Benefit Drive for Heather - Jan. 4th - Please RSVP ASAP!

[awood279]

January 4 there will be a benefit drive for Heather Dinonno.

Last week one of our members, Heather Dinonno, was been diagnosed with breast cancer. Sadly this is the second cancer she has fought this year. In May of 2008 Heather was diagnosed with a Sarcoma tumor on her side. She went through two surgeries then 6 weeks of radiation and never complained a bit. She really is one tough girl. Last month during follow-up scans a mass was located in her breast and the following biopsy was positive for cancer. Heather and her doctors have decided that a double mastectomy will be the appropriate course of action.

Heather is a single mother and a special education teacher in Virginia Beach. She has used up just about all of her sick & personal time fighting the first cancer battle and is now facing another battle that will require her to miss large amounts of work without pay.

The meeting point will Cracker Barrel, 106 Marketplace Drive, Hampton, VA 23666. I-64, Exit #263 (I-64 & Mercury Blvd) .We will leave at 9am and drive to Urbana for lunch returning to the area at approx. 4pm.

The cost will be $20 per car and this includes 1 benefit t-shirt. Additional shirts will be available for purchase. Please RSVP and let me know your shirt size and that of any additional shirts you want.

The prices for addtional shirts are as follows:
S-XL $15.00
XXL $17.00
XXXL $20.00

I need to have the order to Craig by Wednesday morning so please let me know how many shirts you would like and what sizes ASAP.

All proceeds will sent to the account that has been set up for Heather at the Bank of Hampton Roads.

Thanks guys!!!! Hope to see you there!!

Angela (awood279)
Hampton Roads Club MINI


http://www.mini2.com/galleries/data/500/HDB001.JPG

If you can't make the benefit drive but still would like to help out, you can send in a check made payable to

"Donations for Heather DiNonno"

send it to :
Bank of Hampton Roads
1100 Dam Neck Rd.
Virginia Beach VA 23454

Thanks again!!!

[Mr. Magoo]

Post a reply on NAM regarding the banner that we started over a year ago. When I last heard, it was up in So. Penn. and supposedly going to DC.

http://www.northamericanmotoring.com/forums/general-mini-talk/103346-minis-motoring-against-cancer.html

[Miniboomer]

Angela,
My wife Kathy is a breast cancer survivor, and is celebrating her "17th" birthday this week. Having dealt with what Heather is facing, we send our thoughts and prayers. We are unable to make the benefit drive but we, and I'm sure other club members, would appreciate an address for making a donation. Thanks.
Sandy

[minimark]

Angela,
My wife Kathy is a breast cancer survivor, and is celebrating her "17th" birthday this week. Having dealt with what Heather is facing, we send our thoughts and prayers. We are unable to make the benefit drive but we, and I'm sure other club members, would appreciate an address for making a donation. Thanks.
Sandy

Second that and do please give us an address so we can help.

[MidnightDave]

One more...

[awood279]

I've added the address to the bank where an account has been set up for Heather. Thank you for all your support!! MINI people are the kindess group of people I know!

[carbucks]

OK MINI drivers . . . this is a great chance for us to give special support for someone facing such a challenge as we hope we will never have to face ourselves. Years ago, I lost my wife to cancer after a three year fight . . . not anything I would want anyone to go through!

Nancy and I have close ties in the Hampton/Newport News area and hope you are able to get many of the MINI owners in the region to join your ride.

Here's the challenge . . . I will pay an entry fee of $20 and pledge to pay $5 per MINI Cooper that participates and drives in the event. I will not be able to travel to Hampton for the event myself but hope you have great success. I can't wait to see your photos of the event!

Come on THMMC members, lets give our "long distance" support even if we can not make the ride! It may be a drive you can not make, but enter and support our Virginia MINI enthusiasts as they help one oftheir own.

awood279, I'll contact you by Private Message.

[MINIFIED]

Will be supporting the cause, and am wondering how many from this club and/or area will be doing the drive itself?
Not sure post-holidays whether that will work in the schedule and am also concerned about potential weather issues, but would be interested in co-ordinating tentatively with others who are actually planning to go .. anyone?

