Best Buddies Gala and Casino Night 2012

"The mission of Best Buddies is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-on-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities."

I'm pretty sure I've talked about Best Buddies before. One of our Ds Mommas, Anneliese Barron, saw a need for this organization in our community and she (along with some other Ds Moms and several other volunteers) worked her ass off fundraising, event planning, and spreading the Best Buddies message and made it happen. Fifteen months after the first fundraising event, the Best Buddies Tennessee state office officially opened it's doors in January 2010. You can learn more about Best Buddies Tennessee by visiting their website- www.bestbuddiestennessee.org

If you read this Anneliese, I want you to know that you are a rock star! Thanks for all of your hard work. We appreciate it more than you know!

Last night was the 4th annual Gala and Casino Night. This is one of the biggest fundraising events for BBTN (it may be the biggest?). I went as a volunteer. I got there about an hour before the event to help with a few last minute set-up things and to be on hand at the check-in table as the guests arrived.

I spent about two hours at the table, but didn't realize so much time had passed until I looked at my phone to check on the auction. Which, by the way... the auction was super fancy, high-tech this year! A company came in and set up this online thingie. You register your phone number with "one of the guys in red" (I said that so many times last night, lol.) and then you can follow the silent auction/bid on items from your smart phone! If you were outbid, it would send you a text and let you know. It was really neat, and I hear it made the check-out process SO much better.

The program last night included an amazing introduction to our emcee, Scott Hamilton, by the beautiful and lovely Fiona (a young lady with Down syndrome). There was a video presentation that made my eyes all misty and then a buddy pair came to the stage to talk about their experience with the Best Buddies program. Tripp and his best buddy, Tyler, were great. Their story also made my eyes all watery. They ended with a rendition of the song, "Red Solo Cup". I wish I had video of that to share with you. It had the whole crowd cheering for them. Then, Tripp's parents got up on the stage to tell us about what their son's involvement in this organization meant to them. Now, really, THAT is what I wish I had a video of to share with you. There was not a dry eye in the house (and in fact, I'm tearing up again just remembering it).

After my duties at the check-in table were through, I checked out some of the items up for auction and then wandered off to find my friends. We had a lot of fun goofing off.

There are always a lot of hockey items in the auction because the coach for our Nasvhille Predators has a son with Down syndrome and is on the advisory board for BBTN. (I know he'll never read this, but thank you to Barry Trotz!)

DELICIOUS! I ate about three of the banana ones!

Thanks for being my hair dresser, Suze!

Ds Mommas- Nicole, Amy (who is 2 weeks from her due date and doesn't even look pregnant), Tiff, and Lauren

Ds Mommas- Erin and Tiff

Ds Mommas- Suzy, Tiff, Jen, and Erin

Ds Mommas- Jen, Angie, Melanie, Tiff, Anneliese

Ds Mommas- Amanda, Angie, Melanie, Jennifer, and Nicole

Nicole's "I see you" tattoo. :)

Sassy mommas!

Suzy and Alex won the auction on a to-be-signed Garth Brooks Stetson hat AND a shiny red guitar signed by Jason Aldean.

Suzy's raffle ticket number for the "diamond dig" was called and she got to go up on stage with about 16 other people to draw a diamond out of a bag. One of the diamonds was the real deal, valued at over $7,000, and the rest were fake.

"Did you get the real one?"

The guy standing to Suzy's left won the real diamond. Suzy would like the record to show that, had she won the diamond, she would have donated the diamond back to Best Buddies, cause that's how she rolls. :)

There were a few more door prizes and then the lights came back on and it was clean-up time. I helped where I could and then headed home around midnight. I got home around 12:45. By the time I got settled in, showered, and whatnot, it was about 2:00am. I was ex.haus.ted!

It was a really fun night. Thanks to all of the staff and volunteers who made it such a great event!

Best Buddies 5K

Today was the third annual Best Buddies 5K, but only my first year to attend. It is usually held on the last Saturday in August, but we are also usually out of town that weekend for my mom's birthday. This year, we were here!

"The mission of Best Buddies is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-on-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities." Until three years ago, this awesome organization didn't have a Tennessee chapter. One of our fellow DS Mommas sought to change that and worked her butt off and got Tennessee it's chapter! You can learn more about Best Buddies Tennessee by visiting their website, http://www.bestbuddiestennessee.org/.

