TheRaceForGrace.com

Hi there!
Tomorrow is May 1st!! I’m just finding that out now. We are on the final stretch for Race for Grace. Food donations are coming through. Thank you to everyone for responding to my desperate plea in the last email. I think Grace knows that you are all out there working for her big day because, although delicate and a bit tired, she’s smiley and content these days.
We are still collecting donations for silent auction (items valued at $100 or more). Please let donors know that they are welcome to display business info., small banner (if provided) and business cards at the Race for Grace. Larger donors will get a live “shout out” by the MC at the event. Corporate and business sponsorships over $500 will need to be received before May 10th in order to get company name/logo on the t-shirts.
I always go through a phase of “oh no!!” before the race and then the people around me reassure me that it will all work out and it will. It always does when Grace is involved.
The Narragansett Little League dedicated their season to Grace Reddington last Saturday, who led the parade and Meg threw out the first pitch (right into the glove I might add) IT was an amazing morning. Thank you to NLL!! There’s a lot of buzzing going on in our community. Another busy but wonderful time of year for me and my family.
We are hoping to get an official crew of volunteers this year for “take down” duty. Usually it is a small crew at the end of the day breaking things down and cleaning up. It would be so helpful if we had an official team for that this year. Please let me know if you are available and I will forward your names to Russell Tellier, the project manager, MC, traffic and logistics coordinator of the event (no pressure, Russ).
We will be setting up at St. Veronica on Thursday (5/21) and Friday (5/22) so if there are any last minute auction items or drop offs, please feel free to bring them then. We cannot accept donations on the day of the race. Well, we can but we can’t use them
I think I’m sounding more positive and less desperate than the last email and that is mainly because once again, Friends of Grace have rallied to hold us up and keep us going!
So, Race for Grace everyone. I’ll keep you posted. Thank you so much for all the work work work. It’s going to be a phenomenal day.
*Don’t forget about the Rosary for Grace at 8pm (on Race for Grace night ~ May 23) at St. Veronica Chapel. We have beautiful white bags that have been decorated by children for Grace. The bags will be light up with candles in the shape of a rosary and the prayers will be led by Fr. Taillon of St. Thomas More Parish/St. Veronica Chapel. It really will be a beautiful way to give thanks and end the day. I hope you can muster up some energy to come back for this prayerful evening. You will walk away filled with GRACE.
God Bless Grace and YOU TOO!!!!!!
Love,
Tara

Hi Everyone!
We’re down to the final month until the 3rd Anuual Race for Grace (31 days exactly).
So many of you have taken it upon yourselves to launch an enthusiastic and successful “10 for 10″ campaign. The awareness of Rett Syndrome has really grown. There are so many people who know what Rett Syndrome is and are committed to helping find the cure now more than ever.
I do believe strongly that the Race for Grace will once again be a day that is overflowing with generosity and love.
Every year I get concerned that we will not have “enough” (food/drink) for everyone but I continue to have faith that it will be a day similar to the gospel about the “loaves and the fish” where the multitudes were fed and there was plenty left over.
That being said, I still have to do my part and collect some loaves and fish on my own. If there is anyone who can seek out food donations (fruit, sport drinks, dry snacks, etc.) I would really be so grateful. We still have time for businesses to secure a spot on the very popular Race for Grace t-shirts. Corporate donations will be recognized at the event with live “shout outs” banner displays (if provided) and company name/logo on the t-shirt. Also, free web advertising on the Race for Grace website.
Race for Grace has always had a feeling of abundance: abundance of food, faith and love. I hope to continue to see the abundance of all those things and more. It’s been an extremely busy year for David and I (actually an extremely busy 3 years!) and we rely on your help to secure donations of food, auction items and corporate sponsorships. As much as I do not want to do this Race for Grace event year after year, if you lived with Grace, you would realize why we have to do it. This is a progressive disease that doesn’t stop attacking Grace so I can’t stop fighting back either.
If any of you can help us out in any way, please contact me as soon as possible. Everything is tax deductible (goods and cash). All proceeds go directly to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation and as usual, if you participate in the Race for Grace,you get to walk away knowing you were part of something wonderful and that feeling is FREE!!!
Hope to see you and many many of your friends and family in a month at the Race for Grace.
I’ll be in touch and keep you posted. This is the final push. Please push along with me.
Thanks and God Bless,
Tara

