter was born through emergency c-section at 37 weeks.  Thankfully, she was born healthy and happy.  My second daughter was born full term, but spent three days in the NICU because of fluid in her lungs.  It was sad to see the many other babies in the NICU who were clinging to life and couldn't even be held they were so tiny.  We thank God for the wonderful doctors and nurses who took care of our daughter during that time, and organizations like the March of Dimes who provide support for families dealing with premature birth. 

We will definitely be back next year!