Project Nico Fundraiser

I don't know how to even summarize what a great experience it was to be involved in our fundraiser for my friend Wendy's son, Nico.  It was so much work.  It was so exhausting.  It was so incredible to see how people came out of the woodwork to help.  It was so inspiring to be a part of something that was bigger than anyone involved in it ever thought it could be.  It was just incredible.  I'm so thankful that I somehow got to be a part of it. 
I love my dear friend and I love her son.  He has a long road ahead of him and continues to have complications with his chemotherapy and ureter/kidney issues.  Wendy is shouldering most of the burden herself.  She is doing it in such a graceful way.  I admire and love her. 

We held the yard sale/bake sale/craft sale/concessions/t-shirt sale/silent auction fundraiser on June 23rd.  Just 3 1/2 weeks after I woke up thinking that maybe our neighborhood could have a yard sale (each of us doing our own and pooling the money to give to Wendy).  Within two days of sending a message to my neighbors on Facebook, it had gone from a simple idea for a yard sale to an "event."  We were put in touch with an advertising firm here in Logan (for whom Wendy works) that was doing a Nico Project T-shirt campaign online.  As we talked, we knew we could do something great if we worked together.  My dear neighbor, friend, mentor, Katie Jensen called me and had me come over to learn how to organize something like this.  Within a day, I had 5 team captains: Advertising, Business Donations, Concessions/Craft & Bake Sale, Donations and Pick ups, and Staffing.  Each captain took their assignment and completely magnified it.  I was completely astonished at the amount of hours and emotional commitment they gave to their duties.  It was amazing. 
The day we picked up donations, I could hardly believe my eyes.  The next day as people in the community dropped off donations, I was speechless.  And as we saw neighbors and strangers alike come together to spend hours organizing and pricing the items, I was just inspired.  It was such a "faith in the goodness of God's children" promoting experience. 

The day of the fundraiser was busy, hot, exciting, and successful.  We had a steady flow of participants from 8:00 till 1:00.  We had youth on street corners with poster board signs encouraging people to stop in.  We had strangers who didn't know Wendy from Adam who dropped wads of $20 bills into donation cans without buying a thing.  We had children who had spent hours making crafts sit in the heat to sell their creations.  We had other children who had held their own yard sales (selling their own toys) so they could bring the proceeds and donate them to Nico.  We had college kids loading trucks when everything was over and putting tables away and cleaning up in a way we couldn't have done without them.  It was a beautiful day.  We raised nearly $10,000 in one day between donations, yard sale, concessions, and t-shirts.  I was astounded.  And inspired.  I want to be better because of the example of so many other people. 

I'm just so thankful I was able to be a part of something so great.  It was a tremendous blessing to me and to my family.  And I know it was to the others who were involved.  And to Wendy and Nicolas.  I love when something benefits so many people.  Blessed.  Truly blessed.