A Humbling (and extremely fun) Evening
- GiveBackGirls
- Mar 30
- 3 min read
When Michelle and I set out to have this adventure of volunteering and giving back to the community, we never imagined this! I remember sitting at Michelle’s kitchen table, shooting ideas back and forth, trying to figure out what we could do that would make a positive impact with the little time we could afford. After all, we were both still working full time jobs. Well, here we are, two years later and our group of two has become ten women strong! The Connecticut chapter of the cystic fibrosis foundation invited the Give Back Girls to their volunteer awards night and informed us that we would be receiving a special recognition for our volunteerism! This night will certainly be a highlight in our story.
The girls were thrilled with the news and immediately started planning what to wear! Since the event would be cocktail dress, Michelle and I decided to present the ladies with GBG necklaces, binding us as a group.
Don't worry, Michelle was there, she was fashionably late, and didn’t miss a thing!
The beautiful New Haven Lawn Club is where the event was hosted. The hors d’oeuvres were unique, delicious, and endless. Check out these beautiful bites.
The world of volunteerism lives and breathes and apparently eats! Along the way, we've learned that organizations have great appreciation for their volunteers; they organize events to express this sentiment. Unnecessary I suspect, since volunteers will continue to show up and lend a hand, yet these events do highlight the importance of giving back, keeping foundations and non-profits viable.
After lovely hor d'oeuvres and drinks, we enjoyed hearing the successes of the chapter's fundraising efforts and how this money has been put to amazing use. Cystic fibrosis used to be a childhood disease where being born with CF meant that the child would not be expected to live to see Kindergarten. Today, because of the advancements in treatments, technology, and infectious disease management, adults continue to live with CF one day at a time. They appreciate each given day as researchers continue to search for a cure that will unleash the tomorrows for every patient.
As we listened to the stories of families living with a CF patient, parents who have lost their children to CF, and the successes of little warrior patients, we were greatly inspired to do more. Interest peaked? Here is a short 9 min read about the history of CF . Remember to come back and see how our night culminated!
Let me tell you about the award given to a variety of individuals and groups such as top fundraisers, medical groups caring for CF patients, brave warriors, and yes, volunteers. The picture is a set of lungs that was drawn by two young warriors with CF. They adorned their lung with a pathway, showing what it is like to have CF along with what they have been able to enjoy because of advancements in treatment.
This award is special; it's the backbone to the reason why we give part of our evenings or weekends to this community. The GBGs were truly honored and humbled to receive one of these awards. Along the way we have learned so much about volunteering. The biggest take-away? Many hands truly make lighter work and with friends, it is not work, it’s fun!
Great Strides is the next event for CF that will be attended by the Give Back Girls. This walk is in Madison, CT starting at the Madison Surf Club on June 1st. Consider walking with a team! They make it easy to raise a few bucks and the event is fun to attend with a family!
Here is a list of the Great Strides walks throughout Connecticut; join one. Sunday,
May 4 - New Canaan GS at New Canaan HSSaturday,
May 10 - West Haven GS at Jimmies of Savin Rock
Saturday, May 31 - Glastonbury GS at Glastonbury Town Hall
Saturday, May 31 - Putnam GS at Rotary Park
Sunday, June 1 - Madison GS at The Surf Club
Sunday, June 1 - New London GS at Ocean Beach Park
Saturday, June 7 - Avon GS at Pine Grove School
Truly commendable! The best of humanity.