All Concrete Ball Everything

I am not even going to bother apologizing for my lack of posting.  Instead I'm going to show you what I've been spending most of my time working on these days.  I'm also going to shamelessly ask for your support as well.  That's how fundraising for non-profits works, and I 'm not even embarrassed.

So first, who or what is Day Spring?  Well, let me just copy their mission statement.  Because they say it a hell of a lot better than I do.  

"It is the mission of Day Spring to empower adults with intellectual disabilities to live fulfilling lives by offering support in a residential setting. We share a way of life that values the gifts of every community member."

To me specifically, Day Spring is a place where my cousin, aunt, and hopefully my brother can and will call home.  I cannot express how unique Day Spring is in the way that they value each resident and work to make each of their lives as fulfilling as we try to make our own.  It is a place that I know (God forbid) that if something where to happen to my parents and me, that Will could live happily and grow as a person.  

One of the biggest fears and challenges a parent or sibling of a person with special needs can face is the looming and overwhelming question of "what will happen if something happens to me?"  Day Spring eases my mind with that regard.  It is a home, not in the sense of an institution, but of a home like the one Will, Cathy, and Emily lived in growing up.  A happy, warm, welcoming place.  Not a cold, drab, unfamiliar one.  

This is what make Day Spring different.  And that is why I am happy (blessed) to put everything I can into this event.  I believe in their mission and the people they serve.

So the Concrete Ball, what???  What does concrete have to do with Day Spring?  That story is a bit longer. To sum it up, my grandfather's memorials were to be sent to Day Spring when he passed in 2000.  Because he (and my Dad and I) are in the concrete industry, there was an overwhelming support from the concrete industry.  In short, Day Spring decided to make a fundraiser to present a capital raffle prize drawing using that money, and the Concrete Ball was born.  I know that there's more to it than that, but that's as succinct as I can make it for now.  

Are you all still even reading?  Have I bored you to death yet???

Alright, let's get to the point here, lady.  This year is my first year taking over as event chair.  My aunt Beth has been doing it for 13 years, so it's time for her to take a well deserved break.  So, because it's my first year, I'm trying to get creative with how we do everything, like me marketing to the general public through ye' olde blog.  Everyone likes change, right?  Yes, no, I dunno?

So here's where you come in.  There are a ton of ways to show your support and possibly win some cool prizes, a large sum of money, or have a fantastic evening at a gala!  

One, raffle tickets.  You can buy for a mere $10, a chance to win the capital prize of $15,000!  We draw the winner around 11:00 pm at the event, but you don't need to be there to win!  

Two, you can buy a one in twenty chance online to win some of the bad ass prizes we have on our Wheel of Chance.  Prices vary by which item you want to purchase, and range from  $25-$100.  There are some awesome items on the Wheel, like an iPad Air, a Big Green Egg, and vacation getaways!  Trust me, they are all a steal for the price of each chance.  This is another drawing that you do not need to be present to win.  

Third, come to the Ball!!!  The event is April 26th, 6:00 pm at the Galt House East Grand Ballroom.  We have a cocktail party, sit down dinner, casino games, silent and live auction, and dancing to a live band!  Tickets for the full evening are $175 (please purchase in advance) or if that is a bit too much for your budget, you can buy a late night ticket for $50.  The late night ticket includes all the fun, without the dinner.  Oh, and did I mention we have an open bar??? Shout to Brown Forman and West Sixth Brewing for our beverage sponsorship!!!  Both levels of tickets include the open bar!

Hey, Eileen, this sounds like the party of the year!  How can I buy all these tickets and chances on money and prizes???  Simple, my friend, simple.  Just go to Day Spring's website and click on the directed links!!!

Hope to see you there in your cocktail wear!  Thanks for reading my rambling post!

March Madness Indeed...

I'm not gonna lie, this was a tough season as a Cats fan.  But lo and behold, our team rallied for tournament time and put all talk of one and done's being bad for basketball to rest.  I have never been prouder to be a Wildcat, and couldn't be happier for those kids and our coach (unless we had won, of course).  Runner up isn't bad, and in fact, it's pretty frickin' awesome.  Here's this weekend's recap from Dallas and the Final Four.  And as always, GO CATS!!!

{Dad really came through and got us some sweet seats for the Final Four and Championship games}

One of the best parts of (actually the best, by a long shot) was the boyfriend being able to fly down and meet me.  He also was able to swing a place to stay at his buddy's and save us a ton of money on a hotel.  It had been almost two months since we've seen each other, so this impromptu trip was great timing.  I had been really missing the heck outta him, and waiting until May was going to stink!  Now it's about six weeks between visits instead of twelve.  Big difference!

{Pregame smiles through major nerves!}

{Always love seeing that in lights!!!}

{Post game excitement/disbelief that our Cats were going to the final game!}

The next morning we headed to Whiskey Cake near Allen, where we staying, for brunch with our host and his girlfriend.  It was absolutely delicious! 

{Super funky and urban decor meets homestyle food with a twist}

{Just tasting the Little Pink Drink that his girlfriend ordered.  Or so he says…}

After brunch we headed to Fort Worth to meet some old friend's of Justin's for a beer.  I think the small brewery and bar we went to was called Magnolia Carlos something or other…  Anyway, it was great to meet some old friends of Justin that were from home.   We had to head back fairly early in the evening to get ready to dinner with my dad and crew at Dallas Fish Market.

For dinner, on top of the sushi appetizer and lobster bisque soup, I had sea bass with truffles.  Oh my goodness, insanely yummy!  Unfortunately, I was so full from the first two courses that I could't eat much of it.  We had a great time at dinner, and it was great that my dad finally got to meet Justin.  

Monday night we headed back to the arena to watch the Cats take on UConn.  Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards for us, but like I said before, I couldn't be more proud to be a wildcat.  Congrats to our team and coach for a great run!!!

So the drive home was when things went downhill.  It started with a flat tire.  A tire that I had just replaced the week before because of a flat.  It wasn't so much a big deal as a pain in the ass.  I got the flat so early in the morning (5:30 local time) that I had to wait for a tire store to open before I could get on the road.  So, three and a half hours after my initial start time, I headed down the road.  After numerous contractions sites, one major traffic jam (see above pic), and a ton of torrential rain, I made it home after 16 hours.  Exhausted was an understatement.

Despite the tournament outcome and the terrible drive home (alone), I couldn't be happier with my trip! Now, it's Concrete Ball or bust for the next few weeks!  T-minus 16 days and counting!  Hopefully I can find some time to blog in between, but I'm not making any promises!

Have a great rest of the week, and now and forever, GO CATS!!!!