Pages

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Hotels for Hope 2010


We had an amazing time this year at the Caledonian County Relay for Life event. This was the sixth anniversary for the fundraiser. I'm proud to say that our community has raised more than one million dollars in that period of time. Speaking of proud...my fellow team members of "Hotels for Hope" did an amazing job. They left the event having won one of only four awards that are issued annually. They earned and were awarded the "Team Spirit Award".



Everyone on our team took on different responsibilities. I was the lone chef cooking hundreds of hot dogs, hamburgers, and sausage. Some team members decorated our "fair themed" tents, others walked the track, some sold food and plush animals from our site, individuals volunteered to dress up and participate in the hourly themed walks, we had a team of runners at midnight that ran for an hour straight, etc. It was an amazing 24 hours for those that did it straight through. I was beyond exhausted the next morning as the sun came up. It was time to tear down and load up. I slept most of the day Sunday knowing that our team gave 110%. Everyone should be proud of their participation.

Speaking of proud, Gracie, my "just turned 6" year old didn't understand the concept of the midnight relay race. When the race began, she took off and didn't look back. For the the first lap or two, she ran by herself. By her third lap, she had befriended a young woman that was running individual laps. Around and around they went. Teams setup around the track started cheering them on. After nine laps, I finally stepped in and put an end to Grace's mini-marathon. Grace ran a total of 2.25 miles that evening. Prior to the midnight race, she had already walked countless laps. Needless to say, Grace slept well for several hours that night and most of the next day.

In the end we raised more than $5000 dollars as a team. Our goal for 2010 is to double that amount. A huge "THANK YOU" to all my team members and our amazing supporters!!!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Hotels for Hope - June 12, 2010



In only our second year, we have DOUBLED the size of our Relay for Life team. We had approximately 30 employees participate in 2009. This coming year we are expecting more than 60 team members. To say I'm proud of my hotels' employees would be a huge understatement!

Hotels for Hope was founded in the memory of Mary Gistis. Mary lost a courageous battle with cancer in March of 2009. Her passing led to discussions at each of my hotels. Sadly, many of my managers and staff also had personal stories of loved ones that had succumbed to this dreaded disease. While we will always honor Mary's memory first and foremost, our Relay for Life team has evolved into a memorial for all of our loved ones that have passed. We also take time to be recognize and be thankful for our cancer survivors. Our surviors give us hope and confidence that a cure will be found.

I lost my first friend to cancer after completing the eighth grade. Shannon fought for more than a year before losing her tragic battle. At the ripe old age of twelve years old, I already understood the devastation that cancer can bring to a family and a community. I'll never forget her uncle speaking at our eighth grade graduation and announcing that Shannon's cancer had progressed and that the outcome was not expected to be good. I promised to never forget Shannon and all these years later, I've held true to my word. She was an amazing person and will always be missed.

Cancer has gone on to take multiple loved ones from me over the past twenty-five years. Unfortunately, this past year my family lost a friend and relative. By far, losing my grandmother was the hardest. Her unexpected passing led me to get early cancer screenings. These screenings have on two out of three occasions led to the doctors telling me "you may have just dodged a bullet". While these screenings are "less than pleasant", I know that they are in my best interest and I will get them regularly.
On the bright side, advancements in cancer treatment appear to have saved my children's incredible grandmother this past year. She is an amazing woman that continues the battle. Improving cancer treatments and the possibility of finding a cure are what Relay for Life is all about. I'm convinced many of my friends and loved ones would still be here today with the new tests, medicines, and technology that are available. These advancements in medicine and eventually finding a cure are why my team participates in the Relay for Life.

Please do your part and make a donation today... http://main.acsevents.org/goto/brettloehr