#PrayForLydia Fundraiser Brings Together A Community

Surrounded With Community Support

It was basically one month ago when I met Rob Maxwell face to face for the first time.  We weren't strangers.  We were connected.  We were connected by Twitter but it was more than that.  We had a community connection.  It was an online community connection which started with being in the same area, but became something bigger when Rob decided he needed to do something to show his support for the Herrle family and Lydia Herrle.  You can read more about  #PrayForLydia on this post.  Being a father to a child with Down Syndrome Rob knew that the Herrles would be facing many challenges and wanted to do his part to help.  His idea was to have a fundraiser through his Dairy Queen.  The venue is a vibrant location in our area, and he had ideas on how to raise funds for the Herrle Family.  We both we had wished out first in person meeting was under different circumstances, but we were both hopeful that we could inspire our community to come together.

Happy Canada Day

July 1st was the kick off of the paper ribbon for Lydia campaign.  Dairy Queen's customers were encouraged to buy a ribbon (ribbons provided by Trevor Cherewka, remember to give him a HI-5 next time you see him) with the proceeds from the ribbons supporting the Herrle Family.  What started out as just a couple of ribbons soon turned a store full of paper ribbons patterns.  Rob knew there was more to be done and created a one time Miracle For Lydia Day.

 Word spread quickly and soon Rob had Firefighters, Kitchener Rangers, Face painters, Bands, Local Media Celebrities and more offering to help provide entertainment for the attendees.

It Was A Day Like No Other

The community came in droves!  The lines were long and the smiles were longer.  Everyone was so happy and overwhelmed by the turnout. Whether it was to buy a treat or enter an ice cream eating competition, fun was had by all. The event was a success and Rob said the showing of support was beyond any expectation he had.  Everyone had a story.  Rob was told that someone in Cambridge saw it on the 6pm CTV Kitchener news & drove to his Waterloo location to do their part.
I kept hearing stories that the melted ice cream on everyone's clothing was well worth the laundry that needed to be done that night.

You often hear me cheer about the wonderful community I live in.  I am once again inspired by the overwhelming support that was showed at Miracle For Lydia Day.