Last Saturday night my family and I went to a masquerade ball to benefit Zoe's Bone Marrow Buddies. As many of you know, a very dear friend of mine (more like an older sister!), Tish, lost her little girl to an autoimmune disorder. Tish is one of the most strongest women I have ever met, and she started a foundation through Riley on honor of her daughter, Zoe. Here is an excerpt from her website:
http://www.zoebmb.org
On November 19th, 2003, we were blessed with a very special little girl, Zoë Bontrager Schultz. From the time Zoë was eighteen months old she spent many months at Riley Children Hospital in the Stem Cell Transplant Unit. Fighting a life threatening immune disorder that required a bone marrow transplant to give her a chance at life. Zoë went through many medical procedures and hospitalizations, but on December 7th 2006, our world was completely shattered when Zoë lost her fight during her second bone marrow transplant.
We were not sure how we would be able to face the next morning or any day following. But our Zoë was a fighter. She fought everyday of her three years here on Earth. Because of her strong spirit we knew that we had to continue to fight, to honor Zoë and to help all of the families that struggle everyday in the Stem Cell Transplant Unit.
So through a lot of tears, with a lot of love and with more hope than we thought possible, we have founded Zoë's Bone Marrow Buddies in loving memory of our beautiful daughter.
The masquerade ball and silent auction was a benefit to help raise money for Riley's Stem Cell Transplant Unit to to help fund continued research, education and a new facility for the 6-bed unit.
It was an amazing night full of joy, celebration, and moments of tears and reflection. Tish and her board members did an outstanding job and it was a night to remember.
Zoe loved to dress up in fancy princess clothes, so she would have loved to see everyone dressed up that night
We miss you so much little darling
The lady of the evening! Tish was so stunning!
Everyone is checking our the silent auction goodies
The silent auction was SO cool! Everyone got an iPhone touch when we checked in. It was sinked in to our personal information and everything from the auction to bid on. It would update you on the your current bids, the time left, and it would alert you if someone outbid you! We didn't even have to leave our table to participate!
My (not-so-)little brother
My boys
Mom and me
Angela Buchman was the MC that night. She was so pretty! Kellen and Cameron kept beting each other all night who would ask for a picture with her first...boys boys boys! After her opening, Tish gave a powerful speech. I am pretty sure there we no dry eyes in the house after that. She continues to amaze me everyday!
After a yummy dinner, comedian Dave Dugan ended the evening with some good laughs.
Our table
My feather headband! It IS a masquerade ball, after all
They had masks all over the room that were made by current Riley patients, with a little bio 'About the Artist'
That was such a cool idea!
My lovely ladies of the evening! Left to right:
Julie, Aunt Janice, Mom, and me
There were pictures up everywhere of Riley's heroes, the children.
The Ball was at the Ursey Pavilion. They had the Colt's horseshoe over the stage!
I noticed that in many pictures there we several of tiny white shadows floating... I can't tell if you can see them here or not. I once heard that those were spirits present with us. I would like to think that if that was true, that Zoe and all of her little friends from the unit celebrating with us that night.
As she would always say, "party party party!"
Kel and I at our table
Everyone had these amazing masks!
It is amazing that one little 3 year old girl can bring so many people together to raise awareness and celebrate love. You will be forever in our hearts, Miss Zoe.
My pretty tablescape!
