#17 RELAY FOR LIFE

RELAY FOR LIFE OF ALLENDALE (Soon to be known as MAC Marne/Allendale/Coopersville Relay for Life) is a key fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. This is an event that began when one man, Dr. Gordy Klatt decided he wanted to make a difference in the lives of those affected with Cancer. He began a movement that has raised BILLIONS of dollars for cancer research and is now holding events just like this one around the world. I came upon this event a number of years ago, following the deaths of my amazing Mother-In-Law, Sheila Greeley and my grandfather, William Steenhagen. I wanted to make a difference too :) I attended the first Relay alone. But the funny thing is, I never for one moment felt alone that night. I was instantly a part of a community of people that had experienced what I had experienced and others that had a more personal experience with Cancer (their own diagnoses and treatments). I believe this will always be a part of my life. Every year I brought more and more people to this event. I have gone from being a Relayer, to being on the Committee in charge of Ceremonies, to facilitating a group of other relay committee members on how to run Ceremonies, to being in charge of Ceremonies and Survivorship to finally being the Committee Chair for the entire event. This is my cause. Since the time I began with Relay, MANY more friends and family members have heard the words "YOU HAVE CANCER". This is my way to stand with them and let them know they are not alone in this fight. The pictures include myself with our amazing keynote speaker for the 2013 Event, Laine Steenhagen. Yes, she is my family. My cousin. And a cancer SURVIVOR!!!!!! One of my favorite parts of the event is the Survivor Ceremony where we take a moment to celebrate with those who have beat cancer!!! I have included a picture of our survivors. They always wear purple and they are ALWAYS the focus of our event!!!! The pictures also include pictures from our event, including setting out the luminarias for our luminaria ceremony in which we honor our loved ones who we have won the battle with cancer, and remember the loved ones who succumbed to the disease. Our theme this year was "Beating Cancer to the Finish Line", hence the cardboard car race :) If you are looking for a way to take a stand against cancer I hope you will consider donating your time and efforts to RELAY FOR LIFE. Here is a link you can follow to find an event in your area. I promise if you attend one event, you will never forget the experience. http://www.relayforlife.org/

#16 Bizarre Bazaar - Easttown Community Association

Do you live in an amazing community? I do!! While continuing on this birthday adventure, I have been able to experience many great communities. One of my favorite is Easttown in Grand Rapids, MI. This area is full of eclectic little shops and restaurants. It has a great welcoming feel. It is just a lot of FUN! Easttown Community Association has one main mission, they are dedicated to building, backing, and broadening community through proactive neighboring and community improvement. One of the many ways they do that is with street fairs held throughout the summer. They have many events throughout the year to bring this community together. If you ever go over to Easttown, you will definitely see the fruits of their labor. While this is not my community, I can say this, I surely felt welcome there :) If you would like to experience this you should consider volunteering at one of their future events. You can contact them at http://eastown.org/

#15 Festival of the Arts...GRAND RAPIDS ART MUSEUM!!! So today was the kickoff of Festival of the Arts. It also happened to be my kids last day of school. What a fun day :) Have you ever wanted to be part of something bigger than yourself? Today we got that opportunity. Alexis joined me this time. Our job today was to encourage the festival goers to create art of their own. The Grand Rapids Art Museum provided coasters, duct tape (all different colors) and sharpies. People were encouraged to create "quilt squares" to be added to a community quilt. All of the art created this weekend and in the weeks to come will be put together and displayed on a wall in the lower level of the museum in the future. We met some amazing people today. And just imagine all the artistic creations we witnessed today. We saw kids, adults and YES even teenagers come and create with us. It was great. It is such a neat project to allow ANYONE to come and be part of a community project. I can't think of a better representation of the people around us then the collaboration of all these pieces of art. The Grand Rapids Art Museum is an amazing place. You wouldn't believe how many opportunities there are to volunteer with the GRAM. If you are interested, please contact them at http://www.artmuseumgr.org/joinandgive/volunteers/

#14 Allendale Little League :) I know it has been kind of quiet on the blog for the past few weeks. Please don't think I have stopped finding volunteer opportunities. I have been busy with my job as MOM and Relay for Life Chair for the past few weeks. But this weekend I did get to head over to the Allendale Little League Family Fun Day. This is an event hosted in our local township park by the Little League Board. It is a time for all the players and their families to join in celebrating another year of Little League Baseball/Softball. There was free food, ice cream, games, raffles, face painting, bounce house. Let's just say it was a day of fun in the sun for a LOT of little ball players. As you can imagine there were plenty of ways to get involved. I was originally signed up to volunteer in the concession stand. As it turned out there was not much happening in concessions given that there was so much being given away in the park. So......I was moved to the raffle tent. I helped out there for the afternoon. WHAT FUN!!!!!!!!! The kids were so excited for their chance to win. Each player was given 5 tickets to go in the raffle. They had chance to win gift cards to sports good stores, bats, gloves, bat bags, headbands etc. Did I say this was a fun way to celebrate my birthday???? I have to confess, i was pretty busy that day. I didn't take pictures for the blog. I will head over to the fields soon and get some added. If you have time in your life to help out your local Little League, GO DO IT! You will never regret helping the youth in your community have a great time learning the skills of teamwork and self confidence. If you are in Allendale, you can contact Allendale Little League at http://allendalelittleleague.com. They are always in need of volunteers. I can't think of a better way to spend a spring day then at the ball fields. Hope to see you there soon.

