Love Facebook? Win a Prize...

If you are coming to Hunt for Hospice tomorrow, go to the Hunt for Hospice Facebook Wall and write that you are coming.  Then post "I am going to Hunt for Hospice tomorrow.  Are you?" as your status and you will be entered into a drawing for a prize!!  Thanks you all so much for helping us to get the word out!!

Prizes, Prizes, Prizes...

Okay, so if any of you are on the fence about coming to Hunt for Hospice tomorrow, check this out, a complete (for now - we may get a few more) list of the prizes up for grabs!!

·         East West Martial Arts – Free Birthday Party- $175 value

·         Chuck E Cheese - 1 Large 2-topping Pizza, 30 Tokens & 4 Drinks

·         Monkey Joe’s #1: 2 Free Jump Passes

·         Monkey Joe’s #2: 2 Free Jump Passes

·         Plex Ice Skating Passes #1 (Set of 5)

·         Plex Ice Skating Passes #2 (Set of 5)

·         Plex Ice Skating Passes #3 (Set of 5)

·         Plex Gift Certificate for FREE Gold Level Birthday Party - $225 value!

·         Great American Cookies: Free 16in Cookie Cake

·         My Gym: 4 Free weeks of Classes & Free Play - $68 value

·         Frankie’s Fun Park $25 Gift Card

·         Sylvan Learning Center Gift Basket with $175 Gift Certificate

·         Learning Express Gift #1 (Rubber Band Gun & $15 Gift Card)

·         Learning Express Gift #2 (Baby China Set)

·         Learning Express Gift #3 (2 Cow Books)

·         Paddle Ball Game

·         Wipe Off Learning Cards

·         Phonics Word Builders Write and Wipe

·         6 pk of Lizards

·         Butterfly Bank

·         Matchbox Cars

·         13 Candy Cups

WOW!  And we also are having a raffle for grown-up prizes, too!  Check it out:

• Liberty Tap Room - $25 Gift Certificate (Also good at TBonz Gill & Grill, Rioz Brazilian Steakhouse, Pearlz Oyster Bar, Liberty Steakhouse & Brewery, Kaminsky Most Excellent Café, & Flying Fish Public Market & Grill!)
• Thirsty Fellow Pizzeria & Pub - $25 Gift Certificate
• Longhorn Steakhouse - $50 in Gift Cards
• Motor Suppply Co. Bistro - $25 Gift Certificate
• Matt Corbin Music - Gift Certificate for 3 Hours Free Musical Entertainment for Private Party, Corporate Event, etc

If you are planning on coming to Hunt for Hospice tomorrow, give us a shout out on the Hunt for Hospice Facebook page!  Everyone who does will go into a drawing for a prize!! Pass the word!! Bring a friend!!  See you tomorrow!

Now, we have prizes for parents at Hunt for Hospice!!

I am so excited to announce that parents have even more reasons to bring their kids out to "Hunt for Hospice" this Saturday - we now have prizes for GROWN-UPS!!  Check out all these awesome goodies you can win...

$50 in gift cards!  www.LongHornSteakhouse.com

$25 Gift Certificate for dinner
www.motorsupplycobistro.com

$25 Gift Certificate
www.thirstyfellow.com

$25 Gift Certificate
www.libertytaproom.com


Sounds like somebody's getting a date night!!!  Pass the word on to all your friends with kids!!  COME TO HUNT FOR HOSPICE!!

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter & ...Hospice?

Today is Good Friday and Easter weekend is upon us.  Last night I attended the Maundy Thursday service at my church and  I have to say that while I've celebrated Easter my whole life, this concept of Maundy Thursday was a bit of a mystery to me.  First of all, what in the world does "Maundy" mean and what in the world does it have to do with Easter?  And you're probably wondering, what does it have to do with hospice?  Well, if you'll give me a few moments of your time, I'll share what I learned and how it seemed to tie in perfectly with the mission of hospice. 

 

Thanks to Pastor Steve, I now know that "Maundy" is actually short for a Latin word - mandatum - meaning mandate, or command.  It refers to the mandate that Jesus gave his disciples as they shared their last meal together, "This is my commandment:  Love each other in the same way that I have loved you."  (John 15:12) When their time together was limited, and He had only a few moments to share His final message, He spoke of love - not only love, but the same kind of love that He showed and lived.  Some of you may not be aware that right before this "maundy" moment, Jesus went around the room and demonstrated love in action by performing the most basic and humble of tasks, washing the feet of His friends.  This spoke to me because for me to touch someone's feet, I have to REALLY love them!  

