Upcoming Events Please carefully review the volunteer information before agreeing to lend your time. Saturday, September 4, 2010 CureSearch Milestones Walk, Bloomer Park, Stone Shelter, Rochester Hills, 8am-11am Join the 2nd Annual CureSearch walk in SE Michigan as we celebrate the milestones made in childhood cancer, honor survivors and those in treatment and remember all the children who have lost their battle. You are invited to join our team, form a team, make a donation, volunteer at the walk, become a corporate sponsor for the event etc. $50,000 was raised last year at the first annual walk. For more info – visit Curesearch.org or www.curesearchwalk.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=429756: Contact Debbie Smith, chairperson at (248) 583-4744 or deb_jer@yahoo.com Monday, September 13, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8 pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Tuesday, September 14, 2010, 7pm, Chapter Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology 6046 Rochester Road Troy, MI 48462 (Please use back door) All welcome! For more details contact Esther Skiba, Director, qfad.heroes@gmail.com or 248/793-3120 Friday, September 17, 2010, 1:30pm, Tuck in at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak Due to Beaumont’s preference, only past Tuck In volunteers can volunteer for this event, 3 volunteers needed. To volunteer please contact Megan Maiani, coordinator, at 734-934-1303 or Megan0501@wyan.org Wednesday, October 6, 2010, Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor, 2-6 pm Contact Jeremy James to volunteer devonsdaddy@hotmail.com or (248) 345-4189 Monday, October 11, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8 pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Friday, October 29, 2010, 1:30pm, Tuck in at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak Due to Beaumont’s preference, only past Tuck In volunteers can volunteer for this event, 3 volunteers needed. To volunteer please contact Megan Maiani, coordinator, at 734-934-1303 or Megan0501@wyan.org Monday, November 8, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8 pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Monday, December 13, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8 pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Monday, December 20,  5pm, Tuck in at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak Due to Beaumont's preference, only past Tuck In volunteers can volunteer for this event, 3 volunteers needed. To volunteer please contact Megan Maiani, coordinator, at 734-934-1303 or Megan0501@wyan.org Monday, January 10, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8 pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Monday, February 14, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Monday, March 14, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8 pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Monday, April 11, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Monday, May 9, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8 pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 Monday, June 6, Hurley Hospital, Flint 6-8 pm Contact Erin Jenkinson to volunteer ronald.jenkinson@sbcglobal.net, 810-742-4312 or 810-241-5671 2010 events 2009   |   2008   |   2007   |   2006   |   2005 QFAD/Heroes Visit to Camp Quality, near Traverse City, August 20 , 2010 By Ruth Williams-Camp Quality Coordinator The camp has moved this year to a new location in Lake Ann, Michigan just outside of Traverse City. Our new camp is beautiful. We are so excited to see the kids and get them ready for their dance. As we set up to work we lost power and thought we had blown a fuse which was not the case. A squirrel had tried to eat his way though the power line so for the time we were there we had no lights and very little power to do hair. But thanks to our awesome volunteers the kids had a great time and looked good for their big night. This year we had a number of things to do and get done. Ron did face painting! One of the funniest requests he has had, one of the little boys wanted a yellow waffle on his face. Ron told him I'm not good at waffles how about a yellow house? That made him happy and he had a very nice yellow house on his cheek. JJ handled the tattoos again this year with all the kids lining up to get one. We made t-shirts and painted cans that we will turn into shelves at Arts, Beats, & Eats this year. And then everyone had their hair, make-up, and nails done so they looked great for the night. Thanks to all my volunteers Debbie, Catie, Angie, JJ, Peggy, Marlene, Lindsey, Ron, Laura, Sarah, Lindsey, Linda(and friend), and Juliette. We had a lot of new volunteers joining us this year. Thanks to everyone for all their hard work and I look forward to working with everyone again next year as we have a fun day a camp QFAD/Heroes Luau Fundraiser at The Detroit Pub, August 14, 2010 By