Another year, another great turn out and again I find myself in complete awe of just how great our friends and family are. I say it every year but every year it proves truer: I couldn’t do this without all of you.
Despite losing a few walkers to work, flooding or illnesses, we had an amazing 63 people show up for the walk, including what seemed like half of Conway Freight‘s workforce. 61 people hit the trail while my hubby Jeremy, and busted-toe Bryan set up our after party down at the cove.
As most of you know, the first sponsor form turned in brought us above last years entire fundraising total of $1,600. Darcy and Justin Gallion and their kiddos Jax and Jay raised an astonishing $1,439 this year! Around $1,000 of that came from Whitney Blake and their employees, so huge thanks to them as well. Next in line for the most raised was another Gallion, Justin’s mother Diane, who raised $700! Third was Candy and David Desrochers with $400. And forth, was a former Gallion, Tanya McAllister along with the Conway Freight crew turned in $397. Everyone’s hard work and dedication raised $3,604.25 this year for Shriners Hospital bringing our 6 year total thus far to $14,453.25!
Huge thanks go out to: Walpole Savings Bank for their water donation, Conway Freight for their donation of water bottles and bags, Wendy’s for donating gift cards and Bar Vee Farm/3 Brothers Sugaring for donating a quart of syrup to be awarded to the largest fund raisers, my dad Ray St. Sauveur, Linda Schettino, my mom Candy Desrochers and “BDD” David Desrochers for covering the cost of our shirts again, Sam Putnam and Miranda Brown for running around to get the shirts and get them to me, Doolittle’s PrintServ for making our stickers, the Ink factory for making our shirts and for dealing with all my crazy color changes and random shirt colors, thank you mom for being so awesome at keeping kiddos entertained and dragging all the adults out there to hop around like fools, thanks to Darcy and Justin Gallion, Diane Gallion, Rachel and Bryan Butler, Jeremy Honeycutt, Denis and Sue Chabot, Candy and David Desrochers, Ron and Sue Precourt for all your help with donating towards food, making food, buying food and cooking food.
Thank you to the many people who snagged pictures. I always forget how impossible it is to be 10 places at once ;-) And also to Mt Mansfield Media for joining us. I know Taylor wasn’t exactly (or even remotely) cooperative during her interview, but I hope you managed to get at least some usable footage.
Thank you to our Shrine clown friends KC of Mt Sinai #3 along with Railz and Fix-It of Melha. It means the world to me that you took time off of your regularly scheduled clowning/parading/etc duties to join us again. And to Lady Maureen of Ladies Oriental Shrine NA Helma Court #64 for joining us this year! For those who were unaware, the Ladies of Helma Court are the ones that oversee the Shriners Hospital can tab collection, where we bring Tabs For Taylor. We learned last summer of the fiscal year for the tab project, and for year ending March 30, 2015, Tabs For Taylor turned in 1,323 pounds. April 1, 2015 through today we have collected another 450 pounds. Since we began collecting in June 2009, we have collected roughly 15,040,150 can tabs which is around 9,171 pounds. Now that we are all on the same page with fiscal information, we’re hopeful that we will have another 2,000 pounds by March 30, 2016, and with everyone’s help, I know we can do it!
As for Taylor’s year in review, she received her 7th arm, learned to swim, rocked the soccer field, stepped away from basketball this winter to join the cheer squad and just wrapped up her first year of coach-pitch baseball, where she killed it Jim Abbott style! This was the first time she played a sport without her prosthetic, and she received not one but TWO MVP game balls which she proudly has displayed with her Jim Abbott figurine. She is blossoming as an artist and poet and had some of her artwork featured on display at a Vermont library. She left first grade with straight A’s and is excited to begin her journey into 2nd grade. Taylor is anxiously awaiting July 31, when she will be crowned Queen of the Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl (for the second time!) and for the parade and football game following on August 1 in Castleton Vermont! Already a very full resume and busy life for a 6 year old.
As for our beloved Springfield Shriners Hospital, they are celebrating its 90th anniversary this year and with the continued support of people like all of you, they can look forward to another 90 years of helping kids defy the odds!
Thank you Shriners for all you have done to help our little Taylor and thank you everyone for your continued support. I hope to see you all again for SHrINE ON Springfield 2016!