You Get What You Give

I spent most of this evening at a charity fund-raising event here in Raleigh. I saw something so unusual and so heartwarming I just had to share it.

The event was to raise money for Crohn's disease and Colitis. After dinner (thankfully not during) a doctor got up and made a speech about the diseases and how they really take an emotional toll of people who are afflicted and their families. It can cause depression and impact so much more than just the person's health. This definitely brought mood of the room down. The doctor then introduced the "teenage ambassador" to the group. A very poised 13 year old girl got up and made a joke about the doctor stealing half of her speech and then went on to talk about her diagnosis, hospitalizations, and eventually surgery.

This summer she got to go to the Victory Junction Gang's camp (victoryjunction.org) where she got to ride horses, go to their water park, learn archery and go fishing. In her words, for a week "she didn't have to be a freak." She asked us all to give money so other kids could get to go there too.

As she walked back to her chair she waved at the crowd and looked downright giddy. I'm sure speaking in front of 200 people was scary and she was relieved to be done. So relieved that once she got to her chair she, her sister, her mother and her father all burst into tears. Sobbing, heart-wrenching tears. Tears so messy the girls eventually had to leave.

Before she left, our MC for the evening, the incomparable John Forsland of the Carolina Hurricanes (I'm a little biased) commended her for her opening line. He said the first words you say are the most important and the way you blasted the doctor had this room in the palm of your hand (he was right). He also invited her and her family to a hockey game as his guest. That was not yet the coolest thing.

After the speeches there was a live auction, hosted by John. A lot of the items were trips and there were a few Canes things (all immediately out of my price range). One of the items was a package to visit John in the press box during a game, 2 lower level tickets and a signed jersey. Two men got into a bidding war and the price got up to about $2000. John said that if they would each give $2500 (to raise $5000) they could BOTH have the same package. Sold. Still not the coolest thing.

One of the packages was a trip to DC. One of the doctors in the room bid $500. John looked at the other bidder and asked $600? The same doctor said yes. John looked again at the other man and said $700? The doctor again said yes. John realized the doctor was upping the bid on himself and tried to stop him. The doctor acknowledged this and raised his bid to $1000. The other guy (who had last bid $400) dropped out immediately. The doctor walked to the front of the room and took the microphone from John and said that he'd happily pay $1000 but that he didn't want the trip. He gifted it to the teenage ambassador so that she could have one more good day.

That was the coolest thing I saw all day. I love that there a such kind people in the world.