Kelly Garrasi-Luau Fundraiser Coordinator QFAD/Heroes hosted its first Hawaiian Luau at the Detroit Pub in Clinton Township on August 14. All guests received a free entry into a drawing for a free DVD player. We also had a 50/50 raffle along with a raffle that had many prizes donated. Donated prizes included-Target, Meijer, Buffalo Wild Wings, Clearview Homes, Golftec, Papa Vino’s and several more. The Detroit Pub donated sliders, fries and pop and a great thank you go out to them for also not only the donation of the food but also for the use of their facility. Also a special you thank to Clearview Homes whom not only donated several raffle prizes (card table & chairs, vacuum, DVD Player, Cooler and printer) but also a thank you for the donation of the hot dogs. When the volunteers first arrived we weren’t sure how the attendance was going to be as we had only sold a handful of tickets prior to the event but the turnout was great. We had approximately 60 people that had showed up for the event. By the end of the night The Detroit Pub was very impressed with the turn out for the event and hope that we can have another successful year next year. QFAD Private visit with Alayna and Leeann-August 7, 2010 By Jeremy James, Mott Hospital Chairperson Today, we honored two very special ladies: Alayna and Leeann. Alayna is 5-years old and hails from Taylor. She’s been battling Cystic Fibrosis for some time now and was eager to take to the skies. Leeann is 17-years old and hails from Brighton. Leeann battled Cancer when she was younger and thankfully, is in remission. QFAD/Heroes first met Leeann at Camp Quality and was a good friend to one of our heroes with angel wings, Kevin Hertz. She’s truly one of our favorites and has a tremendous heart! Sgt. Todd (Swank) Svenkesen and Magnum Helicopters hooked up the cherry-red chopper and spun them around town. Alayna was shot downtown and toured around the international waters, while Leeann tooled around southeast Michigan and flew landmarks, including the Silverdome and Chrysler headquarters. Matt from the airport authority brought out their emergency rig and Alayna was allowed to use their water cannon, which inevitably splashed her mom, Jennifer and boyfriend, Don. Big THANKS goes to VP Jeremy Smith of Delta Systems, in Clarkston, and Mr. Christopher Miron our most generous sponsors. Without support from our sponsors, special events like this wouldn’t be possible. A big THANKS goes out to Magnum Helicopters, Sgt. Swank, OCIA, Deb Hormel, Catie Hormel-Glossman, and Karen Hertz (love ya’!). "Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-July 26, 2010 By Megan Maiani-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator This evening Kerry and I visited 17 children ranging from 4 days old to 18 years old on the 5th floor Pediatric Unit at Beaumont. Each child received either a tiara or Fireman hat, a book or magazine, and a blanket. Each and every child had a family member in their room who was also very appreciative of the program we are doing. Many of the children were very tired, had just been moved into their room, or were sleeping so there was not much talking going on, just a smile and thanks for the gifts we had left with them. Two different children reminded me of why volunteering is so important, especially with children. An 18 year old girl was very excited to receive a Seventeen magazine and then asked me if we do anything at DeVos hospital. After chatting with her and letting her know we do events all over, she became very interested in volunteering once she is out of the hospital. It really makes you sit back and realize that these children who spend time in the hospital are so grateful for what people do for them that they do not think twice about giving back. After she inquired about volunteering, her room mate who was just moved from the PICU asked for more information. The second child that touched me was a 5 year old boy. I delivered him a froggy blanket and he simply said, "Megan, I have 100's of blankets, can I have permission to give this to my new baby brother or sister that will be here Thursday or do I have to keep it?" I simply replied, "That would probably be a great idea, you could even make the new baby a card." Very quickly he responded with, "My dad doesn't do crafts, do you think you could come back tomorrow and bring me some markers and paper?" I smiled for the rest of the night thinking about this young boy. Needless to say, I will be retuning tomorrow to make a card with him because you don't make a promise you can't keep with children, and I would never say no to such a cute face. This experience was an amazing first experience, and I look forward to sharing with you over time, about these visits and the joy we can bring to children. QFAD Visit to Camp Quality, Camp Coneconic in Fenton, July 22, 2010 By Beth Monicatti Blank-QFAD Fenton Camp Quality Coordinator Camp Quality www.campqualitymi.org is a summer camping experience and year-round support program for children with cancer. "Set Sail with Camp Quality" was the theme. At the camp for the week were 60 kids. Participating were 40 girls and 25 boys--all in need of a camp experience. Queen for a Day/Heroes was asked to assist in the preparations before the big dance, held the last night of camp. The talented people from Excel did hair while the rest of us did makeup, nails, decorated cookies, made crafts and learned from the great people at the Detroit Police Department about their tactical gear! Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers-Ruth, Kim, Victoria, Karen, Devon, Christoper, Pamela, Amanda, Andy, Dena, Lori, Tina, Loreen, Debbie, Catie, Esther, Carol, Stacy, Ray, Patty and Julia. We couldn't have done it without each other. Thanks for spending your valuable time with me! "Gimmie' a Break" program Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak – June 21, 2010 By Ruth Williams - Beaumont Hospital Gimmie' a Break Coordinator Gimmie’ a Break has turned into an event not only for the parents but now we also include the kids. We saw 25 people including the kids. Thankfully, I had surprise help from Rocky and we put her to work fast. Thanks Rocky for playing with the kids and helping making sure everything was running smoothly! It was also our first night back with Joanne and it was great to work with her again. By the end of the night all the girls had their nails done and so did the moms. The facials were done on all the adults and everyone that had a massage was ready for bed including us. We'll be back on July 19th to do it all again. QFAD/Heroes 3rd Annual Fashion Show - May 15, 2010 By Nikki Follis-Fashion Show Chairperson We had a fantastic time at the 3rd Annual Spring Fashion show held at the Parisian store at the Partridge Creek Mall. This year we opened the event up to boys and girls ages 3-21. We had 17 kids in attendance that day including 14 girls and 3 boys. The day began with time spent at either Excel Academies of Cosmetology or Parisian's personal salon made possible by Excel and the Lancome counter at Parisian. The Excel students took the time to provide hair and makeup services to all of the participants involved ensuring that they would look their absolute best for the event. And they truly looked amazing. The next step was to the dressing room where they were able to change into their outfits provided by Parisian. Personal shoppers were available this year to provide each participant with the shopping experience of a lifetime! Rumor has it, Danielle at Parisian opened the store to them and allowed them to choose any outfit they wanted. This was a huge hit! Cristine's Camera provided photo shoots of the participants and each child will receive a CD photo memory of their day. Those arriving while the participants were getting ready were greeted by the Tea Party Castle princess, Theresa. She is absolutely stunning and was enjoyed by everyone in attendance. Little girls visiting the mall totally had their days made with Theresa in the store. There was even a pink limo that Princess Theresa arrived in circling the mall. It appeared to get plenty of attention too! Just as years past, smiles, tears and cheers filled the room as soon as the participants started their way down the runway. Alexa Atkins took the time to speak to the audience about her story at the start of the show. What an amazing young woman she is! It is my pleasure to know her! It was a great addition to hear her speak of how far she has come to be where she is today. It truly is wonderful to be a part of such a great event. These kids are amazing! We had a great turnout with approximately 150 people in attendance with standing room only again this year. Danielle at Parisian is looking into making this event a mall-wide event next year since we keep outgrowing our space! We are already in the planning stages for our 4th Annual Fashion Show. Be on the lookout for the date soon! Thank you to all of the volunteers that came out to help the day of the event as well as those who assisted prior to the event! There was a lot of work that went into planning the event and the final outcome really showed how much the effort really made a difference! I could not put this event together without all of your help and support! Hurley Medical Center, Flint Michigan: Pediatric Unit/Pediatric Intensive Care Visit - May 10, 2010 By Erin QFAD/HEROES Hurley Hospital Chairperson Oh boy, when we went into the pediatric unit tonight it was so quiet with only 8 children on the floor! But we soon found out there were also 8 children in the intensive care unit. We brought a new volunteer with us tonight! Derek Burton, who is a reservist in the US Marines. Our visit started out in the ICU where the family of a young man who is severely handicapped was so pleased that we came to see their son. We gave the young man a little stuffed walrus and a firemen's hat. We offered