Put your heart, mind and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.  -Swami Sivananda

I am an eternal optimist.  I love to laugh (and really loud), play, read to my kids, sing in the car (often out of tune), dance, play rock band and enjoy every moment.  As Ferris Bueller would say “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”  And I don’t want to miss a single thing! 

So my life is all about giving back to make this crazy world we live in a bit better than I found it.  I love to volunteer and raise money for good causes.  Best title ever was Mama Duck!  Loved helping raise more than $300,000 to help prevent child abuse in our community.  I don’t take no for an answer- no to me means I just have to work a little bit harder to win you over.  My friends may run screaming the other direction when they see me for fear they will have to empty their wallets. But hey, every little bit counts, even if it’s just the change from the seat cushions in the sofa.  Even my kiddos get in the game. My son once shamed an unsuspecting shopper coming out of the store who refused to buy a raffle ticket to stop child abuse.  He said ”why won’t that person help kids” and they turned around and came back to buy a ticket.  I have spent most of my volunteer and fundraising efforts helping kids.  I want all kiddos to have the best chance at a successful life and to feel loved and cherished.  After all, they are our future.  I am a dedicated Rotarian and try to live by the “Service above Self” motto.  My favorite current volunteer project is The Gift of Literacy our Rotary Club does each year where we give a new hardbound book to every 1^st grader in the Springfield School District.  There is nothing more awesome than watching the glee and pure excitement of an auditorium full of 1^st graders opening their new backpacks and pulling out that book. 

The non-profit I work for is having our first 5K run/walk and I am going to run in honor of my baby sis.  I hope you’ll consider helping support the effort and give the gift of communication.  Check out our page!