Team Samantha 2008

Hello Family and Friends!!
I wanted to send out a little note thanking all of you for your very generous support for Team Samantha and the GiGis Playhouse 5K. Team Samantha, with all of your help, raised $2100!!! That was $600 more than last year! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I wanted to give a little highlight to some of the contributors. It was such a wonderful feeling to our whole family to see the support of all of you. Here are a few of the highlights:

1) Hiawatha School (the kids' grade school) graciously allowed me to come in and sell "Smencils" at their school. (scented pencils) $250 was raised for Team Samantha and got the ball rolling.

2) Matt and Jared (my nephews) helped organize a "hat day" at both the junior high and high schools in West Bend/Mallard schools. They raised $150. Uncle Jay challenged them a contribution of $50 if they raised $100. Thank you Uncle Jay!!!

3) Grandma Jo got Pizza Hut to do a fundraiser for Team Samantha. Proceeds from the employees raised $300 for us. They paid $1 to wear jeans during their shifts for 3 days. THANKS!

4) Max Schwartz and his family wrote an essay and submitted it to his school for a contest. Each grade level is awarded one $500 winner to their cause. Max won in his level and $500 was donated to Team Samantha! WOW!!!

These were only 4 of the many donations we received. The day of the event also brought out several of our friends to walk with us to show support for Team Samantha. I am going to attempt to upload some pictures from the walk so you can see what a wonderful morning it was.

Thanks again and again for all of you. Your support has meant so much to our family and has given us so much strength and patience. Sami continues to do so well and surprises us every day with her accomplishments. The proceeds from the 5K go to a Literacy Program at GiGis Playhouse and Samantha will begin that in early 2009. By Kindergarten she will be reading and will have a real headstart to her schooling. This couldn't be done without all of your help and support. THANK YOU!

Please be sure to check out GiGis Playhouse webstie at www.gigisplayhouse.com to see what wonderful things they do there. We are blessed to have such a wonderful place to go for support and friendship.

We hope that you can help us again next year. Any of you are welcome to join us the day of the walk. Our team continues to grow every year!!! Your prayers and support never go unnoticed!!

The Mirabellis
Joe, Deb
Joey, Kerilyn and Samantha