the parents word searches to help pass the time. They expressed their thankfulness for our program. We had one last stop before we left the ICU. This little boy was too cute! He loved his little fireman's hat! He was really interested in the men dressed in uniforms standing behind the him, he kept looking backwards while we were trying to get a picture for his mom, thanks to Jordan who jumped in front and started making funny faces. As you can see we got the picture! We were then off to the floor where we had a nice time visiting and talking with the children and their parents. The floor sure is different when there is only 8 children! We all need to give Officer Scott Theede a giant pat on the back for putting a little girl who was crying very loud, fast asleep! He took her gently from the nurse and talked to her and rocked her until she was sleeping quietly! With 3 boys and baby on the way I am sure this special gift comes in handy at his house:) QFAD Beauty Bash Fundraiser-April 27, 2010 By Esther Skiba, QFAD Metro Detroit Director Our 7th annual beauty bash fundraiser was held at Excel Academies of Cosmetology in Troy. Guests were invited to choose 2 salon services for $35.00 or for $50.00 they could the 2 services and a beautiful rhinestone pin, selected by Detroit chapter founder Dena Raminick. Angie Sanchez and her group of volunteers met on the evening before the event to set up and decorate. Marlene and Sue again worked their magic and the transformed the main salon area in to a sea of white lights and pink tulle. It looked lovely! Guests also enjoyed shopping at the vendor tables, bidding on great auction items, massages and refreshments. Ruth Williams, manager of the school and QFAD/Heroes Advisory Board member, along with her staff and students, pampered the 68 guests that attended. As the guests left they were given a gift bag stuffed with lots of goodies, many donated by QFAD/Heroes friend Marcia Friedman. A great big hug and thank you to all who attended and volunteered. "Run with the Cops, not from Them!" 1 mile/5K Fundraiser, April 24, 2010 By Sgt. Jeremy James-Mott Children's Hospital-Ann Arbor Coordinator Detroit QFAD/Heroes hosted its first charity fun walk/run, on Historic Belle Isle, in Detroit, to the beat of strollers, running shoes and even a few canine pets! We registered 171 walker/runners with 139 actually attending, with over 20 volunteers in attendance. Needless to say, the 150 t-shirts we ordered went pretty quick! Our first group was the 1 mile'rs, which included our new friends, the Hertz family, who walked in remembrance of their son, Kevin. The second group were the 5k'ers and what a large group it was! Medals were given out to our first 5 men and first 5 women finishers, some of which ran 5-minute miles! Our event brought in a wonderfully diverse crowd of all different ages, races, genders, and skill levels. It was truly amazing to see that we also attracted several running groups who trekked downtown to join us on our special day. Our guest speaker was Detroit Police Chief Warren C. Evans, who pumped our runners up before the race. Also in attendance was the Detroit Police SRT (SWAT) TEAM, who arrived in their newly purchased tank and tools and provided smiles to our children and even a few female volunteers! Our thanks goes out to the City of Detroit City Council members, Parks and Recreation Department, Detroit Police Department, Crystal Englund, Society of Water Consumption, C.Tocco Produce and all of our generous sponsors. Our special thanks goes out to Sgt. Carol Almeranti, who's vision and tenacious spirit put together one heck of an event. After our wonderful turn-out, you'll definitely be seeing this event again in 2011. "Gimmie' a Break" program Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak – April 20, 2010 By Ruth Williams - Beaumont Hospital Gimmie' a Break Coordinator April 20th at Beaumont for Gimmie' a Break was a very busy night. We walked into 6 families waiting for us to start our services. The night went by so fast that we could have stayed longer. This night we saw 26 patients and family. We also went bedside for a little girl to have her nails done. Our massage therapist worked hard at getting all the kinks out of necks and backs. The little girls and moms all had pretty nails for the night and fun relaxing in our spa. We can't wait to go back! "Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-April 14, 2010 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD/Heroes Detroit Founder Today I visited our friends on the Fifth Floor Peds at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. While it was a quiet day I managed to see over 20 kids ranging in age from 2 to 19. I delivered blankets, patterned pillow cases, books and some fun goodies. One little boy, age 3, was particularly grumpy and sad when I arrived but was delighted after learning that his new Superman Sunglasses that I gave him lit up. He made his