The Sunday Benefit ROCKED - many many THANKS!

Another benefit for Tina- another display of generosity, community, and multiplying miracles that seemed to hang in the air and sparkle!

In ones and twos and small sets of friends of friends, between the Bake Sale and the Raffle and the Auction, while Ezra Charles and Pop Quiz and The Footnotes and Dance From The Heart entertained us, all things small snowballed into another big WOW.

For the record- we raised enough money in 5 hours to feel comfortable about being able to drop in the utilities for Tina's soon-to-be-house and maybe even get a fence up for security.

THANKS to EVERYONE who dropped by. (Raffle winners who were not present when they won will be notified later this week!). It was some kind of crazy reunion/meet and greet/ make a new friend event and you are now officially part of a very fond memory.

Behind the scenes, this event would not have been possible without the incredible work of many many people: Tamme Derout (and the whole baking team!), Delia Austin-Cherry, Ray Cherry, Lance Miller, Sheri Voight, Lola Jordan, Donna McKenzie, Kenn Webster, Kyle King,  Johnny Foster, Vanita Esphahanian,  Keith Testa, Pete and the Continental Club staff, Don Price, Dance From The Heart, Bikers With A Cause, Spectrum Center, House of Blues, and all the teenagers (Gabe, Anna Rose, Jack, and Nika) who pitched in a lot.

THANKS EVERYONE who organized and donated and kept things rolling along the way!!

The Machete Miracle

Days long from now a tale will be told. It will be a true tale and even if I was not there I have gathered bits and pieces from reliable sources and you can drive by if you don't believe me. This is the tale of the Machete Miracle:

The mission was to clear the land. The land was covered, literally in head high vines and bushes and ivy.

The night before it rained. Hard. 139 lightning strikes fell in one hour as volunteers rolled over in their beds wondering if the plan would be a wash out.

But those lovely volunteers got out of bed, loaded up their tools, and showed up. The food tent went up, the first aid tent went up, a blessing ensued, experts surveyed the scene and sent out crews. Machetes were swung, gloved hands tore down vines, the skid steer roared, and by the time lunch was delivered more than half the lot was done.

More powerful than brute force, the power of people won the day. Every age, color, background, and skill you can imagine worked side by side. As one volunteer began to tire, another volunteer would show up to breathe life into a second wind.

And by 4PM, the job was done.

A true miracle, despite the rain, despite the foliage, despite the naysayers- done in one day.

And this miracle has had a ripple effect. Spontaneous networking may actually get a house delivered to the lot. The dream is happening because you all showed up and did it.

We are grateful beyond words! To EVERY SINGLE PERSON who pitched in- THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

See you at the upcoming benefits  in June!