#13 MUSEUM FREE FOR ALL - Presented by Amway. Today was an opportunity for EVERYONE to come out and enjoy all that Grand Rapids Museums have to offer. Thanks to AMWAY the Gerald R. Ford Museum, The Grand Rapids Public Museum, The Grand Rapids Art Museum and the Grand Rapids Children's Museum were open to all free of charge from Noon to Five. There were thousands of people downtown today. Getting around was quite a challenge. As you can imagine the museums were in need of many volunteers to make this event run smoothly. I chose to volunteer at the Children's Museum. What a fun day. My task today included handing out sidewalk chalk and hula hoops for the kids to use to keep them entertained while waiting in line to enter the museum. The kids were so much fun. This event allowed many families to learn all about this museum in the hopes that they will return at another time with their kids for some family fun. The Children's Museum literature reflects that their mission is to "celebrate childhood and the joy of learning by providing an interactive, hands-on environment that inspires learning and encourages self directed exploration". As I prepare to turn 40 this summer, I cannot think of a better place to go to feel like a kid again :) The children's museum asks their volunteers to agree to a background check before they have you interact directly with the children. They have many events that occur throughout the year if you are looking for a one time opportunity. They also have regular needs for recurring volunteers. If you would like to learn more about the opportunities available, please contact them at http://www.grcm.org/

#12 Gazelle Girl Half Marathon. WOW!!!! This was an event that Gazelle Sports put on in Grand Rapids, MI on April 13, 2013. My job this day was to work in Gear Check for the runners. We checked their bags and watched their belongings so they could concentrate on running their race. Following the race we got to return their belongings and congratulate them each for a job well done. Gazelle Sports literature reflects that they held this event to * To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Title IX * To honor women * To actively encourage new runners to participate in the sport * To build relationships * Because women’s health impacts family health * To enhance partnerships within the community * To raise money for women's charities * To HAVE FUN!! Fortieth Anniversary of Title IX......and my fortieth birthday celebration......YES, I think that was pretty perfect :) Not only did I see some FIERCE women athletes battle the elements and come out winners, but I also got to experience just how amazing this sport is as a whole. I have never been known as an athlete, I have never won a race or been the first pick on a sports team, however...I KNOW that those are true possibilities for women today. And for that I am truly thankful. I find that alot of my time is often devoted to others in my life. My kids, my husband, my family, my friends.......and I wouldn't change that for anything. This day I learned how important it can be to do something for yourself as well. Each of these women ran an amazing race. They trained, they set their goals and they achieved them :)And who was there supporting them.....none other than their children, spouses, family and friends. It was a beautiful thing to see. (Even if they had to do it in the rain, sleet and snow that this day brought). I have to thank Gazelle Sports for giving these women an opportunity to shine. Do you think that you would like to experience the comraderie, the energy, the excitement that surrounds a major sporting event such as this? If this sounds like you, please contact Gazelle Sport and volunteer to help out at a future event. You can find more information at gazellesports.com

#11 Compassionate Heart Ministry - Zeeland, MI. Tonight was the beginning of a new quarter and the next step in my year-long adventure :) This ministry is a ministry that "promotes community for families and individuals with mild to moderate disabilities and build lasting relationships with others in the love of Jesus Christ". That being said this is a gathering place for teens and young adults with disabilities to hang out, play and bond with others with no fear of being ridiculed or put down. I had more fun than you can imagine. These kids were simply fantastic. We played bingo with the entire group. Then everyone broke off to do their own thing until the end of the night. They have the opportunity to watch movies, play video games, play pool, color, play board games, do puzzles, hang out and bond with their friends. I can DEFINITELY see myself doing this again. I am still smiling :) One of the kids was a familiar face, one was a flirt, one was a story teller like you have never met, one was a prankster, they were ALL incredible. I see why this ministry exists and I hope it never ends. Isn't it amazing that I was hoping to be the difference and be a blessing to others this year, but in the end, I think that I am the one that is being blessed. If you would like to join me and Be the Difference, won't you consider Compassionate Heart Ministry? If you want to have a night that will leave you smiling like it did me and you want to meet some pretty amazing kids, please contact them at http://www.compheart.org