father take his picture with them and we finally got a smile out of him. I also especially loved a visit with another little boy who wasn't too fond of visitors who was also delighted with his light-up guitar necklace. He repaid me with a big smile and a doggie sticker which he placed on my hand! :) THINGS TO NOTE: Our next visit is 6 pm on May 10th. Also, we are in need of supplies! Teen Magazines, Activity Books, Blankets, Pillow Cases, Light Up Toys are all big hits! Also, the HOSPITAL is in dire need of markers, glue sticks and kiddie scissors if anyone can help! Hurley Medical Center, Flint Michigan: Pediatric Unit/Pediatric Intensive Care Visit - April 12th, 2010 By Erin QFAD/HEROES Hurley Hospital Chairperson With only 16 children to visit on the pediatric unit this was very calm Royal Tuck In. Myself, Officer Scott Theede, and Ms. Michigan, Shelley Lance got to spend a lot of time chatting with the kids tonight. We really enjoyed the extra time getting to hear the stories from the kids about their stay at the hospital and a little bit about their lives. We met two young men tonight who were very inspiring. They both had lots of energy and were positive and optimistic about their recovery from cancer. I encouraged them to check out the QFAD and Hero's website to see just what we can offer them. We were all tickled by a very sweet little girl who bounced around, played, and smiled the whole time we visited with her. She was not about to let her trach, IV tube's, or oxygen tube's get in the way of her having a good time. She did settle for a quick moment to get a picture with us. Un-Birthday Party, Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital, March 19, 2010 By Debbie Hormel, Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson It was everyone's birthday at our QFAD/Heroes party!! We had cupcakes to decorate, mugs to personalize and door hangers to design. For the princesses (8) and princes (2) who couldn't come we hand delivered birthday goodie bags to their bedside filled with toys, games, make-up, books, magazines and crafts for them to enjoy. In the Garden Room we had 1 young princess come in with a very sad face, but left smiling and laughing after her fabulous make-up by Catie Hormel and her yummy cupcake all packed up for her to enjoy later. We also had a gorgeous teen that had already done her make-up before visiting us, but sat with Karen Blazek and Patty Cody decorating cupcakes. We packed a birthday bag for her with some great make-up and teen magazines that she really enjoyed. Julie Hass, Karen Blazek, Debbie Hormel and Amy Zimmer We were joined by two new volunteers, Amy Zimmer and Julie Haas, both from the Tri Delta sorority alumni chapter. Prior to our Un-Birthday Party they did a magazine/toy drive, and came with bags loaded with teen magazines and Ambassador for the parents. They also brought some fun Beanie Babies which we used for our room visit goodie bags. Thanks Tri Delta for choosing our charity for your generous donations! Once again the QFAD/Hero volunteers made this a special day for all the kids and parents! Thank you Karen, Patty, Catie, Amy and Julie for sharing your time, talent and treasures with these special kids. Girl Scout Troup Visit / Supply Pick-up-March 30th 2010 By Erin Jenkinson-Chairman Hurley Medical Center Pediatric Unit I had an awesome opportunity to meet 8 lovely 5th grade young ladies during their weekly Girl Scout troop meeting. I was invited to the meeting to retrieve crafts, games, fleece pillows and blankets that the girls had handcrafted to be donated to QFAD to distribute to the children at Hurley Medical Center: Pediatric Unit. I opened up the visit by telling the girls a little bit about myself and my involvement with QFAD. The girls then went around the table and explained what they had made and why they choose their project. It was very sweet to hear about the details of what they had done. I then talked about the activities that QFAD is involved in. I told the girls about the monthly hospital visits that QFAD volunteers make to Pediatric units, not only in Michigan, but around the country. They were very excited to know that their crafts would be used to make a child's hospital stay more comfortable. I also told them about QFAD's involvement at Camp Quality, the many fundraisers, like the golf outing, beauty bash, and the upcoming run. The girls were really excited to hear about the annual fashion show. They thought it was really "cool" that we did this for the children. Many the parents of these young ladies were in attendance and were very impressed with the activities of QFAD. I encouraged the girls to keep volunteering their time and energy to projects like QFAD. I told them how much I appreciated the supplies and know that the children will be just as excited to receive them. As I got ready to load the supplies, along with a couple extra boxes of crafts and games donated by the troop leader, every girl jumped