Hope Happens

Hope Happens words of encouragement

A very special friend gave me a beautiful present the other day simply titled Hope Happens....now where have I heard that before.

It is a beautiful little book filled with inspirational words of encouragement and overcoming adversity.

It is written by Catherine Devrye and is definately worth a read - it will inspire you!

Thank you friend - I will treasure it always.

Oprah here we come!

He he he Lisa and I had lunch together today and we were discussing how another calendar was promoted on channel sevens morning show......Lisa had previously told me how she approached all the TV shows that might be interested in doing a feel good segment on our calendar but to no avail!

Well we thought blow it lets contact Oprah.....he he and Lisa is going to email our story about the calendar and see what happens ... you never know....Oprah just might see the wonderful side to it like we do!

I will keep you informed in what happens with Lisa's TV negiotations....Go LISA!

More Pictures from all over

Here is some fantastic photos taken by some of the committee people

The Registration tent

The Officials

The fabulous South West Rocks Surf Club team.....that even brought the beach with them!

A new way to raise money - pay money to paint Dad's car......!

More Pics

I have been getting some emails with photos taken at the relay.....if you have some great shots email them to me and I will be happy to upload them for everyone to enjoy.

Lisa's Beautiful Speech

I was very moved by Lisa Domeny's opening speech at the Relay...Lisa actually came around to have a test run before the event and I knew then it was going to be well responded......Lisa did an awesome job and I felt we just had to add it to this site so we can relish in the words again and continue fighting cancer with Lisa's words as inspiration.

Lisa on behalf of the Macleay community we would like to thank you for your complete passion for this great cause in fighting cancer...along with your fantastic committee you all should be very proud of the outcome from the weekend...I am sure we will reach the $100 000 target as we are just under it now...well done!

The world thrives with people just like you

      Thank you

            

         A

          

     Thank you

Lisa's Speech

          All my life I‘ve wanted to make a difference.

It has been something that has driven me since I was a child. Just to touch someone’s heart.

      Helen Keller once said that “I am only one, but still I am one.

I cannot do everything but

I can do something. And I will not let the something that I cannot do,

interfere with the something that I can do”

I guess what she was trying to say was that nobody can do everything,

but everyone can do something.

The reason that I brought this up is that I believe

that this need to make a difference is not a characteristic

that I alone have. I think that it is within all of us….the need to matter,

to count, to stand for something …above all to make some difference that we have lived at all

………surely there is no greater joy nor greater

reward than to make a fundamental difference in someone’s life.

I would just like to say that each and every one of you this weekend

is going to make that difference.

Whether you walk one lap, or a hundred laps,

whether you raised one dollar or a thousand dollars,

you WILL: make a difference!!

You WILL touch someone’s heart.

You may never know whose heart

you touch but you know what, it doesn’t matter.

Because what we do for ourselves alone dies with

us but what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.

Hope is the underlying message of Relay For Life, I firmly believe Hope Happens…..

I actually looked up the definition of hope in the dictionary….

it is the belief that one’s desires may be attained. 

I hope that one day we will defeat cancer. Do I think that it is attainable…BLOODY OATH I DO!!

Hope may bend and twist, and sometimes it hides but rarely does it break.

It sustains us when nothing else can.

It gives us reason to continue, and courage to move ahead when we tell ourselves we’d rather give in.

It can be found in each of us and it can bring light into the darkest of places

For once you choose hope anything is possible.

SO on behalf of the RFL committee I would like to welcome all of you.

I sincerely hope that you enjoy Relay 2006. 

May the Angels among us embrace and guide you.

May you find strength, courage and hope with every step you take …….

And may you take time to enjoy the little things,

for one day you may look back and realize that they were the big things.

      Thank you

A little ray of sunshine

Everyone was in fine spirits....ready to have a great time!

Kahlia looking very wild and groovy in her big hair - One Cool Cat

The Hippy way

The girls and extras....being their brothers worked so hard selling all day....we sold out of everything....I was worried that they were even going to sell the tents!

They even came up with a great idea to busk out the front of the tent....they charged people $1 to hear their soccer chant too! They sang their little hearts out - and made ten dollars....we face painted flowers on everyone and I have to say we had a very happy, bright, fun tent!

Even the Pet rocks sold out!

Zach looking very....yellow

Getting into the hippy groove!

A little bit of Hope

The SWAT and Co team....ran a fundraiser at South West Rocks Public School to raise money for their relay team.

Every student was encouraged to bring along to school a gold coin donation to be placed over an outline of the word hope.

Some other students made posters to be displayed at the relay depicting their interpretation of the word Hope.

We were so lucky as both NBN and Prime TV turned up to do a story on the girls - Kahlia was thrilled to bits to be interviewed!

They even made it into the Argus as well - great coverage girls!

ohhhh and they raised $200

Everyone joins in

Wow....what a weekend! I am still suffering from sleep deprivation....but it was so worth it!

Here is what happened through my eyes...and my team - The SWATS and Co.

Friday night we all were very busy getting ready, making last minute decorations, some fantastic Mums and grandmas (big cheers) were baking up some wonderful goodies to sell....Kahlia was hard making pet rocks and flowers ( we were the hippy hip 70 flower children) organised tents, camping equipment...food...not that we ate much of it as the food supplied by the wonderful LIONS CLUB and others was to die for ( I was very impressed with the fish patty burger yum!) ....they actually wore clothes under their aprons this time he he!

Up early to set up down at the ovals.....and clouds were beginning to loom overhead threatening to burst at any time....but fortunately it held off for a few more hours.

We set up camp and decorated our hearts out......sarongs flapping......flowers and balloons hanging everywhere...the kids set out the raffle and yummy cooking to sell and then we all gathered to the stage to listen to Lisa's welcoming speech Go Lisa Go Lisa!

Lisa did an awesome job..it was a beautiful speech that came straight from the heart.

I was very proud of her as I knew she was very nervous about it! You did well!

After a few more speeches the Survivors and the carers lined up for the most important lap of the weekend...the lap represented everything what the relay stands for -hope...and to stand on the sidelines and cheer for these very brave people enable us to appreciate wonderful moments like these.

After the Survivors completed the lap the other teams jumped on in and the relay begun!

Happy Birthday

Last night I went to the Captains meeting for the Relay for Life as it is only a few weeks away.

I was to discover only after the event was over that it was Lisa Domenys birthday....no I am not going to tell you how old she is but she turns 40 next year....he he!

So the wonderful Co ordinator of the Relay for Life has quietly celebrated a birthday mmmmm

Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you

These are for you Lisa my dear friend

A whole field of flowers