[maacodale]

I hope some of y'all can make it up here. It's shaping up to be a great event. Absolute worse case, I'll do my best to shoot y'all some of the pics I plan on taking. And I'm sure Angela (who has pretty much thrown this together in a snap) and Heather appreciate everything ya do.

[awood279]

Chuck, that is beyond amazing! Thank you sooo much for your support. I am going to post your message on our forum so everyone can see your challenge!

[MINIFIED]

Update to prior post ... and an additional challenge ...

As I mentioned in my prior post, I've sent my check to support this cause, and in reading Chuck's generous challenge, I've decided that I am going to match his challenge for any current THMMC club members who are willing to do the drive itself ... I'd love to see an NC contingent/caravan and would plan to be part of it ... (pending any potential weather issues, of course)

Part of me fears 100 club members committing to this drive -- that would be the bank account part -- but the other part of me would be thrilled .. whatdoyasay?

[awood279]

Susan, you are awesome!!! Thank you soooooo much! I hope lots of Tar Heel MINI's come to visit us!!!

Tar Heel MINI's ROCK!!!!!

[jcauseyfd]

I'd like to try to make this. But given it is four hours one-way to get there, odds are I won't make it. It's in pencil for now at least.

[MINIFIED]

Jeff

I make a drive to Hampton Roads annually and for me it's closer to 3 (gee, I usually get the long end of the trip plans, a nice change!) .. but of course I take 95 and I am sure you would plot out a twistier, more interesting route :-)

And then the actual benefit drive would tack on another 3 hours .. I haven't figured out the logistics of it yet as I won't be so inclined to leave Raleigh at 5-6am for 9am meeting time .. but am still committed to doing so if I can figure it out .. keep me posted on your plans!

[awood279]

I can help anyone who's interested with hotel arrangements, if you'd like. I can also offer up sleeping space on an blow up mattress for a couple people.

[MINIFIED]

Regarding this benefit drive:

I had planned to make this drive when it was originally posted .. and now I have a 2nd purpose. If you read the prior thread you know that our club member, Chuck (CARBUCKS), had pledged $5/MINI that makes this drive (which I am matching)

You also likely read that Chuck's 5-week-old grandson passed away on Christmas Day, and contributions of children's items (ie toys, books, clothing) to be donated to Brenner Children's Hospital are being collected.

Angela, who organized the benefit drive, has graciously agreed to allow this to be a "dual benefit" drive for both Heather, who is fighting breast cancer, and for the Brenner Children's Hospital in memory of Isaiah (see this news story/short video, pretty special family: http://www.wect.com/global/story.asp?s=9381338) .. since I am planning to make the drive, I will be the THMMC contact for collecting any hospital donations from both THMMC and HR MINI club members, and I will arrange to get them to Chuck for the delivery mid-January.

If you would like to donate toys, books, clothing etc. -- any ideas welcome to a children's hospital (I am not collecting cash -- Chuck has an account set up for that) -- send me a PM and we'll co-ordinate as best we can for pick up. I plan to attend the New Year's dinner/party/tubing this week and of course will also be driving north and east of Raleigh (95/64 to VA58) on Saturday for the benefit drive on Sunday in whichever way those plans may co-ordinate for pick up points

(if any other THMMC members are planning to make the drive, PM me for additional "logistics" details)

Thank you, Tar Heel MINI'ers!

[MisBehave-HRMINI]

Just posted this at HRMINI. We'll see you there. I also just activated you account on HRMINI.

See you soon and safe trip,
Wendy

[MINIFIED]

I am headed out of Raleigh within the hour -- to meet up with the HR MINI'ers in the AM for this drive.

Not sure if there are any others from THMMC coming up? .. I haven't heard from anyone -- if anyone is, give me a call

Won't have email access, but the cell is 9l9-6O66-5l5 ..

[Stinker]

Thanks for coming Minified.

[awood279]

The event was a success!!! Thank you sooooo much for coming up, Susan. It was wonderful to meet you. And hopefully we were able to send you home with lots of toys for Chuck.

We had a total of 13 MINI's, 1 Corvette and 1 Pick up truck. I'm afraid that the threat of rain scared some off but the day ended up being pretty nice with only a few sprinkles. We were able to raise $704.50!!!!! Wow!!! That isn't even including all the donations that people send directly to Heather's benefit account or the matching $5.00 per MINI donation from Chuck.