up and helped me put them in my car. A great big thank goes out to these girl for their hard work and support of QFAD! "Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-March 23, 2010 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD/Heroes Detroit Founder This afternoon Lauren Elizabeth and I visited the 5th floor of Beaumont to enjoy one-on-one visits with around twenty kids. Today our kids ranged in age from 3 all the way up to 20. We brought blankets, books and goodies to our queens and heroes and the visits were truly needed. Switching this Tuck In program from evening to daytime shows us a different level of patience/pain levels. At night, we found many of the kids were overwhelmed at the idea of staying overnight once again and had added stress loads due to feeling the stress and worry of their visiting parents. During the day, we are finding our kids are much more relaxed but it also seems they are in more pain/discomfort and our visits are a bit shorter. All in all we spent two hours with the kids. One of my more memorable visits was with a little boy Justin, age 4. When I asked him if he was married he laughed and laughed; I then asked him if he would marry Lauren. I guess he's not ready for marriage yet. He was busy playing a video game but stopped to chat with us for a bit. When I pulled out a miniature game of "Barrel of Monkeys" he was up for the challenge. Another queen we saw received a tiara with flashing LED lights, which arrived just in the nick of time - she was about to get poked with a needle and the nurse was dreading it, as she hadn't had much luck with her. The tiara distracted her well and the needle was a non-issue. Our next visit will be April 14th from 1 - 3 pm. Hurley Medical Center, Flint Michigan: Pediatric Unit/Pediatric Intensive Care Visit – March 8th, 2010 By Erin Jenkinson, QFAD/HEROES Hurley Hospital Chairperson What a busy night on the unit! We visited with 30 patients! Thank goodness for our volunteers; Brittany, Kathleen, and Patrick:) Last month we started out in the intensive care unit and things went well, so we decided to start there again..well, once again it made things run smoother. We had several visits with older kids tonight, they were happy to get books and puzzles to pass the time away. We saw lots of happy smiling faces on the little kids when we came in with coloring books, crafts, tiaras and firemen hats. We met a courageous young lady tonight who has been conquering cancer for over 8 years! Hopefully, she will be join us at the upcoming fashion show:) Each of us were reminded tonight of how much the kids really do enjoy these special visits. So come on out and join us next month:) Linda Monicatti Book Donation—March 2010 By Esther Skiba, QFAD Metro Detroit Director A generous donation was made by Linda Monicatti to purchase books for our Tuck In visits. Linda made a few suggestions of books that she thought the children would enjoy. With her donation we were able to purchase 10 hard cover books. Book plates were added to the inside covers where Linda added names of friends as the person donating the books. What a wonderful way to not only brighten the day of the children that will receive them but also a nice way to honor her friends. "Gimmie' a Break" program Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak – March 9, 2010 By Ruth Williams - Beaumont Hospital Gimmie' a Break Coordinator We finally made it back to Beaumont Hospital for our Gimmie' a Break program. The last 2 visits were snowed out--hopefully we are past that now. I love having the families come in and everyone receive our spa services. This night we had services for 15 parents and kids. We also were able to visit and do manicures for 2 patients in the intensive care unit. Between facials, massages and nails we were busy all evening. Our next Beaumont visit will be on April 20th as long as the snow is over. MARVAC Camper and RV Show Fundraiser-February 13, 2010 By Esther Skiba, QFAD Metro Detroit Director A big thank you goes out to the Michigan Association of Recreational Vehicles and Campgrounds (MARVAC) for inviting our volunteers to raise money at the camper show. For the last several years MARVAC has allowed QFAD & Heroes to man the coat check area at the camper show. As well as providing space for our QFAD & Heroes hats, pins, tiaras to be sold. Our volunteers were kept very busy and had the pleasure of sharing information on our program with the show guests. Several hundred dollars were raised for our program. Hurley Medical Center, Flint Michigan: Pediatric Unit/Pediatric Intensive Care Visit, February 8th, 2010 By Erin Jenkinson and Paula Jenkinson QFAD/HEROES Hurley Hospital Chairpersons We mixed things up a bit tonight and started our Royal Tuck In by visiting with our little Heroes and Princesses in the Intensive Care Unit first. This worked out really well, it gave us the chance to see the all the kids before they went off to sleep for the