For the past few years, I have been involved with a benefit to help a darling little girl who suffers from a very rare brain disease called lyssencephaly. Her mom, Misty, has been holding amazing fundraisers for her to help offset the cost of medication and treatments that are not covered by insurance. I’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of three of them over the years, and this one was one of the most unique and interesting events I have seen in a long time.
Misty approached me months ago to show me a horseracing concept. The floor would be taped off into grids with six lanes, each divided into six blocks. The idea is that the volunteers would ride “horses” in each lane. Three dice would be rolled, and whichever number came up, that horse or horses would get to move one square forward. A horse would require doubles to be rolled if he or she was on the last square. There would be betting on the horses, different heats, and a whole lot of fun. I was in! No further explanation was necessary.
Misty goes all out when planning a fund-raiser for her daughter. The Elks Lodge of Tujunga/Sunland hosts the event each year, and tons of great friends and relatives come out to play, as well as volunteer to bring food, drinks, prizes…you name it. There was a silent auction with dozens of great prizes and two raffles with a Fender Guitar and a two-night trip to Laughlin up for grabs.
The main event of the night was the Derby. It was so much fun seeing the kids and even some adults grab the pool-noodle horses and get into position. Because the dice were giant foam cubes, I kept encouraging the kids to throw them across the room…no one would get hurt! Each of the six races drew excitement and cheers from the crowd. I had a blast calling the races and announcing the winners (while talking trash to the horses and riders falling behind!)
In between races, Novalee was presented with a Certificate of Recognition by a representative from Senator Anthony Portantino office for raising awareness in her community about lyssencephaly and other seizure disorders. All in all, it was an amazing night as usual. It’s great to be a part of a fundraiser that directly impacts a family so dramatically.
Please visit the Strength For Novalee Facebook Page for more details and to follow the story of this beautiful little girl: https://www.facebook.com/StrengthforNovalee