new - 1 Million 4 Anna

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Scholarship Recipient Spotlight
KLTY Celebrate Freedom
We'd like to share a little about Raul Gonzalez,
We are blessed to have the support of Bonnie
Ewing's survivor and two time 1 Million 4 Anna
Curry, 94.9 KLTY Radio, and Reliant Energy. An
scholarship recipient.
ad campaign for Reliant Energy is running this
Raul Gonzalez has completed two years studying
summer on 94.9FM.
Computer Science at El Centro College and will
Bonnie is encouraging listeners to save money
begin work on a B.S. in Computer Science this
with Reliant Energy’s product called the “Nest”,
fall at UT Dallas. At El Centro, Raul excelled
and suggesting that customers use their savings
academically and was elected VP of
with Reliant to support the 1 Million 4 Anna
Communications for Phi Theta International
Foundation.
Honor Society for all community colleges. He
We were also given the opportunity to participate
was selected to join a group of students who
in Celebrate Freedom on Saturday, June 29 by
toured the NASA Johnson Space Center in
KLTY Radio, the largest free outdoor concert in
Houston. Raul enjoys computer games, reading,
America. We were able to share 1 Million 4 Anna
and working math problems. Raul was diagnosed
there in person with an information booth and
with Ewing’s when he was only nine years old
through ads combined with Reliant on the
with a tumor the size of an orange in his left
Jumbotron.
sacrum. After enduring chemotherapy, radiation
Thank you Reliant Energy, Bonnie Curry, Darla
and strenuous physical therapy, Raul continued
White, and 94.9 KLTY Radio for all of this
his young life.
awesome support! Thank you Elizabeth Allen of
Copper Penny Films for your fantastic assistance
with the film.
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Anna being shared on the Jumbotron at
He agreed to be our first Scholarship Spotlight.
Celebrate Freedom June 29.
Below is the Q&A with Raul:
Q: What did having cancer teach you?
Having cancer has taught me many things. When
1st Annual Carnival of Light Music Fest
I was first diagnosed with cancer at the age of
We are very excited to announce a very special
nine, I did not ever think it would happen to me.
event honoring Anna's love of music. Our first
One of the main things that hardship taught
annual Carnival of Light Music Fest! The name
me is how to never quit. Many times I felt that I
Carnival of Light comes from one of Anna's
just wanted to give up on everything because the
favorite bands, The Beatles. Carnival of Light
pain was excruciating but my mom was there for
was an unreleased song back in the 60's, and we
me, praying and giving me the strength to never
thought it was a great theme for the music fest.
give up on life. Everything in life happens for a
The music fest will take place July 28th at the
reason and I believe I was stricken with cancer to
Foundry in Dallas, which was recently voted the
overcome it and help the families of those who
Best Patio in Dallas by D Magazine.
are affected by the same disease by showing
We are pleased to have the following bands and
them it is possible to overcome and survive.
musicians join us for the Carnival of Light Music
Festival – Reinventing Jude, Prophets & Outlaws,
Q: You're working for Systemware this
Astro Veil, Iron Belly OD, Richard Paul Davis,
summer, right? Can you tell me how that's
Ryan Chollet and Andy Hull & Chris Freeman,
going and what you're doing there?
from Anna's favorite band Manchester Orchestra.
Yes, I am working for Systemware. It is an
Tickets are being sold online ahead of time at
amazing learning experience for me. I am
1m4amusicfest.eventbrite.com, and include 2
currently working with documentation to help
raffle tickets and a t-shirt.
document the software and also helping the
We hope you will join us and bring some friends,
developers of the software to get things
come relax, enjoy some great music, and support
functional. I want to finish my internship strong
our foundation's goal - to win the fight against
at Systemware and be a part of the solution.
Ewing's Sarcoma today, tomorrow and until it's
Q: What are your future plans?
My future plans are to finish a Bachelors Degree
in computer science and work in my chosen field.
I want to pursue a Master’s Degree in
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bioinformatics where I would be working on
gone.
developing software that would be able to store,
retrieve, organize and analyze biological data.
But first thing is first, get a bachelor’s degree.
Q: Anything else you want to include!!?
To all the people affected by Ewing’s Sarcoma I
want to tell you all to never surrender yourself to
this horrible disease. Stay strong and know that
one day you will be able to look back on this
event in a healthy state and say that you had
cancer and defeated it.
FTK at UT San Antonio
th
th
On April 5 and 6 , the For the Kids (FTK)
Intern Corner
student group at the University of Texas San
This summer we have three wonderful college
Antonio hosted and participated in an 18 hour
interns volunteering their time to help out the
dance-a-thon to raise money for pediatric
foundation. We wanted to shine some of the
cancer. The event kicked off at 7:00 p.m. on the
spotlight on them as new members of the 1M4A
5th and continued until 1 p.m. the following
family.
day. Local bands performed, the President of the
university spoke, and there was a variety of
entertainment.
