progress....

I believe it was a couple of weeks ago I posted about a life-fulfilling experience. Well here is an update on my progress. If you have not read already, I am putting together a fundraiser where proceeds will benefit the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House. Since my family has been bowling for years we figured it would be a fun event to have is be a bowling fundraiser. I contacted multiple bowling centers for pricing and to see if they would be able to accommodate my requests. Luckily, Brunswick Classic Lanes quoted me a reasonable price that includes the bowling, shoes, pizza, and soda. (Next week I will discuss the final details with the event coordinator and put it into the books.)

So the flyers have been created and so has the Facebook page Bowling for Ronald McDonald House. If you click on that page, and look under events there are details about the bowling fundraiser. Next, my family tried to decide how we could also increase revenue for the RMH. We came up with the idea where volunteers will wear custom screen-printed shirts during the event (so people can locate them for assistance) and will also take any orders to purchase the shirts. Also we will be holding a raffle so people can purchase tickets for a variety of prizes.

When dealing with the raffle, it was evident that we needed assistance from our friends and the community to donate anything they can. So far we have received donations of gift certificates to restaurants, hair salons, and 2 skateboards are being donated. I drafted a donation letter last week and mailed them about to about 30 businesses and also emailed a few companies. Hopefully within the next week I will receive a response. I know that I have about 2 months until the fundraiser, but the Capricorn inside of me can't stand to do things in the last minute.

So flyers are done, and donation letters are sent out. Then I began to think about the future. I am hoping to have an annual bowling fundraiser, but wanted to come up with some sort of organization where we can donate to the Make-A-Wish foundation. The Ronald McDonald House and the Make-A-Wish foundation are two things that are dear to my family. Although we were not able to grant my sister's wish due to her passing, my family is grateful for being considered. After deliberating the thought of creating an organization, my family has agreed to come up with "Kanani's Dreamz" (here is the link: Kanani's Dreamz). Our mission is to assist families with ill-children. Although Kanani was not able to fulfill her dreams, we hope to assist other children to fulfill theirs.

Yes all this is very stressful. Especially since I will be starting school again next week. But when I close my eyes to breathe, I remind myself that I'm making progress...

life-fulfilling experience...

I read my older posts and so happened to come across this one..."half the year has gone by...". for awhile I've been having this need for wanting to do something great. I want to be able to somehow enlighten someone's life and in turn enlighten my own. So, I returned to school to become a social worker. Although, once I have my degree I will be able to help people, it still didn't feel as if it was enough. I want to do something now. Why wait until I graduate?

On August 12, 2011 (my sister's birthday), I was filled with emotions the whole day. I have no idea how this idea came about, but I decided to put on a fundraiser. Initially, I wanted to fund raise for City of Hope since that is where my sister received her care. Finally receiving a response from the Event Department after two weeks, the guidelines and applications were more fitting for an established organization. Next I contacted the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House where my family pretty much lived while my sister was receiving her care. The house manager was extremely nice and the guidelines for donating funds was not as cumbersome as City of Hope.

So here I am, into the 2nd half of the year and I start school next month and will be hosting my first fundraising event in November. The question that lingers is....will it be enough? I know the event is still months away, but I have a feeling this is the life-fulfilling experience I've been searching for.

I will make sure to keep posting on updates for the fundraiser. This is the link to the facebook page...only temporary for now to promote the fundraiser. Bowling for Ronald McDonald House - please like my page and if possible participate in the 1st Annual Bowling Fundraiser

all I see are $ signs...

i must say this past weekend was simply amazing.

friday - take off for Vegas with the top down all the way. and yes it was soooooo hot. but with the wind blowing through my hair and music playing the 3.5 hour trip seemed like only 2 hours. check into our hotel at the Silverton and then dead to Downtown Vegas for some Hawaiian grub....mmmm mmm mmmm good!!! and then head back to Silverton for some gambling. then it's nite nite time.

saturday - welp since we bowled at 8:30 in the morning it was a must to wake up early. i must say i shot alright...193, 225, 196....finished off with a 719 with handicap. not to shabby i must say. so yup bowling was done, went down to the casino to gamble a bit. and of course lost some money. hehehehe so yay...it's about time for the meeting. let me just throw some numbers out there for ya....$209, $242, $25, $315, $300. add that all up and that's what i won. so yay to me for being the big winner. :) so after i treated my team and family out to lunch. then went to go visit erica's parents at excalibur. stayed to gamble for a bit and of course lost. so we head to the cosmopolitan and ooooo i love it. walk to paris to buy me an Eiffel tower cup. cup was cute-the drink was nasty!!! go back to the silverton to gamble with my family and have some dinner at the buffet which was free. and then it's nite nite time.

sunday - today we slept in a bit which was soooo nice. go to downtown again for some grub and gamble a bit. oooo that was fun. finally head out around 12 noon and of course we hit traffic. we stop at stateline for a potty break which turned into gambling for my dad and shopping for my mom, erica, and i. i felt a little generous so yup i bought my mom a coach purse. after shopping erica and i decide to leave. driving home and i did hw the entire time. 5pm - game time. listened to the game over the radio. actually make it home in the last minutes of the 4th quarter....congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks. :) and hahahahah LeBron!!!! after the game erica and i took my brother out to dinner. was looking forward to Panera buuuuuut it was closed....so we settled for Islands. get home and finished typing up my papers. yikes....then it's nite nite time.

overall i had an awesome weekened and thank you to everyone that was a part of it. i love my family, erica, and my team. you guys are amazing. <3