Tag Archive for: pediatric cancer sponsor

And the 2012 Isabella Santos award goes to…. Chrissy Bush

 

RMDH_small-logoNow that we have fully recovered, we thought we would share the amazing night that we had last Thursday at the Ronald McDonald House Girl’s Night Out.  The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte out-did themselves once again by providing a night of Glamour and Giving at the Filmore for 500 women.  We were so honored to be the presenting sponsor for the second year in a row for them since they are so near and dear to our hearts.  The Ronald McDonald House was such an integral part of Isabella’s treatment over the years and so much of her treatment was made possible through their homes in New York and Philadelphia.

There is just something magical about getting all these women together for a great cause.  Food, drinks, silent auction items, high end fashion raffles, fashion shows and most importantly touching stories from different women who have stayed at the Ronald McDonald House.  We all loved watching these women walk the runway, some hand in hand with their own children as we all cried and clapped in amazement of these families and the organization that supported them.

E-SantosThe event carved out some time for us to introduce ourselves to the audience as well.  We are so proud of our new video that was created and we were excited to premiere it that night to them all.  The video does a wonderful job of really showing people who we are and what we do.  Needless to say, there was not a dry eye in the house.  By the time that Erin Santos was announced, the crowd was on their feet.  It was a touching moment for us all.

This year there was also a new exciting addition to the event with the first annual Isabella Santos Award.  They came to us with the idea of presenting an Isabella award to woman in the community who possessed the same values as Isabella.  The hope of the award was to reward someone who lives a life with the same dreams and aspirations of Isabella and who is really trying to make a difference in the world.  We were so thrilled about the idea and were excited as we started to see the nominations come in.

A couple of days before the nomination period ended, a beautiful nomination came across to us and we were taken back by it.  It was a no brainer for us at the Isabella Santos Foundation because we were very familiar with the incredible lady.  Many of you knew Isabella’s best friend, Chrissy Bush from Erin’s writings over the years.  Chrissy is such an inspiration to many of us because of her selfless giving.  Her quiet giving has blown us away over the years from afar.  We have watched her get up at 5am for 7 years to cook for the homeless on Saturday mornings, she volunteers each week at the free health clinic to assist in providing medical care for those in need, she fosters animals who need homes, she runs a diabetes camp in the summer for children and the list goes on and on.  The best thing about Chrissy is that she never tells you that she does these things.  She does them because she honestly just has an amazing heart and wants no recognition for it.  And let’s not forget the thing that has touched all of us at ISF the most.. her love of Isabella.  She knew Isabella’s story was not going to end well but she still opened her heart to her and provided her with comfort, love and support like she were her own daughter.

The best part of giving the award to Chrissy was the complete surprise that it was that evening.  Chrissy probably wouldn’t of even showed up that night if she caught wind of us giving her this award.  As Erin read out her list of accomplishments from the stage, those around her saw the emotional collapse that followed as she received a standing ovation from the audience as she came on stage to collect her award.   For us there is nothing better than people like Chrissy and Isabella in this world and they should be recognized for what they provide to our communities.  I know so many of us strive to be more like them each and every day.

Through all the hard work, we were so thrilled with how the event turned out and can’t wait to hear how much was raised for the house in Charlotte.  🙂  Thank you so much to the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte for allowing us to be a part of your amazing event again this year.  We look forward to many more years of partnerships with you!

ISF Supporters

ISF Supporters

 

 

Isabella Keeps Bringing Them In

It’s still hard to believe that our little 5K for Kids Cancer event went from raising $7,000 in 2008 to just over $200,000 last year!  Here we are moving into our 6th year and feet are pounding the pavement at full speed ahead convinced that we will do it again!  A couple of us have been here from the beginning, many of us stepped in during the middle.  But one thing is for sure…we are all here for our passion of one little girl and the three wishes she left behind:  Beat Cancer, Grow Hair, Live My Dreams.  As we grow as a foundation we have had growing pains, we step on each other’s toes, we roll eyes during meetings, we laugh a lot…but at the end of the day it’s fulfilling to be able to sit back and say as a team…WOW, we are part of something really great.

