Sunday, March 20, 2011

So Grateful!

We have been so touched lately with all the efforts of our friends and family to make the Joe P. Rally Run a huge success. Thank you to everyone who is spreading the word about the run and to those of you who have set up fundraising pages, given, or signed up to run. If you haven't signed up yet, go here right now! And if you want to cry your eyes out, go here. (Thank you, Lindsay, for this beautiful and tender post.)

Also, a huge thank you to my wonderfully talented sister-in-law, Jennifer Barr, who is working round the clock putting this race together with the help of the Rally Foundation and Elaine Kay, their tireless Nashville director. We appreciate all your hard work so so much!!

A couple of weeks ago I got a message from a friend saying that her child's first grade class at Intown Community School would like to do a service project and their topic was "Sick Children." (This is the school that's a part of our church, and Allen used to teach 5th grade there many moons ago. It is a really wonderful school that encourages a lot of creativity and love of learning. The kids we got to know there seemed to have the exact opposite attitude towards school that most children have. If they had a day off, they would be really SAD because they would MISS school! I used to periodically ask the kids, "So, are you excited for Spring Break, etc.?" just to test them out and they would always answer, "Well, not really because we'll miss school." It is such a fun and lovely school I do think any child would be sad to miss it.)


Anyway, this little first grade class decided that for their service project they would like to form a little fundraising team and have a day at school devoted to Joseph. They asked me to come and answer some questions about Joseph and his cancer, then they made a huge banner, and then they had a mini Joe P. Rally Run in the school parking lot, complete with the Chick-Fil-A cow!




It was one of the sweetest most touching things I have experienced. Seeing these children running their hearts out so they could help other sick children was so precious.



About a week after the race was over a mom and her son came over to me at a pizza place and the little boy asked me, "I remember you from Intown. Aren't you Joe P.'s mom?"

I felt like a celebrity. Why, yes, I am Joe P.'s mom. Everyone can refer to me as that from now on. :)

Thank you, Intown First Grade!! Your creative efforts are really going to make a difference in research towards Childhood Cancer Research.

6 comments:

Nana-bear said...

Gillian thanks for the post .What a sweet photo of those little ones running.How nice of their teacher to organize that.You will always be Joe.PS' Mommy-bear !!! I love you all so much.

Christy said...

OK, just the photo of the 1st graders running was enough to make me tear up ... not sure I can handle Lindsay's post.

I just love that CFA sent their cow over. Fabulous.

Katy said...

Gillian, they loved doing it. From what I heard in carpool, they were really touched that Joseph would have been their age. I think they feel a real kinship with him. I was amazed at how much they got out of your talk too. Thank you.

Kathy said...

How touching of Intown's first graders to join in the fight for finding a cure for cancer. What an amazing gift...to honor Joseph and you, Allen, Holly and June. How thankful I am for the sweet teacher, the amazing school, and those darling children! I wish I could have been there to here you talk...I know Joseph was so proud of you!
Love you, Mimi

Jennifer said...

This is awesome!!!!! Yay Intown!!! :)

abbiegrace said...

I'm so glad the 1st graders had such a powerful experience. So glad you were able to talk with them & they were able to have their own fundraiser. What a great service project.