We had the great privilege of attending the Costandi/Maher family’s Fall Fun Day fundraiser for Aicardi syndrome and the American Cancer Society last weekend! It was really a wonderful time for everyone. Sharon and Paul Costandi organized the event with lots of help from family and friends.
We arrived in the early afternoon to beautiful warm and sunny weather, and the activities were already well underway. The Maher’s (Sharon’s sister and brother-in-law) hosted the event, and we were astonished at the number of cars neatly lined up in their front yard — there must have been at least 50 cars. Out back were moonwalks and carnival games for the kids, tables and tables of raffles, more food than you can imagine (including the world’s best cookies, made by Sharon’s mother), hayrides, pumpkins, and a clown. Ursula basically dissappeared into the moonwalks, only to emerge periodically to breathlessly ask for more food or something to drink. Astrid loved the attention that was showered upon her, especially by those who had known Jenna. Astrid even spent some time in the moonwalk being bounced around by the other kids (while carefully held by her daddy). Astrid and Ursula were both all smiles all day, and all of the kids there were clearly having tons of fun. We all took a very picturesque hayride through the neighboring countryside, with a stop at a local cider mill. Near the end of the day, Sharon delivered a very moving speech about the importance of fundraising and supporting our girls.
This really was a very fun day, and I’m so appreciative of folks like Sharon, Paul, and their family who put forth so much effort to raise funds for our cause!! The turnout was great, and I’m sure the day was a big success. I’m attaching a few pictures that we took during the day to hopefully give you a feel for what a great day it was. The people behind the sign are the ones responsible for putting on the fundraiser, and a big thank-you to all of them!
Ande, mother of Astrid (5, AS), Ursula (3), and “Squeebie” (due Nov)
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