Children's Charity Carnivals
Thanks to the overwhelming support from several dozen volunteers and several hundred guests, our sixth and final annual backyard carnival raised over $5,500 for the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation and Emmy's fund. Thanks to all who made the past nine years of these fundraisers so amazing and successful!
The birth of Children's Charity Carnivals was the birth of Abby Horan Charities. Eight years ago, at the age of five, I held a small "Horan Carnival" in the backyard of my house. I think we raised about $20 or so, which to a bunch of five and six year olds seemed like a fortune! We spent the first half of the carnival under blankets in our basement due to a severe thunderstorm. But then, about an hour into when we thought the carnival would be, the clouds magically cleared up and out popped the sun! The sun coming out in midst of a stormy day in the making was a sign to me and the rest of us that this carnival would go on for a long time, no matter what. I spent the rest of the carnival chasing away bees (actually they pretty much chased me away!) from our concession stand and arguing with our kindergarten volunteers about how volunteering meant they didn't get to keep any of our money. All in all, it was a ton of fun, and we couldn't wait until next year. All our proceeds from the first carnival went to a local teenager paralyzed from the neck down in a football accident. So did the proceeds from our next carnival. And our next.
Finally, for our fourth annual carnival, we decided to 'mix things up a bit'. With a bit more advertising and some phone calls, we raised exactly $217 for the Sarcoma Alliance Foundation in honor of a friend of the family who lost his battle with sarcoma. That was just the boost we needed to keep our fundraising going!
Our next carnival came the summer before I entered eighth grade, when I decided to donate the proceeds to a local girl I (at the time) hardly knew who was fighting leukemia. As preparations for the fifth annual "Horan Backyard Carnival" began, I got to know Emily to the point of her asking me if I'd be her pretend sister. I couldn't have asked for a better family to receive the $1,250 that carnival raised. Emmy is my hero, the inspiration for me to continue all of my charity work.
It was decided after we learned of the results of our 6th Annual Carnival that we decided to go out with a "bang" and not continue the incredibly successful fundraiser. A week before the carnival, Emily passed away after a heroic two-year fight against leukemia. The carnival was held the day after her funeral. Over 400 people came out August 11 to support Emily and our fundraiser, including Emily's parents and younger sister. Emily's older sister Nicole was one of our amazing volunteers, helping to run the "Toe Marble" game with my younger sister. In the three-hour time frame, we raised over $5,500 for the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation and Emily's fund. There is no doubt in any of our volunteers' minds that the reason this carnival was so successful was that our angel was hard at work in Heaven to make the day a success! Our special guests included Miss Illinois 2007 Ashley Hatfield and Grabowski, the Chicago Rush mascot.
Though this was our last carnival, we are currently brainstorming an idea for a new and improved summer fundraiser. Please e-mail me with ideas! Thank you to all who have supported our fundraiser over the past nine years!
Finally, for our fourth annual carnival, we decided to 'mix things up a bit'. With a bit more advertising and some phone calls, we raised exactly $217 for the Sarcoma Alliance Foundation in honor of a friend of the family who lost his battle with sarcoma. That was just the boost we needed to keep our fundraising going!
Our next carnival came the summer before I entered eighth grade, when I decided to donate the proceeds to a local girl I (at the time) hardly knew who was fighting leukemia. As preparations for the fifth annual "Horan Backyard Carnival" began, I got to know Emily to the point of her asking me if I'd be her pretend sister. I couldn't have asked for a better family to receive the $1,250 that carnival raised. Emmy is my hero, the inspiration for me to continue all of my charity work.
It was decided after we learned of the results of our 6th Annual Carnival that we decided to go out with a "bang" and not continue the incredibly successful fundraiser. A week before the carnival, Emily passed away after a heroic two-year fight against leukemia. The carnival was held the day after her funeral. Over 400 people came out August 11 to support Emily and our fundraiser, including Emily's parents and younger sister. Emily's older sister Nicole was one of our amazing volunteers, helping to run the "Toe Marble" game with my younger sister. In the three-hour time frame, we raised over $5,500 for the Bear Necessities Pediatric Cancer Foundation and Emily's fund. There is no doubt in any of our volunteers' minds that the reason this carnival was so successful was that our angel was hard at work in Heaven to make the day a success! Our special guests included Miss Illinois 2007 Ashley Hatfield and Grabowski, the Chicago Rush mascot.
Though this was our last carnival, we are currently brainstorming an idea for a new and improved summer fundraiser. Please e-mail me with ideas! Thank you to all who have supported our fundraiser over the past nine years!