Thank you soooooo much for everyone's support. People truely do amaze me. You tend to lose faith in people during day to day life, but in times of need it still rings true that people are genuinely good and still loving & caring towards other people, even strangers.

Heather is sincerely greatful. Her surgery is scheduled for this coming Thursday. I hope that seeing everyone today and feeling all of our support will help her through it. I will keep everyone posted on her progress.

Thank you again for all of your support!!!!

[MisBehave-HRMINI]

Susan it was great meeting you today. It would be fun to find somewhere for both clubs to gather. There is the dragon, but Myrtle Beach sounds fun. Will have to keep my eye out.
Take care and glad you had a safe drive home. Also glad your Chargers won. : )

[Stinker]

Thanks for coming up Susan. And yes you do need another MINI. (Clubman)

[awood279]

I forgot to include a link to our thread that has pictures of the event.....

Here you go!

http://www.hrmini.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,32/topic,3027.0/

[MINIFIED]

Posted to the HR MINI website on Jan 4th, post benefit drive:

Hi HR MINI'ers!

Back in NC safe and sound .. and actually made pretty good time! Sorry about the quick "send-off" there, for some reason I thought I'd be tailing you for a few more miles before I headed west as the rest headed east!

I concur with the previous descriptions -- will add that I found it quite significant that our drive started with a rainbow while congregating at the Cracker Barrel this morning. I thoroughly enjoyed the route -- including those Corvette-unfriendly roads that I would have otherwise mistaken for driveways :-)) -- the drive, the lunch, and the company! Thank you so much to Angela for organizing a wonderful event!

I am also amazed at the generosity of my fellow MINI brethren -- you are so correct that I almost needed a clubman to make the drive back to NC ... hmmmm ... about that need for a 2nd MINI ... :-)

Thank you so much to Angela and Heather for allowing this to become a "dual cause" benefit at the last minute .. and may Heather's surgery outcome eliminate any need for additional benefit drives ~ only good health to you in 2009!

I will be in touch with Chuck shortly to arrange the hand-off -- I know he will be thankful, also.

I hope that those of you who have not joined THMMC will plan to do so -- our clubs are close enough distance-wise that there should be plenty of joint-drive opportunities -- please check out what we have going on and join us sometime! And I will continue to watch the HR MINI site for another "excuse" to head north! Thanks to all of you for making me feel welcome!

[MINIFIED]

Posted to the HR MINI website on Jan 11th, post donations hand-off on THMMC Stone Mountain event of Jan 10th:

(link to the photos of the event; Chuck also posted to this thread: http://www.hrmini.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,32/topic,3027.msg31373/topicseen,1/#new)

Hello again, HR MINI friends,

I have waited to post regarding the toy/donation drive in memory of Chuck's grandson, Isaiah, until after the donation hand-off had been made .. and I'm pleased to report that Chuck was able to join the THMMC club for the drive to Stone Mountain Park (NC) yesterday and the donations from the HR MINI club and some additional from the THMMC members will make their way via Chuck's lovely family to the Brenner Children's Hospital (this will be donation trip # 2 for them -- the toy count on the first one was 200+ and the MINI had 50+ toys etc. in it yesterday)

An interesting idea -- one of our club members who donated said that this year for Christmas he and his wife requested that their teenage children buy them (the adults) toys as gifts that they could then subsequently donate to a worthy children's cause .. being one of those parents who also does not need my children to try and think of something to buy me when I've usually already acquired the things I need throughout the year, I think we will adopt that tradition in our household, too. So not only has Isaiah's memory served the children of Brenner's Hospital ("Isaiah's Gifts" will be an annual event for Chuck's family) but it has also made others re-think their priorities .. such an impact for a short life.

I have followed the posts on Heather's (co-incidently enough, also Chuck's daughter's name) surgery and outcome and it sounds like all was successful so prayers are being answered!! I know I speak for Chuck also when I say from the bottom of my heart, thank all of you for welcoming us from the THMMC, as well as your generous hearts. I know we both look forward to driving with y'all (we can say that here, ya know!) at a future event!