The Wonderful Chocolate Gala

On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Childhood Cancer Foundation (RMCCF),  Emily and I were blessed to attend the First Annual Chocolate Gala.  This event assisted funding to help families with children diagnosed with cancer.  All proceeds from this event help the organization support local Colorado families in their time of need and it is a foundation that I fell in love with.

That evening, we viewed fabulous silent auction items and listened to heartfelt stories from families who were personally devastated by cancer.  My favorite speaker was the young man in the photograph below (19 years old).  I first met him when I stood at the entrance of the Gala, greeting guests as they entered. He approached me and asked to take his photo with me.  I did not know who he was at the time but was delighted by his request.  We began talking and he shared that he was the keynote speaker of the event.  He also shared how nervous he was to speak in front of such a large crowd.  I gave him a hug and told him that I knew he’d be great. 

With the Keynote Speaker, A True Hero

Emily and I sat at our table and enjoyed the scrumptious dinner, good conversation, and entertainment.  Then it was time for the program and the young man I early spoke with walked gracefully to the podium.  His words flowed with ease and confidence and I was proud of him.  He then told his story of how he was diagnosed with brain cancer at the age of 17; he was a senior in high school.  My heart immediately felt heavy and the lump in my throat throbbed.  He spoke so calmly and smoothly as he gave personal details about his battle with cancer. I couldn’t help looking at his family who sat at the table next to me and just thought, I have no idea how they have dealt with this pain.  The thought of watching you child suffer is just heart wrenching. He was truly a hero to me, standing up there with so much courage. In his speech, he explained that his mother had to quit her job to take him to chemotherapy every day. They were behind on their mortgage and bills were piling up. He then shared that this is where the RMCCF stepped in and helped his family with the burden of trying to make their monthly payments like the mortgage, electric bill, heat, car payment, gas, etc.  I am happy to say that this young hero is in remission and enjoying life.

The teams at RMCCF are trained to step in and make a decision and move quickly to help ease some of the financial stress that families find themselves in at this devastating time of their lives.  If you are interested in donating money to families struggling with their child who has cancer here in the Denver area or would like to learn more about this foundation, I encourage you to visit the link below. This is an organization that I will personally be supporting forever.
To learn more, please visit: http://rmccfsite.org/