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Wednesday, March 31, 2010

If You Live in California Your Help is Needed

If you've read the blog I created to help my cousin Tami last year, you'll remember Michelle Maykin. Michelle was a beautiful young wife, daughter, sister, cousin and friend to those who loved her most when she passed away last summer while fighting Leukemia. While a bone marrow match was never found for her, the efforts of Michelle and her loved ones helped over 18,000 people to join the National Marrow Donor Program as potential donors. So far four of those 18,000 turned out to be matches for other patients in need. With dedication and passion her mother has been working hard to continue the fight in Michelles name and with the help of a local Sentaor is very close to creating a new law to help people to become donors.

The "Michelle Maykin Memorial Donation Protection Act,” will allow private and public sector employees paid time off for organ or marrow donation. Donors would no longer have to worry about the financial burden of their gift. We know that this will ultimately lead to more registered donors and more lives saved.
Please Sign the Petition

The following post is from Michelle's blog and was written by her sister Melanie on behalf of her family:

It’s been 8 months since Michelle left us and the pain is still raw. There is a huge emptiness inside me and I continue to grieve for what has happened. I hang on to so many of the moments I shared with Michelle, afraid as more time passes that I am leaving her behind.

We continue to honor Michelle’s wishes and are focused on helping patients so that something positive can come from this horrible reality. My mom has been working hard with political leaders and the community to continue helping those in need of bone marrow transplants. In February, Senator Mark DeSaulnier of Concord, CA introduced Senate Bill 1304, the “Michelle Maykin Memorial Donation Protection Act,” that will allow private and public sector employees paid time off for organ or marrow donation. Donors would no longer have to worry about the financial burden of their gift. We know that this will ultimately lead to more registered donors and more lives saved.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

For SB 1304 to pass, it has to go through the legislative process. The next step is for the bill to go through the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee where it is reviewed and then voted up or down. The committee hearing will be held on April 14, 2010. Here is how you can help pass SB 1304 out of the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee and move it to the next step of the legislative process:

1) Sign our online petition to show the widespread community support for SB 1304.

Link for Online Petition

2) Tell your friends and family to sign the petition

3) Fill the room at the Hearing on April 14 in Capitol Building (9:30 am in Room 2040)

4) Spread the word by emailing friends and family with the above message to get them involved. Log onto your favorite networking sites and ask everyone you know to sign the petition or send a letter of support:

Senator Mark DeSaulnier
State Capitol, Room 2054
Sacramento, CA 95814

Passing this bill was something Michelle dreamed about and worried we couldn’t get done. We are now so close but we need you to succeed. With your help, we can save more lives and prevent families from having to go through what mine is struggling with everyday.

Thank you so much for all your support,

Melanie

Link to pre-drafted letter to be signed: Pre-Drafted Letter

Link to detailed Senate Bill 1304: SB 1304 Bill

Monday, March 29, 2010

Helping Aaron Tanner: Everyday Superheroes Benefit

When she heard four year old Aaron Tanner was waiting for a heart and double kidney transplant through a local news story, Women's Networking Alliance's founder and local business woman, Debbie Quintana, couldn't just sit back. Instead she leapt to action and began planning a fundraising event to benefit Aaron and his family.

The Women's Networking Alliance (of which I am now a member) is pleased to announce the "Everyday Superheroes for Aaron" benefit. It's to help his family afford the tremendous medical bills they've incurred while Aaron has undergone treatments and surgeries for a congenital heart defect since he was just a week old. Aaron now needs a heart and double kidney transplant to save his life.

The Tanners are faced with maxed out insurance (His medical bills alone now go well beyond $1,000,000 ) and severe debt from these bills that are threatening to take away their home. For now, the family has Aaron home, taking three hour trips every other day for Aaron's dialysis and waiting for the call that could save Aaron's life.

Event Details:

Everyday Superheroes!

Sunday, June 6, 2010
4:00 p.m.

Santa Clara Convention Center
with Magnolia Jazz Band & Above the Law Band
Great Food & Drinks, Auction and Surprises!

Ticket Prices:

General Admission $75.00
Children Under 13 $45.00

If you are interested in purchasing tickets to attend the event just CLICK HERE

AUCTION ITEMS NEEDED:

Appliances
Artwork
Bikes
Cars
Celebrity Experiences
Classes
Computers
Electronics
Event Tickets
Furniture
Gift Baskets
Gift Cards
Gift Certificates
Golf Pacakages
Jewelry
Show Tickets
Sporting Goods
Sports Memorabilia
Trips
TV's
Wine

If you are interested in donating an item to Aaron's auction please contact me and I can put you in touch with the coordinator at the WNA.

The WNA is also currently looking for the following for the fundraising dinner & auction:

Donations of products and services
A grand LIVE auction finale donation
An auctioneer
An underwriter to help pay for the food at our fundraising event
Corporate sponsors

The WNA is currently looking for the following items and support for the family:

Grocery gift certificates
Gas Card gift certificates
Anyone that knows an executive at Dish Network
Mechanic
Dentist
Costco membership and gift certificates

Monday, March 1, 2010

Thank You Carl Mindling

I was supposed to participate in a bridal showcase yesterday at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Palo Alto, CA. Because I'm still sick I was unable to attend :(

That's Professional MC (and Wedding DJ) Carl Mindling of iMCevents.com posing at me at the show yesterday. I want to give him a shout out to say thanks for manning my booth. Carl is a good friend and a great wedding professional who cares about his colleagues, friends and clients equally. He is incredibly detail focused and didn't disappoint yesterday when he sent me back these photos from the showcase. The first thing I noticed was that he wore a "flirty" colored shirt and tie to complement the colors of my booth display items.


He set up the display perfectly!

I shouldn't have been surprised that Carl color matched his outfit for me. Recently I helped him to rebrand his company shifting the focus from him being a wedding DJ to a professional MC because the services he offers can be used to make many events, not just weddings, more successful.

Carl will wear anything from a turtleneck to a tuxedo, whatever his clients prefer. This is the flirty "Cartoon You" version I created of him that he's using on his new business cards and website.

Recently Carl participated in a different showcase at the Kohl Mansion in Burlingame, CA. To make sure his display was color coordinated he went to the trouble of purchasing several bags of pink, blue, green and lavender Easter chocolates just so that he could fill his candy dish that night with only the green wrapped Hershey's kisses. I thought it looked great! He even wrote about it in his blog.

So thanks again to Carl, it was wonderful not to have to work sick all day or cancel having The Flirty Guide be a part of yesterday's bridal showcase.

It also allowed me to watch the men's hockey game at the Olympics. WOW. I'm no hockey fan but that was a fantastic game.

Hubby is from Canada so it was USA vs. Canada at our house. After Canada won he stood in our living room waving a Canadian flag at me. Then, even though I tried to discourage him, because I didn't want him to get beat up, he walked to the mall to get some coffee and took his flag with him. LOL

He said one person driving by honked their horn and flipped him off. Another guy was on the sidewalk at the mall and said "Put that thing away." But most people were very nice and cheered and congratulated him and asked what the score was.

Never one to take offense, he took the guy flipping him off as giving him the "You're #1" sign. LOL