Rachel's Race Results!!

Well, we're still waiting on just one thing to know the final amount we donated to Options for Women in Rachel's honor is.... but it looks like our $8,000 estimate was under!  We are at a minimum of almost $9,200 and if one other thing goes through, we'll be at $9,900!  I never imagined back in December when Vanessa contacted me with the idea of doing a 5K for Rachel that this would come to be.  We spent months picking a name (seems like it was easy, but it totally wasn't!), figuring out who we would donate the proceeds to, and getting a course picked out and okay'd by the city and police.  By the time May rolled around, Vanessa had done a ton of work and it seemed like we had gotten nowhere cause there was still everything else to do! 

In June, we questioned if we could even pull it off this year and the question arose if we should postpone.  Being the crazy lady I am, I said no way.  I had already announced it at that point and when I tell my girl and everyone else I'm going to do something for her, there's no backing out in my book.  I'm so glad we kept going!  We had weekly meetings and people were in and out of them helping, but I want to take a minute to thank my main 3 girls... unfortunately one of them is missing here - she was busy doing someone else's job when we took this, hopefully one of the other photographers got a pic of her!!

On my left is Vanessa.... Vanessa came up with this idea and although I had never talked to her before, emailed me just weeks after Rachel's death to present it.  Thank you Vanessa for the months of preparation when I was still too raw to help at all, your love, your support, your friendship.  Thank you for always caring about my heart through this and knowing this wasn't all business for me.  Thank you for the way you love Rachel and never forget about her - for always telling me it's ok for me to want her to be acknowledged. Thank you for loving me just as I am, even in my low points and never judging me.  You are an amazing woman and I am honored to call you my friend. 

On my right is Michelle.... Michelle is a fellow baby loss mama who has lost 2 babies and followed my blog for months before we met.  She sent me a card after Rachel died and then contacted me when she read that I was doing a 5K and needed donations so that she could donate some artwork for the raffle.  She came to drop them off, stayed for our meeting and ended up leaving that night as the "Food Coordinator"!  She took care of all the details having to do with the food and totally relieved me of that responsibility.  In the process of her buying food and tinfoil for me, I have been blessed with a new friendship of a beautiful woman who loves God, is a dedicated friend, and has given me a shoulder to cry on as I have continued to miss my baby through this. 

The one missing from the picture is Nicole.... Nicole is my blog reader that goes to college in PA and loves to run.  We had been emailing for months and when I heard she was coming home for the summer, asked her if she wanted to help.   To be honest, I thought I was doing a good thing, reaching out to her and trying to help her feel a "part of".... I had NO IDEA what this young woman was capable of!  My word, I quickly realized that I wasn't the one helping anyone here!  She posted all the signs, got donations and took over any task I needed her to without hesitation and didn't fail me!  She loves my girl and has kept her as the center, sending me emails and cards to let me know that Rachel still matters to her.

I also want to thank our husbands - Donaldo (Vanessa's Husband) & Ian (Michelle's Husband) - Thank you for supporting your wives as they have supported me.  I know the 6 weeks leading up to the race were a sacrifice for you as well... thank you!  And to Matt, thank you for taking up all my responsibilities at home... the meals, the cleaning, the dishes, the kids... to allow me to put my all into Rachel while I've needed to.  He is my behind-the-scenes man who never seeks acknowledgement for it.  He did this all without complaint.  Our children are blessed to have you as their Daddy and I am so thankful you're mine.

While us 4 girls and our husbands (and Nicole's mom, Monique!) were the ones who pulled this day together, we couldn't have run the day without the other 40 people who came out to help us (including a couple women from Options) - from registration table, to food, to flaggers and set up and break down, this day took a lot of hands.  Thank you if you were a set of them!!!

And last, but first in my heart, Thank you to my amazing and faithful God, whose love and provision has never failed me or left me alone.  You are so good to me, God.

I will share a couple pictures now, but I'm waiting on some from another photographer who donated her time.  I also have the video below, which was donated by Lynne Valeri from Video Design Films.  Thank you Lynne, I'm so grateful to have this video, it's beautiful!!

And they're off!!

Police leading the race for us... they shut down Central Ave in Downtown Dover for Rachel's Race!

And the walkers take off.... in the front is Harlee & Kim (pushing Riley & Hattie), my two good friends who have been with me through it all.  They have yet to miss a thing where Rachel is concerned



Our Beautiful Children being troopers in the heat!

A few of the medals we had for winners.  The first man & first woman also got $100 PUMA gift cards!

The walkers went through the cemetery and stopped at Rachel's grave - this is why it was so important that her stone was put in just 2 days earlier!  I set up a journal and lots of people signed and left us notes.  Desirae said that when they went through (our friend Millie walked with her 3 kids, my 3 kids and our niece Jailyn!) that there was a LONG line at Rachel's grave :o) 

Nicole's signs :o)


So, here is the video from Rachel's Race!  Don't forget to pause the player way at the bottom of my blog so you can hear it!  I was waiting for a typo to be fixed before sharing it, but Options didn't know and posted it - so since it's already out there.... here you go!  The baby's name that is wrong is Lindsay Alice Groen (has no "June" on it)  sorry Laura, we'll fix it!  After we read all the baby's names, Steph Boardman sang "Yet I will praise You Lord", which is a song we also had a friend sing at Rachel's funeral...  We're still praising You Lord - even in our darkest valley...

For all the Mamas who couldn't be there... your babies were remembered and loved too.  I hope it makes you smile to hear their names being spoken states and countries away!  Feel free to share on your blogs too!



Baby Rachel's Legacy from VideoDesign Films on Vimeo.