A few weeks ago a friend of mine came by my house to ask for donations to the Stowe Weekend of Hope. Of course I agreed to donate samples for the guest goodie bags, I sent lavender bath salts and chamomile soap. Well, in all honesty I had no idea what this weekend was all about so I asked a ton of questions and then researched the event. I was amazed to learn about this wonderful event.
Here I am with Terry Smith, the event coordinator and owner of the Bagel.
It was held last weekend, May 2nd -4th in beautiful Stowe, VT. This year was the 8th year they have put together this event. I could not find the right words to accurately describe this event so here is how it is described on the website's home page.
"The Stowe Weekend of Hope is an annual forum for education, enlightenment, and recreation for cancer patients and survivors with any type of cancer...and their families. The focus is to inspire, educate, and celebrate the lives of people living with the cancer. This unique event addresses the complex challenges and needs of people with cancer at any stage in their disease. Cancer presents families with many challenges - physical, emotional, spiritual, and financial." - www.stowehope.org
Our lives have been directly affected by cancer, from our family members to our friends, and I find it amazing to see the strength and will power of these families that are affected by this awful disease. I cannot even imagine the fear and uncertainty that they encounter everyday but they still fight with all they have. I am thoroughly inspired by their courage and determination. You never know what will happen in your life; take the time to let people know you care about them. Every day is a new day and you have another chance to reach out to your loved ones.
I ran into a friend on Tuesday (our kids go to the same school) and she had said that Stowe was very busy from the Hope Weekend. We first meet when I was right out of high school and we worked at the same resort, The Golden Eagle Resort. She had said that they donated rooms for the cancer patients that attended the event. How amazing is that? The family at The Golden Eagle Resort is truly a caring group of people from the owners and Inn Keepers all the way down to all the staff. If you get the chance, let them know how wonderful that is to give to such a great event.
Let the special people in your life know that you love them!
That is so cool! Awesome ALL THE WAY!! =)
Posted by: Earl Pateno | May 14, 2008 at 08:40 PM