Door Prize from Big Dog

Door Prizes from Big Dog

Sylvan Learning Center Basket

It includes a certificate for an assessment and some supplies.

Another view of the Porcelain Bowl.

I just love it!

This is from Boneyard Pottery

It's a beautiful decorative bowl.

From Aroma Cafe

This looks like the perfect basket for someone whose had a hard day. It contains chocolate, tea, honey and a gift card for Aroma Cafe.

Manly basket!

Nothing like an addition for the toolbox. This was donated by Contracter's Supply.

Everyone needs one of these....

Perhaps this would be a great present for the new driver!

The beginnings of a basket for a day in the sun.

I'm thinking that this is going to be the start of a gardening basket.

Backpack for a romantic picnic

This comes with a place on the side to keep the wine chilled, a zippered compartment for the food and all the glassware for a wonderful picnic.

Games & Videos from Dragon's Table

There's nothing like a good book!

WHITE SOX TICKETS- 2 tickets for the July 7th game against the Minnesota Twins. This is an afternoon game sure to bring fun both inside and outside the park. Pregame festivities include a beach bash complete with a luau that includes fire dancing, a Caribbean Rock band and a Reggae band. For more information on the festivities visit the White sox website at www.chisox.com

Soccer lover's this ones for you

Featured above are two tickets to see the Chicago Fire take on Chivas USA Saturday June 9 at 7:30. The seats are in section 130, row 13 seats 19-20. Included in this bid are two t-shirts and a mini soccer ball.

Easter at The Cake Artist Studio

The Cake Artist Studio donated a gift certificate for the auction. Here are my Easter purchases from there. They were really good!

Cardinals stuff

CARDINALS STUFF

We now have some items to go along with the cardinals tickets for August 24th at 7:10 pm. The items included a t-shirt adult size Medium, a visor, 2 keychains, a baseball, four cardinals glasses and a picture of Albert Pujols

Well after carting around the toys in my car for two days I have finally had a chance to take pictures to show everyone. It is hard to tell what is in each box in the pictures so here is a list of everything:

1- Giant Panda

4- Animal Bingo games

5- Password games

1- Soduko for kids game

2- puzzle games

2- feed the kitty games

2- Hiss games

2- Slamwich games

1- In a pickle game

1- Munch Math game

1- Colorforms dress up set

1- Bingo Set

1- Sugar body polish set

2- switching gears infant toys

1- Monsters under the bed game

Way behind on posting

Well, I've fallen off the silent auction idea of the day bandwagon. I also need to catch up on pictures of donated items. But, check out that sidebar. The list of donations grows daily.

Auction Idea of the Day

All About Nascar ...'nuff said

Hang in there little buddy!

Bo was supposed to have surgery today at noon. Hopefully everything went well and he'll be home again soon.

Gift Basket Idea of the Day

Gardening Basket
Gift certificate to a greenhouse for plants
garden statue
garden stones
birdbath
birdfeeder
gardening gloves

Donations from Slot & Wing Hobbies in Champaign

Gift Basket Idea of the Day

Thank you gifts for teachers. Maybe a teacher's mug, pin, plaque etc. The it could be filled with goodies such as chocolates, teas, coffees, post it notes, bath salts, candles, etc.

Cardinals Tickets

We have two tickets for the Cardinals. Game day is on Friday, August 24th. The game is against the Atlanta Braves and is currently scheduled to begin at 7:10 pm. The seats are in section 329, row 1. This is part of the Outfield Terrace boxes.

Auction Idea of the Day

Professional Sports Team Baskets: Generous donors have contributed Cubs tickets, White Sox Tickets, and Cardinals Tickets. These tickets are looking for some game day gear to go with them!

• hat
• shirt
• beer holder
• cooler
• beach towel
• sports chair
• keychain
• ...you get the idea

Auction Idea of the Day

Chinese Cooking Gift Basket

• Chinese cookbook
• wok set
• chopsticks & rice bowls
• soy sauce
• fortune cookies

The start of a scrapbook basket...

Teri from the Scrap 'N Stamp Art store donated this beautiful
scrapbook Album. (There's a link to the store in the sidebar.)
I have to admit that as soon as Teri said she would donate
something, I jumped in the car to drive over and pick it up.
I love going into her store. I decided on this trip that I would
take a stamping and embossing class as soon as I am finished
with the fundraiser.

We have Cubs Tickets!

Look, over there in the sidebar...

We have some auction items. I don't have the specifics on the ticket dates yet but will post them when I have them. We have more items in the works. There are possible Cubs tickets, a pampered chef basket, a couple of Mary Kay baskets, some quilting baskets. I hope we're starting to pick up steam. All donations are tax deductible as Holy Cross has a not-for-profit 501(3)(c) designation from the IRS.

Happy St. Paddy's Day

I went to see Bo tonight and he suffered through
the flash from the camera. Little fellows don't seem
to be big fans of the camera flash. Rob, Katey and I
went over the details for the fund and we are so ready
to seriously work on the silent auction now. Thanks to
a generous contributor we have a bit of money in the
fund, so I have Bo's list of present needs and will be working
on filling them the rest of the weekend.

Hello... Hello... Can you hear me???

My internet is experiencing "intermittent speed" problems. That means it's slower than dial up and really doesn't work. I also am not receiving emails and for the most part cannot send them out. Sometimes, the planets align and I can get something out without an attachment. So, if you emailed me and you haven't heard back... no, I'm not that much of a slacker. I'm hoping that when Insight fixes the problem that I will get the emails currently residing in limbo. To add to the confusion and feelings of isolation, my phone has been acting up. As far as I know, I'm getting all my calls, but sometimes I can't call out. You can send me a smoke signal, or try calling Cindy at Holy Cross and leaving a message. I hope this is fixed soon.