So, since we were in town, I signed up to volunteer at the race this morning. They needed me there at 5:30am, which meant I needed to leave my house by 5, which meant I needed to get up at about 4:15. Etta was kind enough to wake me at 3:45AM (!!!). It's not uncommon for her to wake in the night, but I can usually go in, find her binkie, cover her back up, and she goes back to sleep. I think she knew I had to go somewhere because she was UP. Like, walking around her room and talking to herself. I tried to go back to sleep for 30 minutes, but it was no use with all of her talking coming through the monitor. So, I got up and started getting ready. For the record, contacts are NOT easy to put onto sleepy, sticky eyeballs at 4am. Anyway, Etta was STILL awake (though quieter) by the time I left at 5. Keith says she went back to sleep until he got her up at 6, but he can sleep through just about anything!

So, off I went. Believe it or not, I actually needed a hoodie this morning! When I got there, I helped set up some and finish filling the promotional gift bags (that we handed out after registration) and then the sun came up and before I knew it, people were lined up at my registration table.

Lauren, Shauna, and Manon at the race-day-registration table (the table I worked with Lauren)

I was so excited when Keith walked up with my little E. She was so excited to see me and kept hugging me. It was super cute!

Just before the race started, they asked if I'd go out on the course and be a "course monitor". I wanted to be used however they could use me, so of course I said I would... after I went and got my bladder nice and empty! I could NOT imagine standing on a street corner for an hour needing to pee! So, I ran over to the Publix and the line for the ladies room was RIDIC! I thought about playing the "pregnant card" and/or the "I'm-volunteering-and-NEED-to-get-out-on-the-course card". Instead, I asked the guy coming out of the men's room if anyone else was in there (no!!) and I had a friend watch the door for me. ;)

Then, I was dropped off along the course. I stood there for quite some time before the first runner came through and there was a pretty big gap between the first runner and rest.

waiting for the runners....

I really never knew how far along the course I was. People would ask how much further they had, and I didn't know. What I COULD tell them was that it was downhill from there. Most of them liked hearing that because the hills in that neighborhood could be a little brutal. I snapped a few pictures of the runners/walkers as they passed by me, but I was drawn to the kids and my friends and those with disabilities. I'm only going to post the ones that include my friends here because I don't feel right about posting photos of people I don't know on my personal, but public blog.

ok, yeah, the Chick-fil-A cow guy said he wanted to run the race IN FULL COSTUME to try and beat the time of the guy who ran it last year IN FULL COSTUME! (not sure if he beat him or not?)

Emily

Erin, Jeremy, Karis and Liam 

Erin, Jeremy, Karis and Liam

Amanda

Jennifer

Debra with Silas, Anna, and Stewart

Brooke

Shauna's family

Brooke's husband and daughter, Lily

So, then, after some time, there were a couple of women pushing strollers followed by a police car. I asked the officer if that was the end of the pack (because I had not seen Keith and Etta or a few other friends) and he told me that there were a few more. So, I waited... and waited... and then these guys showed up...

Etta was SO zoned out. I'm surprised she didn't take a nap in the stroller. Anyway, we took a little family picture and they went on their way and I continued to hold down my spot on the course. Keith CLAIMS that he told me that they were the last people, but I NEVER heard that. I would have finished walking back with them had I realized that. Instead, I walked down to the corner before mine to see if Lauren (another DS mom and volunteer) was still there, and she wasn't. So, I started walking back toward the Publix parking lot. I got about halfway back and the lady who dropped me off pulled over and picked me up. We finished driving the course, but it looked like all of the other monitors had already walked back.

(I found out later that a LOT of people took a short-cut along the route, which is why I never saw some of them)

When I got back to Publix, I found Keith and Etta over with Suzy and her crew.

We hung out some and decided to go get some breakfast together. Oh, and this happened:

At breakfast, we saw Lacy and her family. Jude was really cute with Owen.

It was really a nice morning. The weather was nice and it was nice to see some of our friends and it was nice to participate in this event for such an awesome cause.

Etta and I got home at about 11 and she took a shower with me (she was covered in sticky jelly) and then she went down for a nap. She PASSED OUT, like immediately. Then, I crawled into my bed and passed out too! I slept for a solid two hours and I still think I'm going to sleep well tonight. Etta slept a little longer than me and went to bed around 7:30. I sure hope we don't have another 3:45am wake-up call tonight!

Be sure to check out my friend Emily's blog. She got some REALLY cute pictures of Etta and Cooper dancing. :)

Oh, and a big 'ol HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my mom today!! Love you, Momma!