Families of children impacted by cancer were
invited to speak during a sobering “family
hour.” These families included children who
were currently undergoing treatment, beaten the
disease, or had been lost to cancer. 1 Million 4
Anna was honored to be asked to
participate. Hailey Drescher, Anna’s high school
Nina
teacher and a friend of the family, spoke about
My name is Nina Alavizadeh and I am a junior at
Anna on behalf of the foundation. The event
Texas Tech University studying Journalism. With
raised $40,000 and was attended by
my Journalism degree I hope to one day be a
hundreds. We would like to thank FTK for their
newscaster on Channel 8 WFAA. As a Bronze and
commitment, their spirit, and allowing us to share
Silver Award Girl Scout recipient I learned the
Anna’s story.
meaning helping others out and working with
several non-profits throughout my Girl Scout
career. I first met with Mrs. Basso in regards to
an assignment I had in my journalism course in
which I wrote about the 1 Million 4 Anna
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Foundation. After meeting with her I felt that I
would reach out to Mrs. Basso again to see if I
may be of any assistance to the foundation this
summer. I have never felt more welcomed and at
peace than when I was with Mrs. Basso. I am
excited and proud to be one of the interns this
summer for 1M4A. I plan to help out this summer
by working alongside the foundation with various
volunteer work as well as by helping put together
many of Anna’s Closet items. However, the big
event I will be assisting with is the First Annual
Carnival of Light Music festival that will take place
th
on July 28 . I am in charge of the raffle items
Hailey speaking at the FTK event.
that will be given during that night. I am excited
and feel extremely blessed that I am able to be
interning with this foundation, I truly feel
honored. I can not wait to see what else is in
Anna's Closets Gifts
store this summer working with 1M4A!
We love all of our 1M4A supporters, but we want
to give a special thanks to some who have not
only gone out of their way to help us, but who
are some of our youngest supporters!
Thank you Alex, a 5th grader at Prince of Peace,
and Will, a 2nd grader at Prince of Peace, who
both collected DVDs to donate to the hospitals
instead of receiving gifts at their birthday parties.
Thank you also to Emma and Jonathan, Anna's
cousins, who decided to forgo birthday gifts and
Samantha
instead collected various toys and gifts for Anna's
I’m Samantha Maddock and I will be starting my
closets.
senior year at Texas Tech in the fall. I will be
graduating with a degree in Human Development
and Family Studies. I went to John Paul II with
Anna, but was in the previous graduating class.
Being an intern for the 1Million4Anna Foundation
has been a great opportunity. I eventually want
to become a Child Life Specialist and I am
learning as much as I can from the Bassos. This
From left to right: Carol and Will, Anna's cousins,
summer the interns are mainly focusing on our
Emma and Drew, and Alex with Carol.
1st Annual Carnival of Light Music Festival. I am
in charge of the check-in process for that day,
the general organization and the decorations. I
am grateful and excited to be working with the 1
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Newest Anna's Closet Location
Million 4 Anna Foundation this summer.
Anna's Closet #9 was established in April at
Children's Hospital of San Antonio. Kristin
Bengoechea, friend of the foundation, will
manage the closet. She is pictured below with
Jennifer, the Child Life Manager at the hospital.
We are very excited to share Anna's love with the
very special teenage cancer patients treated at
this great hospital!
Tara
I'm Tara Lopez and I will be a Junior at the
University of Nebraska in the fall. I am majoring
in Advertising with a minor in Art and English.
Anna was one of my best friends and has
continued to change my life in so many ways.
Last year, I convinced my sorority to donate the
sales of t-shirts and hats to the 1 Million 4 Anna
Foundation and have used my sorority to help
spread the word about the Foundation. I will be
helping with the 1st Annual Carnival of Light
National Charity League & Young Men’s
Music as my main project this summer. I helped
Service League
design the t-shirts and am helping share the
The Richardson NCL chapter has assisted 1 Million 4 Anna
word. I am so excited to be working with the
in many ways. A group put together over 300 Busy Books
Bassos and the Foundation this summer.
that were donated to Children’s Medical Center, along
with books and DVDs collected by the chapter for the
hospital’s library. NCL Mother-Daughter teams also
volunteered at the 1 Million 4 Anna table during Celebrate
Volunteering
Freedom.
We recently volunteered alongside Children’s Medical
The Cardinal YMSL chapter collected wonderful donations
Center’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the
for Anna’s Closets. We are very appreciative of the
Ronald McDonald House in Dallas. We helped prepare
awesome assistance from NCL and YMSL. Thank you!
dinner for the families staying at the house, and we
were in charge of making the guacamole. We had a
great time volunteering for a great organization that
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helps so many families in their time of need.
The young men of YMSL & young women from NCL
showing their 1M4A pride!
In case you missed our announcement in April,
we are very excited to be funding two promising
Ewings Sarcoma research projects at UT
Southwestern in Dallas. All the details and more
information are on our website.
Prom Dress Delivery
On May 29th 1M4A delivered 80+ prom dresses
to Dell Children's Cancer & Blood Disorders
Center in Austin. The Center hosts a very fun
prom for current and former patients every year.
The kids spend a day at a "shopping party" to
pick out dresses, shoes, etc. Thank you Teresa
Lopez and Jeanne Botts for organizing our
collections in Dallas. The trip to Austin was fun
and the dresses were so appreciated.
Pictured is JoAnn Junker, friend of the
foundation, who manages Anna's Closet at Dell,
Teresa, Tara, and Jeanne - along with Mary and
Caren of Dell.
Copyright © 2013 1 Million 4 Anna Foundation, All rights reserved.
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Our mailing address is:
1 Million 4 Anna Foundation
15301 Dallas Parkway, Suite 1100
Addison, TX75001
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