Walk Fest raises funds for health care needs
By Steve Sharp of the Daily Times staff
Monday, August 24, 2009 12:39 PM CDT
JEFFERSON - To date, Tomorrow's Hope has granted $2,876,522 to health care recipients who serve the people of Jefferson County, and over the past weekend, the charitable group raised another $202,618 to distribute later at its annual Walk Fest.
According to Barb Endl of Tomorrow's Hope, the top team in terms of raising money at the Jefferson County Fair Park was from Tyson Prepared Foods, which collected $5,895. The top fundraiser was Melissa Endl with $3,466. She was a member of the Maple Grove team. The second place fundraiser was Deb Strobusch with $2,157. She was a member of the Tyson team.
Most laps was accomplished by Aaron Buelow, of Chicago, who logged 20 miles. Second place was Dalton Schmidt, Fort Atkinson, with 18 miles. Southern Style Bar-B-Q served more than 480 customers.
“The success of our event, for me personally during the weekend, is when I can share ‘moments' with our participants,” Endl told the Daily Times this morning. “It's a busy weekend for me and I'm always very disappointed that I can't spend more quality time with individuals one on one. When I can, those are the moments that fill my heart and fuel my soul.”
Endl noted, early Saturday morning, the second day of the event, she had an opportunity to talk with a friend.
“In the warmth of the early morning sun,” Endl said, “he shared his story with me. He talked about the physical and personal challenges he had endured during his sickness. But, he also told me about the love and support of family, friends and area communities that have carried him through this experience. He knows he did not do it alone. He is forever changed and appreciative of the gift these loved ones have given him.”
Endl also recounted the Tomorrow's Hope relationship with survivor of life-limiting illness Meesha Neujahr.
“Young Meesha, who is touched by leukemia, is the cutest little thing. She is full of energy and is just a little bundle of joy. Our gift as organizers is to share the gift of Tomorrow's Hope (with her and her family).”
Endl was her usual grateful self with all of the volunteers who participated in the event.
“Our volunteers are incredible. None of this is possible without them,” she said. “One of our volunteers sent me an e-mail after the event. He told me how he had been able to walk by himself on Friday night around the track lined with Candles of Hope. He stated “As I walked, I completely forgot about the monetary donations we would raise, my duties as a volunteer and the other responsibilities that fill my life. Those moments alone reminded me of what Tomorrow's Hope really stood for. I was reminded that the success of Tomorrow's Hope is the stories we share with each other throughout the evening and through the messages on our Candles of Hope bags.”
According to Endl, the man said, “Tomorrow's Hope is about the family of survivors and loved ones lost who have paved our way. It also includes the active participants that have driven our success to pursue a realization for a better tomorrow. Tomorrow's Hope is not about how much we can fundraise through an event like this. Instead, he said, ‘Our headline should proclaim how we positively affected the life of a child.'”
Endl said she was pleased, again, with the “Ride With a Buddy” program, in which volunteers with unique vehicles - such as collector's cars and motorcycles - provide rides to survivors of life-limiting illnesses and others.
“When Ride With a Buddy was created, we thought about the opportunities we could give survivors and their family members,” Endl said. “What we didn't understand was the gift we would give to the drivers.”
According to event organizers, Meesha Neujahr and her mom rode in a sidecar on a motorcycle driven by Jon Weiler of Fort Atkinson. Weiler described the experience as “life changing.”
“Once she got that helmet on, she was smiling,” he said. “Every time I looked down, all I could see was those big blue eyes. My daughter has blue eyes and I realized how precious life is. It was an experience I will never forget.”
Endl also thanked the Blue Knights Motorcycle Club of Wisconsin Chapter for its support.
Students from James Madison High School, also touched by the life-limiting illness of one of its star basketball players' mothers, were in attendance over the weekend.
“What an honor it was to have them as our guests,” Endl said. “Jefferson Bus Service Inc. picked the group up in Milwaukee and brought them to the Jefferson County Fair Park by 2 p.m. Friday afternoon. The kids worked with the Candles of Hope volunteers to fill and put out the bags. At our 9:30 p.m. Candles of Hope ceremony, we showed the video that told their story. It is one that mirrors our message as an organization,” Endl said.
Endl noted the story revealed the numbness a person feels when they first learn a loved one has been diagnosed with an illness and the challenges endured as they witness and support them as they travel their journey through the illness. She said that also on display during the James Madison High School story was the trauma felt by loved ones when they finally absorb the fact that their loved one will not win their battle.
“Also on display was the loss and the path to healing,” Endl said. “This journey is one that many of us don't have to experience until we're in our 30s, 40s or 50s. This family of classmates had to travel this path when they were 15, 16 and 17 years of age. As we watched this video, we saw how their experience reflected the message of Tomorrow's Hope. It doesn't matter where you are from. It doesn't matter what the illness. It doesn't matter if you're from a community that is your sports rival. The most important thing we have to give each other is our time, talent and support. The greatest gift we can give each other is our unexpected gifts of love and support.”
She said it was a privilege to have the coaches and members of the James Madison High School basketball team join in as guests of the event.
Endl said a huge hit this year was the tool tent sponsored by Punzel's Ace Hardware. The tent held new and slightly used tools for sale with all proceeds benefiting Tomorrow's Hope.
“I was very pleased with the positive response from the businesses who supported the tent with donations,” organizer Travis Smith said. “The participants were very excited about the items we had available. I'm looking forward to brainstorming on how we can build on this concept for next year.”
Event partners included Fort HealthCare and St. Vincent de Paul, and Endl offered a special thanks to all sponsors.
“We are blessed to have businesses support us who donate without looking for anything in return,” she said. “They know, through their sponsorship, the return on their investment is a healthier family, workplace and community.”
Endl said Tomorrow's Hope is proud to say it, as an organization, is accountable to the people who support it.
“We can tell you that 92 cents of every dollar goes to the recipients we support,” she said.
Prizes valued at more than $7,000 were donated from area merchants and individuals to support walkers. Endl said it is Tomorrow's Hope and others' way of saying “thank you” to all participants for the work they do to support Tomorrow's Hope.
“We want to give a special thanks to all of these merchants for their continued support,” she said.
New this year was Faces of Hope. This program, sponsored by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, offered the opportunity for families to have pictures taken by a professional photographer at the event. Photographers were from Hemp Photography and JJ Portrait Studio of Jefferson, and the photographers took casual dress shots and pictures of the families as they enjoyed Walk Fest and Ride With a Buddy. Each family will receive a gift package from the photographers that will be a variety of pictures for them to have as a keepsake of the weekend.
“We are grateful to these professionals, Denny and Jason, who shared their time and talent to take the pictures,” Endl said.
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