Dear Friends of Grace,
It’s been a while since I’ve written and I’m finally ready to give an update. I’ll start by saying March was an extremely difficult month for Grace and our family. She experienced severe exhaustion (mainly from night seizures) which caused tremors, instability, and a general shut down and collapse of her energy and strength.
There was a point last month where I wasn’t even sure if Grace would live to see the month of April. I can say that now because she has shown a steady improvement over the past 2 weeks and it has been a blessing. When you hold your breath and think you know what your witnessing and prepare yourself and your family for something like Grace going home to heaven, it becomes easier to talk about now that things have gotten better. I also can’t help but think of all the people in our church and beyond who heard that Grace wasn’t doing well and spent more time on their knees and in prayer on her behalf. I do believe that God heard those prayers and that is why she is still here.
The fact that I have made peace with letting her go and David and my children have also made peace with it, makes her presence here even more significant and beautiful. David says there are people that she hasn’t reached yet and I have no doubt now that he is right. Grace’s life and story and how she inspires people continues to surprise me on a daily basis.
One week from today, David’s grandfather, at 93 years old, died in David’s arms. The last three words he heard on this earth were David’s words saying, “I love you” as they looked into each other’s eyes just before he died. David told me it was the greatest gift that he could have given his grandfather. As a family, we all celebrated his funeral mass and burial on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and a reason to celebrate. “Big Papa” as he was called by his fifteen great grandchildren (and one little great great grandson) was someone to celebrate. From 2 daughters, he created a strong, prosperous family and we all were able to enjoy his life and legacy. May he rest in peace.
Two days ago, on Monday, I had the amazing privilege of witnessing child birth. My beautiful friend, Liz, who I met through the Race for Grace asked me to support her in labor and help her with a natural delivery. I was overwhelmed at that thought that I might actually see a baby born and what a incredible gift Liz gave me on Monday (at 2:47 pm) to see the miracle of life that never gets old. David stood by me for all five of my children’s natural births and he said it was amazing every time. He’s right. To see a woman give all her strength and all her emotions and all her body to her tiny child who is just coming into the world was the most beautiful experience. God bless Jacob David and keep him always close.
In one month’s time, I have experienced a broad range of emotions and experiences and some profoundly simple events: life and death. They have shaped me, taught me, strengthened me and reminded me how delicate life is and that we are all together in the fragile existence of life. A woman in my neighborhood was at work one day and making chemotherapy appointments the next day. People come into the world and they go out of the world. Every life has a purpose. Every encounter leads to another. Our lives are not meaningless and random, nor are they meant for our own enjoyments. We are here to give back. We are here to grow and help others grow. I have certainly done a lot of growing over the past month and my hope is that I continue to grow and learn and never think I’m done learning what God wants of me.
I thought I knew what God’s plan was last month but how foolish of me! No one could ever know what God’s plan is and thank goodness for that, because I have no doubt that we would mess it up.
Race for Grace is in 6 short weeks!! I can’t wait. Thinking for a time that there would be no Grace at the Race for Grace, I now have greater appreciation and renewal for her life and her journey. I am beginning to think that she may actually out-live me!!!
www.theraceforgrace.com has been updated and looks beautiful. Thank you Paul for all the hardwork. Please take a peek at it. It has everything you need to raise awareness and funds for the Race for Grace. I will be receiving a shipment of beautiful “God Bless Grace” pins for everyone to wear so I’ll let you know when they are in and feel free to stop by to grab some. All the sponsor forms and collection brochures arrived yesterday so I have plenty of those. If anyone would like a bunch, let me know. We only have a few weeks to really get people committed to coming to the event so please spread the word.
Dress down days at your local schools, banks and businesses are a great way to raise money and get people involved. Please let me know if you need any literature or anything from my end. Race for Grace will be a wonderful day to celebrate life and Grace.
Our pastor, Fr. Taillon at St. Thomas More (St. Veronica Chapel) had asked me (last year) to plan a rosary the evening of the Race for Grace 2009. It will be a luminary rosary with white bags all lit up with candles in the shape of…you guessed it…the Rosary! Fr. Taillon will lead this beautiful evening and we ask that you come and bring friends to share in a Rosary for Grace. Father ordered a bunch of rosaries, so even if you don’t know how to say the Rosary or you don’t have one, please join us. It will be a prayerful and peaceful way to end a day filled with grace.
God Bless Grace and YOU too!!
Peace,
Tara