Saturday night was the Make-A-Wish 25th Anniversary Gala. It was so much fun! This was my first time participating in a major event with MAW and I can't wait for the next one. Usually the gala is more casual but this year, since it is the 25th anniversary, they decided to step things up a notch and go black-tie. Which means Mama got to buy a new dress! I found the most perfect LBD at White House Black Market and I can't wait to wear it again!
But enough about me. We don't have the total amount raised yet but I can tell you that in the last ten minutes they raised over $50,000! In ten minutes! That is huge! There was also a silent and live auction with more than 200 items donated. Some of the live auction items included a week on a house boat in Powell for 8 people, a vacation in Cabo, a Vegas getaway, a full racer training out at Miller Sports Park, and a trip for 8 on a private jet to anywhere in the west! Oh, and lets not forget the diamond tennis bracelet.
As part of the gala our chapter celebrated it's 2,500th wish. The wish was for an 11 year old little girl named Callie. Her wish will make you cry! She loves to design. Her wish was to go on Extreme Makeover Home Edition-not to meet the celebrities or the cast, but to design a room for someone receiving a new home from the show. Her wish was to serve someone else. How cool is that?! If you want to see it, the episode will air on May 2nd. That show already makes me cry, and having met this little girl, it will make me cry even harder!
It gets better . . . Paul DiMeo actually came to the gala with Callie! It was a surprise to just about everyone but a few of the MAW staff. He and Callie helped with the live auction and let me tell you, this guy is as genuine, funny and nice as he seems on the show. It was so cool to have him there. I seriously envy his job. Not only does he get to use all his creative energy every single day, but he gets to make dreams into reality for so many people. That is part of why I started volunteering at Make-A-Wish. The kids that get to make a wish aren't expecting it, they aren't demanding it, but it is a gift that we get to give them. And most of the time their wishes are so simple! But seeing it bring some light and joy into the lives of the kids and their families is so rewarding.
I love my life.
Walking back to LA for a hot chocolate. (That's a Trax schedule she is carrying. It was so cute, she had it open and would look at it, then look up and around town, then back at her schedule. It totally looked like she was trying to figure out where to go next!)
