I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everybody for making last weekend's Helping #33 event a gi-normous success. We couldn't have done it without each and every one of you and I just wanted to express mine and my family's gratitude towards you all.
Throughout the entire event, Bill had continuously used the word 'overwhelmed' in regards to the love and support he had received, but to be quite honest, I would have used the word 'expected' and I'll tell you why: As most of you know, I was the one who broke the news via social media and took the role of being the eyes, ears, and voice for Bill while he was going through his medical struggles. From the minute I hit 'post' letting the world know about Bill's ailment, I was taken aback with all the wonderful notes and messages I received from all across the country, but I wasn't surprised given what I know about my brother and what he has accomplished in his short 30 years. So, was it overwhelming? Certainly at times, but did I expect it? Absolutely. The kid is a rock star, both on and off the field and I wouldn't have expected anything different.
So, if you were there last Saturday, I'm sure you've been asking, 'So how big was the event? What did we raise? How successful were we in our efforts?' Well, here are the numbers:
Attendance: Over 500 people
Donations (raffled, door, & silent): Over 100 given out/away/won
Monetary Donations: Close to $40 k-$40k!-between the fundraiser, the GoFundMe page and personal and professional donations.
I do not run fundraisers for a living, but from the feedback I received, everybody had nothing but nice things to say about the turnout, it's organization, and just the entire day in general. As I said above, I knew it was going to be big, I knew Bill was going to receive lots of love that day, and I know he will always be grateful for what went down at such an amazing event.
Now I'd just like to take this opportunity to run through my thanks of all the people who made last Saturday possible: (I tried to include everybody I could, please forgive me if I forgot to mention you but you all were appreciated)
To MJ and the crew of the Deck: You were all so awesome in helping us host such a great event. You worked with us and let my crazy ass dictate the show, I just hope you all had a great day and thank you again letting us host the fundraiser there.
To Paul and Jeannine Greco: Thank you for your help in running the ticket booth and donation of the lottery board. You both are always willing to lend a hand and help out wherever possible. You're the kind of people that make these events run smoothly and can't thank you enough for all of your assistance.
To my wonderful neighbor, Nancy Ripley: You are never short on help either, always the first one to raise your hand when we need it. We love you, we couldn't have asked for better neighbors growing up on Muhlenberg.
To all of the Kup patrons, past and present: Again, never short on helping the McGlone family out whenever possible. Thank you for all your donations and being there to support my family and more importantly, my brother Billy.
To all of the Wings Fans: One of the most passionate and loyal group of fans that Philadelphia may not be known for, but should be. You are always there to support one of your own and for that you are all great people. Thank you for your continued support of #33.
To the Ridley Lax Community: You represent what I love most about Ridley, and that's love and loyalty. Thank you for taking Billy under your wing when he was just starting out in the lacrosse world, coaching and teaching him the sport that would give him a career, but more importantly helping him become the person that he is today.
To the UM Terps and Bill's former teammates: I know Bill was eternally grateful when he realized how many of you were able to come up and show your support. I had a chance to speak to a few of you and there's something about you guys that give the word 'brotherhood' it's true meaning. Thank you for making that day that much more special for us and for Billy.
To all of those who donated, both personally and professionally: The event wouldn't have been as great of a success without all of your generosity. The prizes we had to raffle off were simply amazing and I can't believe how giving you were in such a short amount of time. Thank you for your donations, I hope you enjoyed the day.
To the Tavani Family (Guy, Danielle, Devin, & others): First off, thank you for your event in November. Although it was a precursor to ours, you really emphasize what generosity, love, and friendship mean when it comes to others. Thank you for being so kind to Bill and doing what you did for him.
To all of my extended family, in-laws, aunts, uncles & cousins: It was so wonderful to see all of you and so inspiring to see some of you come from great distances. Some of your donations were simply incredible, and it made the event that much more special. You all know how stressful of a time this has been and your love and support has continued to help us and Billy get through it and keep striving for that light at the end of the tunnel.
To all of my close personal friends: Thank you for being there Billy when he needed it, but also being there for me when I needed it. You all hold a special place in my heart, you are all irreplaceable, and I wouldn't want it any other way. I am always grateful for the wonderful friendships I have, please don't change.
To my other 'little sisters', Michelle McArdle & Kelly Bernard: You are godsends and never forget, you are my little sisters too and always help keep the sanity within our household (I guess it's because you don't have to live in it!) but regardless, I love you and thank you so much for all your help that day.
To Lisa Porter, Nicole Sepcie, Liz Desmond et al: You all helped out tremendously, and I thank you for all you did. A coach once told me it's the little things that count, and surely what you guys helped with may have seemed innocent, but it all counts just the same in my mind. Thank you big time.
To Bill's girlfriend, Nicole Lyn Capitanos: You are a rock and I'm glad Billy has you in his life. You have been such a wonderful person throughout all of this and I can't thank you enough for all your love, support, & care you've given to Billy during these turbulent times. I know us McGlone's can be a crazy bunch of a**holes, but you stuck by us, and I'll always try to make sure you have Jadyn and some kind of wine handy each time we get together.
To my brother Kevin and my lovely SIL Jessica: My 2nd in command, I know we had a little tiff when trying to get this event together, but I think we both quickly realized that we were just trying to do what was best for Billy. I love you both and thanks for being there...always.
To my little sister Jill and here wonderful boyfriend Mike Ziller: Thank you both for being a voice of reason that I could turn to in that crazy clan we call family. If ever I wanted somebody by my side when I needed the help, you would be first on my list. Thank you for handling so much both pre and post event, I love you both and I certainly couldn't have done it without you.
To my wife Jadyn: You always keep me sane, you always know the right thing to say, you know me better than me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything. You were a tremendous help in every way possible and I will always love you for just you being you.
To my Mom and Dad: Thank you for everything; from me, to my brothers and sister, to being you (even if it makes me crazy or question your sanity) just thank you. You have always been there to support me and everybody else in all that we do and I couldn't imagine my life, my character, and my values without your guidance and help. I love you both tremendously.
Lastly, to my brother Bill: Growing up I always thought of myself as the '3rd parent', making sure that no matter what, my job was/is to be around and protect you, Kevin, and Jill from all the obstacles life may throw at you. I was the first one with you when the doctor broke the news about the 'mass' they saw which started this whole thing. I knew at that point that my 3rd parenting skills were in kick start mode, but I'll be honest, I didn't know how I could protect you from something I couldn't control. I did my best and luckily I think it's all working out. During and after the event, people were coming up to me and telling me how great of a brother I was to be doing this for you and I thought to myself, "what brother wouldn't do this for one of his own?" I wasn't surprised or shocked or overwhelmed at all from the support you received. I had people from high and low, north and south, the US & Canada, from Ridley to California contacting me asking me about your status. You've reached a lot of people my man, and your loved by all of them. That event was a testament to you and how you've effected people. I know you were overwhelmed, but in essence, you should be proud of who you are and what you stand for. I know I am. I would do anything to protect you kid, and that won't stop no matter how old I get. I'm your biggest fan, always have been, always will be. Just keep on fighting and we'll get through it together. We all will.
#BMFC33
Until next time. -JM