StMartin_smallWe are extremely lucky to have such passionate people that work and volunteer endless hours for the foundation and specifically on our 5K for Kids Cancer event.  We feel even more thankful that they keep coming back year after year!   We know we have passionate people working on the foundation, so what do we need to make this puzzle complete?  Passionate community businesses.  Isabella has always been a driving force in securing sponsors.  People have always just wanted to be a part of something with her at the center.  However, this year is different with Isabella no longer standing beside us.  We were nervous that without her, this would all fall apart at the seams.  What we witnessed in the last couple of months  was absolutely amazing.  Businesses were jumping at the chance to be a part of it in Isabella’s honor to continue to carry out her wish that other children  share of beating cancer.  So with that, we are thrilled to have St. Martin Blue as our 2013 presenting sponsor.

Why did St. Martin Blue decide to get involved?

 “I learned about Isabella’s plight in 2011 from a mutual friend.  While initially devastated to hear about Isabella’s prognosis and the dark days that the family will encounter, I was left thoroughly inspired by the strength of Isabella and her family as I followed Isabella’s fight. In a circumstance devoid of understanding and acceptance, Isabella and her family demonstrated a rare feat of strength, courage and solidarity.  They rallied around misfortune and set a path to dramatically help and improve the lives of others while continuing their courageous battle .  They acted in the spirit of helping others while mired in their own dark storm.  The inspiration that we have witnessed needs to be further sown and grown to continue the outreach by Isabella’s legacy and by her proud parents.

 It is our company mission to ensure the outreach is as wide and as far spread as possible and that the goals of the Isabella Santos Foundation are achieved and annually augmented.  We want to support and bolster the effort and goals for the Santos family to ensure that the divine imprint of Isabella radiates brilliantly and continues to shine for those in need.

 St Martin Blue is inspired and thoroughly delighted to proudly sponsor the achievements and goals of the Isabella Santos Foundation.  Pediatric cancers, especially Neuroblastoma, continue to devastate families throughout the world.  The fight against Pediatric Cancer needs far greater support to ensure that medical treatments continue to advance while ensuring afflicted families are ensured the emotional and financial support that they will need.”  – Kate, St. Martin Blue 

What does St. Martin Blue do?

stmartin

The summer is fast approaching, but it’s not too late to plan your summer getaway or never too early to start planning a fall or holiday experience.  The Caribbean is known across the globe for being one of the best vacation destinations.  Year around great weather, pristine beaches and turquoise blue waters….look to St. Martin blue to provide luxury accommodations and travel services for the Caribbean island of St Martin/St Maarten in the West Indies. With their island expertise and outstanding customer service, St. Martin has become a premier provider and tour operator of luxury villas and resort vacation rentals on St Martin. Their emphasis on quality and strong advocacy for their clients ensures a vacation that meets client’s highest standards and expectations.

stmartin2Unlike other villa rental companies, each member of our company has extensive knowledge and experience with St Martin and the island’s unique and numerous offerings. With our network of concierges and island experts, we offer the unique and rare ability to offer a consummate service to our clients. After finding the perfect Caribbean villa or accommodation, our staff will guide guests to the best St Martin restaurants, beaches and excursions while providing advice on what to avoid.

Click over to St. Martin’s website…even if it’s just to window shop.  You will be amazed by the selection and quality of villas and resorts they have to offer.

We at the Isabella Santos Foundation believe firmly in supporting organizations that give back.  It takes a pretty amazing company to stand behind organizations like ours and we appreciate it from the bottom of our hearts.  Through the years, many local business that sponsor our events or donate to our raffles have found new customers for life with us.  St. Martin Blue has earned our respect and admiration for joining in our fight to make a difference and we are so grateful to have them as the Presenting Sponsor for this year’s 5k for Kids Cancer.  🙂

Thank you St. Martin Blue for your partnership with us and we look forward to an exciting year together!