Windsurfing to raise awareness and money for addressing the needs of grieving parents

Dear Friends and Family, I need your help for a very worthwhile cause...please forward this to anyone that you know who might be interested in helping...

This summer, 4th of July week, I will be realizing a long time dream...to participate in the annual HIHO windsurfing race in the British Virgin Islands. HIHO stands for "Hook In and Hold On" and it's an international event drawing professional and amateur racers from all over the world. We will be covering over 100 miles during the course of 6 days racing from island to island in the BVI chain, including a long distance race of 20+ miles to Anegada. Needless to say, it will be a grueling, yet very fun week and quite the adventure. Kris will be joining me, along with two other friends I windsurf with, and their wives.

We're very fortunate and blessed to be able to realize this dream adventure, so I wanted to take the opportunity to leverage this big event to raise awareness and money for a worthy cause....KinderMourn.

Established in 1978, KinderMourn addresses the special needs of grieving parents. Its fundamental purpose, firmly incorporated by the founding Board of Directors, remains true today: "KinderMourn exists to provide a safe haven for families whose lives have been shattered by the death of a child." All grieving parents are eligible for services regardless of the age of their child or the cause of their child's death.

In addition to services for bereaved parents, KinderMourn assists children and young people who are grieving the death of a family member or friend. KinderMourn's professional grief facilitators provide individual and group counseling at the KM Home, in designated schools and neighborhood community centers. Their mission statement is "To provide a program of professionally guided support groups, counseling services and community outreach programs for families experiencing the death of a child and children grieving the death of a family member or friend."

http://www.kindermourn.org

One reason KinderMourn has stayed strong for over 25 years and continues to grow is because of the generous support it receives from individuals, corporations and foundations.

Here are examples of how donations are used:

Your gift of $500 provides a four-week Helping the Hurt support group for at risk children and teens who have lost a family member or friend.

Your gift of $250 provides five support group sessions for parents who have suffered the devastating death of a child.

Your gift of $100 provides grief literature to ten individuals seeking to support a family member or friend after the heartbreaking death of a child or other loved one.

Your gift of $25 provides one hour of counseling for a child whose parent has died.

Last year, our friends and neighbors Rob & Caroline Johnston, realized every parent's worst nightmare and lost Chloe, their 9 month old daughter, to a heart defect. KinderMourn has helped them through a very difficult period. Kris and I had no idea such an organization existed and are glad Rob and Caroline have been able to use their services. I'll be participating in this race in Chloe's memory and in the honor of the Johnstons.

I'm pledging to do my best in this race and raise awareness of KinderMourn. Please make a donation. I'm paying for all our trip and race expenses. Every single penny you donate will go to KinderMourn. It is a 501c3 tax deductible non-profit organization. Please give as little or as much as you wish. I have a goal to raise over $3,000. It's also ok if you don't make a donation...at the very least, you are now aware of KinderMourn...and raising awareness is part of the goal.

HOW DO YOU GIVE?

Please make a check out to "KinderMourn" and mail to me by June 22nd at: 160 Magnolia Farms Lane, Mooresville, NC 28117. I will collect all the donations and deliver them to KinderMourn together with the Johnstons after I return from the BVIs July 8th. Make sure your check has your address on it, or include your address in the envelope so KinderMourn can send back a receipt to you for your tax records.

Thank you for your consideration, Mac