Thankful Thursday

Dear Weather Goddess,

I am so deeply thankful for this day of 40 degree temperatures and sunshine. As you know, you have been creating a lot of intense winter weather and on this one day, I was hoping that we'd have moderate temperatures and no storm.

Why? Well you know the answer because, well, after all, you are a goddess....

Tonight is a very special night. After months of planning, it's time for Singing Boston Strong:Karis' Karaoke for a Kause.



We will be sending out thank you's but I want to publicly thank everyone who have made tonight's event possible:

To Karis Antokal -- thank you for your strength, your passion, your commitment and your being a little nuts to making your first endurance event the Boston Marathon (that's pot calling the kettle black right?). Thank you for being you and it is an honor to co host this event with you. Thank you to your family for donating the autographed Tom Brady Jersey for the take a chance drawing tonight and thank you to your mom for bringing you into this world 29 years ago on 3/2!

To Limelight Stage and Studios manager, Henry Wong for saying yes without hesitation when I asked if we could have our event at your venue. To Chris, the house manager who said we could set up anytime after 4:30pm and said he is so happy to welcome us to Limelight for our event. And to all of you who are coming out to Sing Boston Strong tonight!

To Kevin Fitzgerald, owner of Jacob Wirth Restaurant -- thank you for your incredible generosity in making sure that everyone goes home a winner! Kevin donated a $50 gift certificate, four $25 gift certificates and as many $10 gift certificates as people who attend the event up to a total of 80 people. We'll have a drawing at the end of the evening.

To our donors for the Silent Auction Items:

Rick Penn for his donation of Celtics Tickets (face value $350.

To our donors for our Cape Getaway:
One night midweek stay at the Inn on the Square Falmouth
Island Queen for four adult round trip vouchers
A gift card to Landucci's Restaurant

To Marathon Sports Brookline for hosting me last Saturday to promote the event. For your generous donations of a $30 gift certificate and giving us a pile of gloves to sell and keep the proceeds for Spaulding.

To Rick Leskowitz for your donation of The Joy of Sox Movie DVD's which will be used for our Silent Auction and a Take a Chance Drawing.

To my dear friend Lee Woodruff who always comes through for me donating 3 books autographed by Bob Woodruff and herself.

To Julie Ingalls who is the marketing director at Stapleton Floral Design - thank you for the $75 gift certificate and the gift of your friendship through the years.

Thank you to my husband and daughter for being support crew to me as I once again took up the reins for fund raising for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Hey at least this time we're not in training too!

And thank you to Spaulding Rehab Hospital for being there for me since October of 2006 when I faced an uncertain future and was terrified of what was happening to my body. I would not be where I am today in my healing journey were it not for your place of healing.

Here's to a wildly successful event tonight as we raise our voices and Sing Boston Strong to raise lots of money for Spaulding Rehab!

Two Weeks From Today ---

Show of hands -- who knows what is happening in Boston two weeks from today?

Here is a clue:



We are going to be raising our voices and raising a whole lot of money for Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital where I took the first steps on my healing journey with post polio syndrome over 7 years ago and where so many, including the survivors of the Boston Marathon bombings have found and continue to find their strength!

Here is Karis' story from her fund raising page:

On April 21, 2014, I will be participating in an event that I never thought I could: The Boston Marathon. The tragic events of last year’s race combined with witnessing first-hand the determination that the survivors displayed, has lead me to sign on as a member of Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital’s Race for Rehab Boston Marathon Team.

Many of you know that I was volunteering at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel last year for Spaulding’s Marathon viewing reception, when the bombs went off. Words cannot describe the scene nor the emotions I felt when I saw the second bomb explode. I wanted to run to the streets and help those who had been injured, but I was quickly evacuated and began the unknown journey through the streets of Boston. I was scared, but blessed to be in the company of wonderful friends. The streets were chaotic, no one knew where to go or what to do. As I ran down Huntington Avenue, it began to sink in: Lives have been changed forever.

As a massage therapist at Spaulding, I have had the great privilege of working with individuals who despite their life altering illness and/or injury, are determined to get back to their everyday lives. Those who know me personally know I am not a runner! I have never enjoyed running, but it is the strength and determination of my patients that has inspired me to run the Boston Marathon. The mental, physical, and emotional training that it will take to run this race is only a fraction of what those who I treat experience during rehab and for the rest of their lives. Each and every day I am strengthened by their strength.

Please consider making a donation to support my fundraising efforts as I work to raise $5,000 to benefit Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Every dollar counts and will directly benefit the facility that gave 33 bombing survivors, and many others, their lives back. I am running the Boston Marathon to honor those survivors and memorialize those who lost their lives last April.

As Boston and the world count down the days until the start of the 2014 Boston Marathon, I am honored and proud to co host Karis' phenomenal fun(d) raising event Karis' Karaoke for a Kause happening on 2/20/14 from 8:00-10:00 pm at the Limelight Stage and Studios at 204 Tremont Street Boston.

Suggested minimum donation is $20 and you receive a Take a Chance ticket to be entered to win an autographed Tom Brady Jersey. And don't worry if you're too shy to step up to the mic, we'll have plenty of people singing strong. Write "karaoke" in the comments section when you make your donation. Cash bar and appetizers. Silent Auction Items include autographed books by Bob and Lee Woodruff, A Cape Getaway Weekend, Celtics and Red Sox Tickets, Gift certificates to Stapleton Floral Design and Marathon Sports.

So join us as we raise our voices and a whole lot of money to show that we ARE Boston Strong!