So, how does this relate to hospice and the mission that the "Hunt for Hospice" is supporting?   Well, one of the most basic ways we receive and show love starts at birth, right?  From the time we are born, we want to be held.  I guess it's in our DNA as people that holding = love because studies have shown that if we aren't held, it greatly impairs our emotional and even physical development.  I know when my daughter Cassidy was a toddler she would lift up her arms and say, "Hold you, Mama.  Hold you."  How I loved those times!  It makes me think of a song I sung as a little girl, “He's Got The Whole World In His Hands".  It's comforting to be held and feel like someone has "got you", so to speak, especially when things are tough.  And that's exactly what hospice does. 

There's no doubt about it.  The end of life is one of the toughest times we can experience, whether the life of a loved one, or even our own.  When patients reach a point in their battle with an illness where they decide, "I want to focus on living life as best I can with those I love, for whatever time I can," hospice comes in and says to everyone involved, "We've got you."  Hospice helps to lovingly “hold up” the patient and family with pretty much every aspect of life- physical, emotional, and spiritual.  We do the medical things like helping manage pain and keeping the patient comfortable, of course, but we also do basic things like helping with personal care and even helping out around the house!  We "hold" the patient and family by helping with all the overwhelming details and "what happens next" questions and offer spiritual and emotional support for everyone involved, even long after the patient has passed. 

What the Compassionate Care Hospice Foundation (the charity beneficiaries of "Hunt for Hospice") does that is so special and beyond what a hospice company can do is to ease the financial strain that this type of illness so often brings.  CCHF has story after story of lives that have been touched and changed.  I encourage you to read some of my past posts that talk more about it or to check out www.CompassionateCareHospiceFoundation.com .

But the only way they can help these families in this way, is with the help of donations and fundraisers like "Hunt for Hospice".  They aren't bringing in money any other way.  As you share the Easter weekend with your family, please take some time to reflect upon the ways hospice and specifically CCHF shows love and care to those who really need it and consider donating and/or coming out next weekend to "Hunt for Hospice".

Meet Abigail and Cookie!

Okay, so at first I was bummed that we are having to postpone "Hunt for Hospice" because of the crazy killer storm blowing into Columbia, but now I am so excited!  I think it's going to be even better because the Easter Bunny promised he would save all his best eggs and prizes for us to hunt on April 30th!  And also because... the Easter Bunny's two adorable bunny friends will be joining us that day as well!  When you come out to Hunt for Hospice on April 30th, you can meet Abigail and Cookie and get your picture made with them, too! 
See how cute they are?  Don't you want to hold 'em?  I know I do!! 

Hunt for Hospice has a NEW DATE!!

A big, bad storm is blowing into the Midlands this weekend so we are bumping our awesome event to Saturday, April 30.  Same time, same place!  Yes, we know this will be after Easter, but we talked to the Easter Bunny this morning and he promised he will put away the very best eggs he has and save them to bring to the hunt!  Please tell everyone you know so that they don't come to Irmo Park in the rain and they DO come on Saturday, April 30th! 

Only 4 days to go...

I am so excited that Hunt for Hospice is only 4 days away!  We are running around like crazy this week trying to make everything awesome for all ya'll who are coming.  Let me remind everyone that you can pay for your tickets in advance by clicking the link on the right side of blog or you can donate the same way.  If you are definitely planning on attending, please RSVP through this punchbowl link.  That way we can have a better idea of how many kids to expect! 

We have some more amazing prizes that have been donated:
A special thanks to East West Karate in Irmo for donating a FREE birthday party worth $175.  These guys do awesome stuff like afterschool programs, parents night out and more!  They may even be there at the hunt with a demonstration for us... :) Check out their website here. 

Also, Sylvan Learning Center has donated a gift basket that includes a $175 certificate for tutoring!  Check out all that Sylvan has to offer here. 


We are still looking for volunteers to help out at Saturday's event, so if you are interested in helping, please let me know!  You can call me at 803-579-1347. 

Also, I want to thank Mr. Jan, the children's pastor over at East Lake Community Church, for allowing us to borrow their Cotton Candy and Popcorn machines.  They use these every month for concessions at Fam Jam and we really appreciate that they are letting us use them!  If you have never taken your kids to Fam Jam, it's usually the first Saturday of every month and it's AWESOME!  Check out all that East Lake has to offer by visiting their website here. 


Thanks to everyone who is helping out with this amazing event and don't forget to pass the word along to EVERYONE!!