Birthday Boy!

Guess who turned one? Happy Birthday Bo!

The fund has officially started!

Wahoo! It seems like it took forever. After looking at all the possibilities, Holy Cross Catholic Church will administer the fund. This has some amazing benefits. All the donations will be tax deductible. The fund will not have any maintenance fees. A lawyer for the diocese has answered our questions and given us references. All in all, I'm quite pleased with the form the fund will take on.

Cherry Pie

This is John's cherry pie my husband made him for winning
the raffle and then donating the money back to the Bo Porter
Fund. We refer to it as the $267 cherry pie. Perhaps a cherry
pie or two will make an appearance at the bake sale or as a
door prize for the big fundraiser in May.

Needed: Baskets

Instead of going out and spending money on things for the fundraiser, I am going to ask on the blog first. We know that we are going to try and display many of the auction items in gift baskets. This means we will need baskets, basket wrap, and ribbon. So, if you happen to have some baskets around that could be recycled for a good cause, please consider donating them. I know that I have some that can be used that I will stick in the pile. If you would like to donate, drop me an email: bopfund[at]insightbb[dot]com.
Thanks,
Kara

We have a winner!

I met Katey at Needleworks today and we drew the raffle winner! The winner was John from Champaign. I notified him this afternoon, and he generously said that he planned to put his winnings into the Bo Porter Fund. We decided that he should still receive a prize, so I volunteered my husband to make John the baked good of his choice. We'll post a picture of John's homemade Cherry Pie here when it's baked. We're putting it off 'til next weekend because our roads are very slick due to the freezing rain we're getting this afternoon. Thank you everyone! With your help we sold 533 raffle tickets!

Stay safe, it's slippery out there,
Kara

The blog is working...

and someone is reading it. Theresa sent me an email offering help with the big fundraiser. Theresa has been busily selling raffle tickets this week and I met her quite by accident at Carle today. Peg from Holy Cross found me through the blog also, which is how I hooked up with Cindy.

Cindy and I will be meeting next week to start serious planning. If anyone has any ideas or can help, drop me an email or a comment.
Thank you all,
Kara

Mark your calendar & be a "Baby Bo Buddy"

We have a venue! On Saturday May 5th from Noon to 4pm we will hold the "Baby Bo's Buddies" silent auction, craft sale and bake sale. We will also have family based activities. On May 6th we will have "last chance Sunday" which will be a final chance to bid on Sunday from 10am to 1pm. This will all happen at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Champaign, IL.

Maybe tomorrow...

I heard from Cindy tonight and we are very close to having a time and date for the big fundraiser. I'm praying that everything works out and we are well on our way to helping Bo, Katey, & Rob. As soon as the plans are finalized, I will post it all here.
Goodnight

Picking up steam?

I sure hope so. Peg & Cindy are working on a location for the silent auction, craft sale, and bake sale. Hopefully, I'll have a date nailed down soon and can seriously start planning.

Silent Auction Info

Click on the title to go to a link about silent auctions on Real Simple.com

Are you crafty?

We are looking for donations for the silent auction, craft show and bake sale. I'm warming up my knitting needles and looking for my thimble. I'm going to need a lot of help. It's not easy getting a lot done with 5 kids. Some local knitters are going to be working on some American Girl sized doll clothes. I'm hoping to add a doll quilt to the collection. Send me an email or leave me a comment if you can help.

Bo's Story

Robert “Bo” Porter was born on March 10, 2006. For most of us, the birth of a child is a time of rejoicing and wonder. It was such a time for Bo’s parents, Rob and Katey, but Bo’s birth was also a time of fear and anxiety. He was nine weeks early and weighed less than three and half pounds. Bo was born with a rare condition called omphalocele, with his stomach, liver, intestines, and other internal organs on the outside of his body. Critically ill at birth, he spent the first 265 days of his life in a hospital.

Bo has survived many surgeries to correct his birth defects, but his battle is far from over. Thankfully he is at home with his family now, but he remains on life support, breathing only with the help of a ventilator, and requires care around the clock. Though he has also survived many infections, his heart and lungs have problems related to the extended illness and need for ventilation. In the coming months and perhaps even years Bo will have extensive treatment and many more surgeries to face.

Rob and Katey are tremendously grateful for their little son, and in spite of the many challenges their spirits and their faith remain strong. Their finances, on the other hand, have been exhausted. In addition to tens of thousands of dollars in outstanding medical bills, they have had substantial travel expenses as Bo’s condition required extended hospitalization in Peoria, far from their home in Urbana. Additional surgeries are likely to be in Peoria as well. Given Bo’s situation his mother Katey is only able to work part time, and unfortunately his father Rob is currently unemployed. Katey and Bo are currently receiving public aid; however it does not cover many of the financial obligations for Bo’s care that were incurred before they qualified for assistance.

For this reason, a few friends are working together to raise money to assist this family in their time of need. While it is unlikely that we will be able to raise sufficient funds to eliminate all the outstanding medical bills and partially supplement the cost of his care and related expenses, we are doing what we can to help ensure that they can be reduced to the point where the family can continue to make reasonable monthly payments and still cover the ongoing costs of Bo’s care.

My husband wrote this for me and I think he did a lovely job.

The Raffle Tickets are delivered

the first thousand anyway. I met Katey for coffee yesterday and showed her the loot. If anyone would like to help sell tickets let me know. Its a 50/50 raffle with the drawing on the 24th of February. Tickets only cost a dollar.

I'm still working on the trust and a place to have a big fundraiser.

This is Bo sleeping New Year's Eve. He looks so peaceful and sweet.