March for Babies - The Details (Finally)

I can’t believe I haven’t blogged about our March for Babies in April.  That’s so sad.   So!  That being said, I’ll finally post about it!

We had our March for Babies on April 4^th.  I can’t even begin to express my appreciation and gratitude to all of our friends and family that joined us at the walk, both in person, or in spirit!  We also had an amazing turnout from coworkers from my company who participated in the walk and helped fundraise.  Then, in addition to the walk itself, so many amazing friends donated, either directly through our fundraiser page, or by buying t-shirts we had made, or through buying jewelry through my sweet friend’s online party, in which she donated all the profits to our team.  The response was honestly, overwhelming and touched me so much! 

 

(Here is a picture of all of the Team BKD C&P members at the walk.  It was quite funny, as the photographer's assistant was trying to count the team members for the award for most walkers present, she just gave up and said we had it by a long-shot!  Haha!)

As I mentioned, we sold t-shirts and a friend did a jewelry party with the profit from both being donated to our march team.  We sold nearly 100 shirts and over $300 in jewelry!  The response absolutely blew us away!  We ended up shipping shirts all over the US, from California to Maine to Florida, and so many states in between!  Our friends really are awesome! 

(Here are our team t-shirts.  I absolutely love how they turned out!  They have their actual footprints included on the back.) 

Anyway, I digress, but wanted to point out that we have AMAZING friends!  I’m so thankful for them!

Back to the walk!  My offices joined as a company team, and named our team, Team BKD for C&P.  Nearly everyone from my offices joined the walk, and we had a very successful fundraising effort!  In fact, we won several awards at the walk for Top Fundraising Team, Top Online Fundraising Team, Top Fundraising Individual and Most Walkers Present. 

 

I couldn't be more touched by the donations we received for our team.  It absoluely means so much to me.  All of it to benefit such an amazing cause!  Although my babies were born too soon, I know the day that we had with this was a direct result of premmie research conducted through March of Dimes efforts.  And that day means so much to Dusty and I!

 

Also at the walk, I got to see for the first time since leaving the hospital, Paisley's nurse Kaci, who was such a God-send to us during that terrible time.  She and I had messaged back and forth on facebook some, and she also bought a shirt.  She asked me if we made the blue on the shirts bigger because Chandler was bigger and you know, I hadn't thought about that, but I like that thought!  I wish I had taken a picture with her!  It was so nice to see her again!  She also snapped these pictures for me, of Chandler and Paisley's names in the Garden of Hope at the walk, which sadly, I completely missed, as it was set up near the Easter egg hunt (since it was Easter weekend). 

 

I'm so thankful for all Kaci has done for us and I'm so glad to call her a friend!  Her kindness has touched me so much.  She was the one behind the sweet shoes and card that we received at Christmas time, and she also reached out to me at Mother's Day and sent me a beautiful package of such touching gifts.  I honestly don't know what Dusty and I have done to be blessed with such amazing people in our lives, but I am so incredibly grateful for them!

Lastly, our team also had a sign on Mission Blvd, which was the last stretch of the walk, and included signs telling stories of sweet angels and of sweet survivors.  We were very touched to have Chandler and Paisley story and name told on one of these signs. 

 

 

It truly was an amazing day.  It made mine and Dusty's hearts feel good, for the first time in a very long time, to be able to do something to help honor and remember our sweet children.