We Heart Harlie

The We Heart Harlie event is right around the corner.  The big day is May 18th.  Lynda Reider has been working so hard!  Just look at this flyer!

Wow, right?  Thank you to Courtney Lynch (and her company and employees) for this beautiful flyer!  I think she did a great job!  And thank you to Paige Stevens Photography for the beautiful pictures of Harlie!  I will post the rest soon.  They are just beautiful!!

This year the raffle and 5k have been combined into one day.  And Lynda has been working her magic getting lots of fun stuff organized.  She even got a firetruck lined up to be there.  There are going to be lots of good raffle prizes - I'll post a list soon.

We got new t-shirts designed and ordered, and they should be in any day now.  I'm so excited!  You can order them when you register for the 5k, or you can buy them the day of the event.

Here is the link to register.  http://www.racerpal.com/races/WeHeartHarlie.html

Harlie's school is so incredibly supportive of her.  It really is amazing.  The PTA passed out papers for the students to cut out hearts and decorate them.  Then they post them on the wall in the school - Hearts for Harlie.

They are going to do this through the month of May.  Isn't that the sweetest thing?  I want to share a Facebook comment from a friend of mine, Beckie:

What a thoughtful project.  So good for Harlie, but such a learning experience for the other children.  Kudos to teachers who see beyond the "book learning" and take advantage of such a powerful example that can't be taught any other way!"

I am truly thankful for how amazing Harlie's school (both administrative staff and students) has been to her and to our family. I never dreamed it would be like this.  And Harlie knows that wall is in support of her.

Today, she studied it.  And she picked one of the hearts off the wall.  It was a drawing of a little girl standing next to another little girl.  And the smaller girl is clearly a drawing of Harlie.  It has her bow and her trach.  It was drawn by a fellow Daisy.  I don't think Harlie realizes that.  But, she knows the picture is of her and another little girl.  And Terri told me that she held on to it all day.  And as soon as she walked into the house this afternoon, she showed it to me.  The whole thing is overwhelming.  I really had NO idea how loved she would be by other kids.  I feared the world was a lot more cruel.  I have never been more glad to be wrong.

Lynda runs the We Heart Harlie Facebook page.  And she's been working on the route for the 5k.  Since we will be running on a main road, she's had to get the help of some Henrico County police officers to help with traffic control.  I really don't know how she finds the time to do all that she does.  (And she leads a Daisy troop, too!)

She also wrote this story and submitted it to Richmond Family Magazine.  Isn't she something?  Truly!  I don't know how in the world I'm ever going to be able to thank her enough.  I think her husband is really looking forward to May 19th - when she doesn't have to spend so much time and energy on the Holton family!  Lynda and Rich - thank you!!

Much love,
Christy xo