Celebrate U 2010

Neil's foundation did another event in October called Celebrate U

 Celebrate U is an event that is close to our hearts. We hope to do a Celebrate U event each year.

 This year Celebrate U was about suicide prevention. This is a subject that has touched our lives and thankfully was not sucessful. We participated in the suicide prevention walk and have talked to families that have not been as lucky. Families who have lost loved ones. It is heartbreaking to see and also uplifiting to see peoples strength through tragedy. Neil brought in a band called Safetysuit. They talked at an afternoon event and then did a concert that night.  This event truly was amazing!

 Neil introducing Safetysuit.

Neil I am so proud of you. Each event the foundation does is overwhelming in the 

amount of work it is and we wonder how we will get it all done. 

But somehow it always comes together and turns into something magical. 

 

Safetysuit talked about suicide and about helping others and uplifting one another.

Doug the lead singer did most of the talking and talked about the song he wrote 

"Life left to Go"

This song talks about those who are left behind and that 

there is more life to live no matter what the circumstances.

Dave is the guitar player he has got major energy. He is so fun to watch in concert.

Tate is the drummer and is a good friend of Neil's. Tate stayed an extra day and went fishing with Neil and Aaron and had dinner at our house. We even made him play Rook. He is such a nice humble guy

Lauren Burton sang the Rascal Flatts song "Why" She has such a good voice.

We met her at the Suicide Prevention Walk. She lost her brother to suicide and is an advocate for the prevention of suicide. She had a video to go along with the song she sang. It had pictures of those who have taken their lives. It was so touching. Not a dry eye in the house.

Our family minus Kinsey with Safetysuit. Kinsey was struggeling and needed to leave that makes me so sad that she is not in this photo. The band was so fun to hang out with for the day. They are great guys and we hope they have much success in the future. They are working on their second CD. If you haven't checked them out you should. They have some amazing songs that are uplifting and clean.

Safetysuit is a unique band. They always say "Welcome to the family" and they mean it. 

They are all about their fans. 

They did not leave until ever person who wanted to had a picture or a signed picture.

UCCUworkers said they had never seen anything like it in all the years 

they have had bands come to play.

This is Amberly Snyder she is paralyzed. You wouldn't know it by her smile. Neil invited her and her friends to the concert. She is a big Safetysuit fan. After the concert Neil asked if the band would say hello. They took many photos with her and signed poster. Later in the evening when Neil was taking the band to their hotel. Doug (lead singer) said that meeting Amberly was the highlight of the night. 

He was so impressed with her positive outlook.

All Star Game 2010

The Second Chance Foundation of Utah had it's annual All-Star Baseball game.

This year it was at UVU and the event turned out great!

The best part of the night was awarding the Dave Palreyman Scholarship. 

It was given to Austin Haws. See the story here.

This is the Palfreyman family. 

They were great and worked really hard and were so supportive of the Scholarship

Check Presentation

Neil presented the Laursens with their check from
The Second Chance Foundation. 

Hannah was very excited about the big check. $10,000.

Thanks UVU Athletics and eveyone who helped with all the events to help raise this money.

I am so proud of Neil and all his efforts in making a difference in others lives. 

Working with the Laursens was so much fun. They are kind and humble and were so willing to do anythng we asked of them. We all enjoyed all of the activities that led up to this night.

My favorite moment was at the J.R. Richards concert when J.R. called Hannah up on stage. 

See post here about the concert. 

Christmas with the Flash 2009

We went shopping as a family to help with The Flash Christmas.

The Flash is giving Christmas to 96 families in need this Christmas.

Neil and Aaron (using his Spanish) called families to find out their needs.

Kinsey and Sammy were master shoppers.

It is so fun and rewarding to give service and most of all to spend time together as a family.

Look at all the shopping carts!

The Second Chance Foundation Benefit Concert

Neil and Celeste putting up The Second Chance Foundation Banner.

This was an incredible night. This is our family with J.R. Richards after the concert.

Kobi and Tiffany were in town visiting.

Sammy, Maddie and J.R.

Sammy, Kinsey and Hannah.

J.R. Richards and Hannah Laursens family.

Hannah is nine years old. She has brain cancer and has had many surgeries, chemo and radiation. This is the famly The Second Chance Foundation helped with the benefit concert.

Read more about it here and here is a video that a BYU student did about the Laursen family.

Neil, J.R.,Celeste and Matt.

Celeste helped out so much. Don't know what I would have done without her.

Nate Mathis, J.R. and Neil.

Nate is a board member of the foundation and he was a huge help. The Prestwich family were also a big help. Russ is also a board member of the foundation. We are so grateful to all those who helped and for all the support from Utah Valley University and all the busineeses who gave food.

