Sara was inspired by Ashley's generosity - so much so she wanted to have a way to help others during the holidays which has become a difficult time of your for us. She had an idea - let's feed members of our community who may be lonely or with food or housing during this time of year. Our church was gracious enough to let us their kitchen for preparing a traditional Christmas dinner. We had several members of our church and biological family show up to help. We fed 7 individuals from outside our church. SUCCESS!
It is well known among Ashley's friends and family that she loved to read. She has a bookcase full of books that were read cover-to-cover many times. So it seems fitting for her to have her own library. Well, she's going to get one - or at least one with her name on it.
Ashley's grandma and uncle will soon be traveling to Guatemala with a local church to help residents of Kairos House. Kairos House is a place for families to receive food and lodging while their children receive treatment for cancer in Guatemala City. Many of the families live far away in the countryside so frequent travel to the only hospital in the area is not possible. Because the painful treatment can last for a many weeks, these young patients and their families find hospitality and necessities at Kairos House. It's their home away from home. In fact, if it were not for Kairos House, the only alternative might be the street. Members of the team making the trip to Guatemala City have been so moved by Ashley's life, they've been inspired to start a library at Kairos House to enrich the life of its residents. The library will include children's books and art supplies, two things very near and dear to Ashley's heart. The children at Kairos House spend a great deal of time in bed recoverying from treatment related illness. The books and art supplies will go a long way to occupy and distract the children during their recovery. The mission team from Foothills Church will be helping Kairos residents deal with the pain and suffering of their cancer illness and treatment. Because Ashley's family found comfort and consolation from lap blankets they received at the time of Ashley's passing, the team will be collecting fabric and material to make lap blankets for distribution to Kairos residents. Please pray for these folks as they plan their journey to Guatemala - pray that they receive all the supplies and support they need to make their trip successful. Thanks to everyone who helped me raise over $3700 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) in rememberance of Ashley. I finished the Eugene 1/2 marathon walk with a total time of 3 hours and 40 minutes which is about 16:50 per mile pace. For me the time's not important -- the point of my participation was to raise money for cancer patients and increase public awareness of their needs.
A special thank you to my aunt Janet and cousin Abby who particpated with me and made the experience fun. They made the event even more meaningful by wearing pictues of Ashley on their backs! Again, a shout out to everyone at Oregon City United Methodist Chuch who helped me raise more than $1100 at a recent lunch which was so successful in part by a generous donation from Oregon City Haggen Food & Pharmacy. In all, participating with Team in Training was a great experience that I will likely do again. I encourage others to consider doing so. Thanks to everyone at Oregon City United Methodist Church who helped me raise $1100 for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS.) It was fun serving lunch to my church family and honoring Ashley and other cancer patients in the process. Thank you for making the fundraiser so successful!
Also a shout out to Oregon City Haggen Food & Pharmacy which made a generous donation of groceries to the event. This reduced my costs and made the event even more successful. ~Nick Here's a scan of an assignment Ashley completed just days before she passed away. The question, "Life as a Genius," was part of a larger assignment after reading "Flowers for Algernon" in her 8th grade literature class. From an 8th Grade Assignment. You'd have to know Ashley to understand how her response to such a question could be bold but humble at the same time. She desired to be great and to do great things. 'World Domination,' was one way she expressed that desire. Another way was by having a heart for helping others and as mentioned before, by doing so.
Ashley's desire to cure cancer is motivating me and others to work even harder at raising funds for LLS. Ashley's aunt and cousin are raising funds and awareness by participating in the the Eugene half marathon with me. Also, a shout out to the church I attend, Oregon City United Methodist Chuch which is letting me host a lunch there onSunday April 18th to raise funds for LLS. The Oregon City Haggen Food & Pharmacy has agreed to offset some of my costs by donating groceries to the event. Thanks to everyone who is getting involved whether it be by donation, by support, or by walking! Ashley's Uncle Dave Ashley's Uncle Dave is a local firefighter who participated in a stair climb on March 8th to raise funds for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). He did this at the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle alongside several thousand other firefighters who climbed more than 1300 steps wearing full fire gear and SCBA. Dave is passionate about this event, training relentlessly on his days off. In this picture he partnered with his co-workers to raise money by working at a local restaurant. He's been clear with me this is not about him but about his love for his niece. Thanks to all who helped him him raise more than $1400 toward a cure. He climbed more than 69 flights of stairs. A loud shout out to to Dave and so many others who made this event a success. Read more about it at his website. Ashley participating in Jog-a-thon. I recently decided to follow my sister's lead and join Team in Training, LLS' sports endurance training program, and in doing so I'm making Ashley an honorary team member. Here's a picture of Ashley participating in her school's fundraiser. Her spirit continues to inspire me to be the best I can be. So much so, I continued to train even while taking some recent R & R time at the coast. If you'd like to support my efforts while making a difference to cancer patients feel free to make a tax-deductible donation on my TNT page. Way to go Joanna! My sister Joanna completed the Nike Women's half marathon in October. Congratulations to her acheiving this goal and a 'shout out' for making Ashley an honory team member. Both of them continue to inspire and motivate me, so much so I'm considering participating in a half marathon in 2010. Stay tuned for details. Visit Joanna's site in the future to see pictures from her personal milestone. Despite what her site reports for fundraising, Joanna met the financial goal of raising $3,300 for Team in Training and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Great job Joanna. We're proud of you! We have started a foundation in Ashley's name to continue the work she did during her 3rd grade blanket drive. Our vision for the The Ashley K Drew Foundation is that it will help grow youth leaders in our community. We desire to work with youth to help them reach their full potential. Ashley's foundation is hosted by the Oregon Community Foundation (www.oregoncf.org/about) which improves Oregon by helping people become philanthropists. You can contribute financially to our cause by sending a check payable to: The Oregon Community Foundation, FBO Ashley Drew Memorial Fund 1221 SW Yamhill, Suite 100 Portland OR 97229 Ashley enjoyed helping others -- she had a charitable heart!
In this photo she is participating in her school's jogathon to raise money for the school to buy new equipment. Ashley's will and determination has inspired others. For example, Ashley's aunt Joanna is raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by participating in Team In Training. She has made Ashley an honory team member for her half marathon walk at the Nike Women's Challenge in San Francisco. Thanks Joanna! To support Joanna's efforts on October 18th, go to her TNT page. |
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