night. Our visit certainly made a difference for one little girl who was crying and upset when we went into see her. By the time we left she was smiling and talking with us, and she definitely looked like a little princess with her crown and boa on. We headed out to the Pediatric floor where we ran into Alex who was happy to see us. We brought him a special Valentine bear and he shared with us how he had helped the nurses decorate the unit for Valentine's Day. We helped make Valentines and crafts and brightened up many faces tonight. A good visit was had by all! "Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-February 8, 2010 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD/Heroes Detroit Founder Today, Queen for a Day/Heroes visited our friends at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. While we typically do our Royal Tuck In visits in the evening time to settle our kids in for the night, we were asked to try an afternoon visit. We teamed up with Debi and Catie Hormel since they had a Craft Party planned in the Garden Room and while they set up for group visits, we went room to room. I was thrilled to have two new volunteers with me today, Tina Houvener and Debby Burnstein. Both ladies were wonderful with the kids and I look forward to having them join us again! Debby's 15 year old son made 20 gorgeous fleece blankets and her 11 year old son helped her make 20 Valentine's Goody Bags which we handed out to the kids we visited with. The goody bags were amazing - filled with great toys, light up wands, necklaces, etc. We visited with around 15 kids, ages 2 through 15 today. One of our more memorable visits was a three-year old cutie. We had her in giggles by the time we gave her her goodies and when I gave her the blanket I said ".and here's a yummy little blankie for you!" Her eyes got really big and she asked "Is there candy inside?" I thought that was so funny so we slowly unrolled the blankie to search for chocolate bars. We didn't find any so I told her I would have a chat with our friend who made them as he must have made a mistake! ? Until Joanne returns we are going to keep the daytime visits. While I originally thought they wouldn't be as "needed" as the evening I actually am thinking the opposite is true. I noticed today that less parents were actually around (probably at work) than we see at night, so perhaps the afternoon visits are better. Our next visits are scheduled for March 24th and April 14th. Both visits will be from 1-3 pm. Hurley Medical Center, Flint Michigan: Pediatric Unit/Pediatric Intensive Care Visit January 11th, 2010 By Erin Jenkinson and Paula Jenkinson QFAD/HEROES Hurley Hospital Chairpersons Great tonight! We had another new volunteer with us this evening, Karen Filbrick. We are starting to build a core group of volunteers, yeah! All together we visited with 19 kids this evening and had a super time. We met with a quiet little 4 year old who was newly diagnosed with leukemia. He was receiving his first round of chemo, and feeling pretty scared and quiet. His mother was very excited about our visit, we spent lots of time with them:) She told me how happy she was that we would be there every month "cheer up" her little boy:) I gave them information on the program, hopefully, we will see him at camp this summer! We also met with a young man , who is in remission! Officer Theede and I had a great conversation with Alex, we actually had to stop the visit so we could get to the other kids:) Just before leaving I returned to check on a young lady who I left a terra, boa, and the book, "Princess Diaries" on her bedside table. She was back from surgery and still sleepy, but looked up at her gifts and smiled as she fell back to sleep. Her mom was so excited and thankful for the gifts. I thought to myself, this is perfect, every child should be able to wake up from surgery just like that:) Alex with me and Officer Theede Snug as a bug in a rug! Bowled in the New Year Fundraiser, January 1, 2010 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD/Heroes Detroit Founder On January 1, 2010, QFAD/Heroes "Bowled in the New Year" with a new fundraiser at Wonderland Lanes. For one entrance price guests were able to bowl up to three games, enjoy unlimited food, desserts and non-alcoholic beverages. Inside the bowling alley, we also had arts and crafts for the children and a QFAD/Heroes display with information and merchandise for sale. The bar area showcased all "bowl" games. While attendance was not what we had hoped for (looking back on it now, I think people would rather watch football at home?) a great time was had by all. Board members, Beth, JJ, Debi, Catie and Dena were all on hand, as well as around 25 other "friends" of QFAD/Heros - many new faces among the crowd! Our friends at Wonderland were very enthusiastic about our organization and have offered to host another event in the Spring when we have a better opportunity for higher traffic.