We had a VIP dinner before the event. We worked hard on getting the food donated. We had BBQ pork from GoodWood, Steak and Chicken from Texas Road House, Salad and Baked Potatoes from Ruby River, Rolls from Shirley's Bakery, Chocolate Cake from Magelbys and Pies from Marie Calendars. We were a little late starting with the food and we had A Lot more poeple than p lanned. But we didn't run out food and all in all it turned out really well.

Here is some highlights of the concert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RU8ezhIl64

Melody with Tyler Forsberg was the opening act. Here is one of the songs they performed.

I am so proud of Neil and his foundation. There were so many amazing and wonderful experiences the past few weeks. UVU soccer and Volleyball teams teamed up with the foundation in support of the Laursen family. We were crazy busy trying to put it all together but once we were sitting at the concert and listening to the music it was the time to take it all in. What an amazing concert J.R. Richards has an amazing voice. Neil and I sat front row and held hands and just took it all in. We have loved Dishwalla and especially like J.R. Richards new solo music. This all came together in amazing ways and we know we were blessed and we are grateful to be able to help the Laursens family. Helping others truly is the way to happiness.

Second Chance of Utah Foundation Benefit Çoncert!

Neil's Foundation is having a benefit concert for a 9-year-old Provo girl, who has brain cancer.

JR Richards of the group Dishwalla will be performing on Monday, Oct. 26 at Utah Valley University.

We will be hosting a VIP dinner for 100 people on the night of the concert with a silent auction. At the VIP dinner, there will be a meet-and-greet with the musicians and we will be honoring Hannah and her family. If you want tickets to the MVP event it is $25 and includes dinner, meet and greeet and a concert ticket. Tickets for the concert are $15- $10 for students.

Here is some information on Hannah Laursen, the girl who we are doing the concert for.

Hannah is 9-years old and was spending this summer having fun with her mom and two sisters before starting the 4th grade. Every summer the girls go to Florida to visit Grandparents and other family.

This summer, about halfway through the trip, Hannah started having severe headaches that were eventually accompanied by fatigue and vomiting. The doctors said these were classic migraine headache symptoms, but decided to do a CT scan just to follow protocol. The scan revealed a mass in Hannah's brain located just above her hypothalamus.

As soon as the doctors saw the mass in Hannah's brain they arranged an ambulance to drive her to a children's hospital in Pensacola, FL. En route to Pensacola Hannah's heart started to race and then slow, which was a dangerous symptom of extreme pressure on her brain. Due to the increasing emergency, Hannah was picked up and flown the rest of the way to the hospital in a helicopter.

Upon arrival at the hospital Hannah was rushed into surgery. Over the next 6 days Hannah had 3 brain surgeries to relieve pressure on her brain and remove as much of the tumor as possible. A biopsy of the tumor revealed that it is a malignant and rapidly growing tumor.

Hannah has gone through 2 round of chemotherapy and is currently going in daily, Monday through Friday, for radiation treatments.Hannah's prognosis for the future is very good and she is attending school and gaining back a lot of her strength and energy.She will still have to go through at least one more surgery and will have to have hormone therapy for years to come.

Owlz Fest 2009

Neils Foundation "The Second Chance Foundation of Utah"

held an event called Owlz Fest 2009.

Noodles was a sponsor and they came and gave out samples of pasta. Yummy! Charmer and her friend Emily came to help out. There actually wasn't a lot for us to do.

But we had fun watching.

I especially like watching this guy. Look at his face. He had so much fun.

I love that Neil is such a sensitve sweet guy.

He gets so much joy and satisfaction out of helping others.

It make me smile and swell with pride.

Hootz was there of course.

There was a dunk tank and blow up slides and face painting etc.

The sprinklers came on during the event. Oops. They were quickly shut off..no big deal.

Neil running things.

Getting the prizes ready. Best Buy was a huge sponsor. The prizes were Amazing.

Winners!!

Neil announces some of the winners.

More prizes.

The overall winner. Won an entire entertainment system.

Overall it was a great event for Neils's foundation.

Giving Back

When Neil sets his mind to something he is un-stoppable. I am really proud of Neil. Neil has always done nice things for people. He is giving and kind. It is a drive within Neil. He is at his best when he is anxiously engaged in helping others.

Neil has started a foundation. A non-profit organization to help people. He has been doing this type of thing for years and he is now official. His Foundation is called The Second Chance Foundation of Utah. His goal is to help people with second chances.

His first event will be The High School All-Star game on May 25th. His goal is to earn a full ride scholarship for a baseball player to be able to have a second chance at playing at the college level.

Neil you truly are an inspiration and I can't wait to see what you will do with your foundation.