Make it for Maggie

by Kerry Haack

 

The third annual Make it for Maggie event is scheduled to take place October 27, 2012. In the fall of 2010 two women discussed what they could do for their friend’s 4 year old daughter, Maggie. Maggie’s cerebral palsy kept her in a baby-like state, but with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) it could be possible for Maggie to live a more normal life. The expensive treatments were not covered by insurance, so Maggie’s parents asked families they knew to help them by coming up with creative ways to raise the funds to sponsor 1 of the 80 oxygen dives needed for the year.

Anyone who knew Katherine Jensen and Tracy Ward could have guessed that they would not stick to their initial plans to fund just one oxygen dive each.  Within a month their efforts had turned into a full day event that included multiple volunteers, delicious food, fabulous classes, generous donations, live entertainment and lots of participants. Women in the community came together to teach hour long classes on everything from couponing to laughter yoga. For a small registration fee, participants came away both spiritually and physically nourished. Best of all was the chance to meet the sweet little Maggie and see her joy-inducing smiles.

At the end of the event, Tracy and Katherine announced they had surpassed their goal of paying for 7 dives and were able to give Maggie’s family enough money for nearly 11 dives. Of course, they did not stop there. Make it for Maggie has become an annual event that blesses not just one family each year, but two. In 2011 they raised funds for Maggie, as well as three little boys named Aidan, Jace, and Damon who suffer from a rare genetic disorder called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome.

Katherine and Tracy are looking for nominations for this year’s recipient. They need volunteers, door prize donations, silent auction donations, and people willing to teach their skills to others. Registration is $20 and begins on October 6th.  Visit http://makeitformaggie.com/ to learn how you can help and register for the event.