Thursday, June 03, 2010

Have fun AND be awesome!

Hey Portlanders, whatcha doin Saturday? Want to have fun and be awesome at the same time? You can! No, you totally can. Come to the Rockstar Stella leukemia benefit concert! Actually, there are two events on Saturday, a kid-friendly daytime hoojiggy (no, not a real word, but good, don't you think? It would be a good name for a not-very-tame exotic pet, like a monkey or marsupial; you could call it "Hooj" for short) with music and food and belly dancing and a "jammin' jump rope exhibition," and later, an evening music event. There will be food, dance exhibitions, a silent auction, arts & crafts, and a Red Cross bus for blood donation. And all the proceeds go to support the medical treatment of beautiful 8-year-old Stella, who is battling AML leukemia with a rare FLT3 gene mutation. You can read more about her cancer, and about the benefit, HERE.

Stella's mom, Dana, is responsible for the awesome pinkness of my hair. Stella's step-father, Peter, was one of our first friends when we moved to Portland nine years ago. They are a fun, creative, warm family living through a nightmare. Stella's attitude is amazing. One shudders to imagine such places as pediatric oncology units, but the couple of times we've been to visit, it was a whirlwind of kids racing the corridors on big wheels, with art everywhere and total wild kid energy. There were also the stricken faces of parents coping with unimaginable bad news.

The idea. The idea. My mind can't turn down that alley. I can't conceive of what Dana and Peter are going through. They remain totally upbeat and positive that Stella is going to have the best possible outcome, because anything else is unthinkable. They've organized this totally amazing fundraising event, and I hope you can come, or if you're not local, you can still DONATE HERE.

Jim is donating a Batman painting to the silent auction. If you like it, come buy it!

I'm donating a little parcel of signed books and maybe a Laini's Lady or two.

Hope to see you there! Wishing glowing good health to all the children in your life! xoxo

7 comments:

Jennifer D said...

Oh how I wish I could go. I live in California so I can't, Boo Hoo.
My cousin lives in Portland so I am gonna pass this post on to her.
Sounds like so much fun. I LOVE that painting!

Amy said...

Laini--

Wow, this deal hits close to my heart. My dear artist friends (one a sculptor, one a painter) in Lawrence walked through Neuroblastoma with their son, Caden. Their story is here. http://www.cadenwhite.com/about

It didn't have the happy ending we all hoped for, but how the handled it spoke so much hope in the midst of unknown and suffering. If their story can be of help, please pass it on.

Best,
a.

Tere Kirkland said...

Wish I lived near Portland. Especially now that hurricane season has started.

Great painting. I was always a Batman fan since I was a kid reading Detective Comics. God, that makes me sound old, but I'm only thirty.

Have fun!

mira ann dowe said...

if only i lived in portland. give the family all your support, hope they get through with only good news.

persnickety_jen said...

Rats! Why don't I live in Portland?!?

Thanks for posting the donation link - even though I can't attend the fundraiser and bid on Jim's awesome Batman painting, I'm glad I can help in another way.

My best wishes to Stella and her family. <3

tone almhjell said...

Gah...can't..think about it.

But would go if I could.

Love,

Tone

Susan Bellingan Fourie said...

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