From Laughter to WINE-ing and Back to Tears

First the laughter…

We definitely know that laughter is very therapeutic.  And slightly lucrative for non-profits. Rachel and I have become involved with ComedySportz Improv Theatre of Richmond and throughout the month of June, they let CJSTUF take over during halftime of every show in order to play “Stick The Butterfly To The Flower.”  People bought little paper butterflies with sticky dots on them for a few bucks and for some crazy reason, allowed us to blindfold them.  Then they tried to stick the butterflies to a big flower on the wall.  The butterfly that ended up closest to one of the numbers on the flower won a prize.

Just that little game garnered over $300 for CJSTUF.

On top of that, during the last weekend of June, $2 of every ticket for the Friday night and Saturday early shows were donated to CJSTUF.  We don’t have a final tally yet but we’re confident that overall, we raised enough to help one family.  Thanks ComedySpotrz!

Now for the WINE-ing…

This month, our Business Of The Month is really only it for one day but it’s a doosie!  Kate Hall over at RichmondMom.com has developed a tremendous relationship with the Wine Loft in Short Pump and the first Wednesday of every month is what’s called the Wine Down where a local non-profit benefits from ticket sales, raffles, and other donations.  They’ve raised as much as $900 during these events and the last time CJSTUF was the beneficiary of a Wine Down, it was the largest event they had had up to that point.  We’re hoping to set another record on the 11^th.  It is certainly possible because this year, an anonymous donor has offered to match donations if over $500 is raised at the event.  How's that for incentive?

Yeah, it’s not the first Wednesday but the whole July 4^th thing got in the way.

Tickets are $10 and include a raffle ticket (more available for $1 each), appetizers, and discounted wine.

The Wine Loft of Richmond is located at 4035 Whittall Way, Glen Allen, VA 23060 right next to Spirited Art (which just happens to have been our BOTM for May).  Festivities will get underway at 6:30 and you are strongly encouraged to arrive early.

Time for the BONUS ROUND!

Rachel has surpassed the 1200 vote mark in her quest to repeat as an Eagle Rare Life grant winner.  This year the grand prize has been increased to $30,000 to be donated to the charity of the winner’s choice and we feel confident that we can win it this year.  Last year’s secondary prize is helping to fund the new Lunch Bunch at MCV/Children’s Hospital Of Richmond for which CJSTUF has partnered with Connor’s Heroes Foundation and local restaurants to provide meals for the families of children receiving treatment on the 7^th floor of VCU’s Children’s Hospital of Richmond.  $30,000 would take care of a lot of meals.

People can vote once every 24 hours here.  Please set your alarms and spread the word.

So we come back to the tears.  It always seems to happen about every 6 months and July is very tough for us.  This 4^th of July weekend, we are traveling to Tennessee to visit my dad and have something of a small family reunion.  Rachel also has two book signings this weekend in Morristown at JavaGarden on Saturday and my dad’s church on Sunday (gotta take the opportunities when they happen).  Then we head back to Richmond to face the 9^th and think about our beautiful baby girl on her 7^th Birthday.

With every success that comes to CJSTUF, we are given a little solace.  The latest drop comes from knowing that because of Rachel’s initial book sales, we’ve been able to fund one family’s financial assistance grant.  That’s YOU, Network.  Because you have purchased books, because you voted Rachel into an Eagle Rare Life Award grant, because you donate what you can, when you can, we are able to fulfill our Mission which helps us to deal with things like July 9 and allows us think of Charlotte without curling up into

a fetal position.

And speaking of fulfilling the CJSTUF Mission, 10 Financial Assistance Grants totaling ($5,000) went out in the mail today.  You again.

So thank you for the world’s largest coping mechanism.  Thanks for just being there for us.

Don’t forget to love on your children.

I’ll take that glass of wine now.