Cereal cereal and more cereal!

As you know, last Summer while rowan was in the hospital recovering from his jejunostomy, there was a cereal drive going on through the hospital for the SA Food Bank.  Rowan wanted to help out so he asked people who were coming to visit him to bring him a box of cereal instead of presents.  Well, word got out and he ended up collecting over 3800 servings of cereal that week.  The hospital was doing the same cereal drive again this year, and though Rowan wasn't in the hospital this time, he still wanted to collect cereal, and try to beat his total from last year. 

 

Thanks to Copa Wine Bar for letting us put out cereal collection boxes during the transplant fundraiser they did for him last month.

 

 

Thank you to Keller Williams for letting him do the same during the Marrow Match bone marrow registry drive they hosted in his honor 2 weeks ago.

 

 

Thank you to GenCure and Wells Fargo for collecting for his cereal efforts as well.

 

 

And finally, thank you to Rita, Cindy, and anyone else who dropped cereal off to us.

 

 

 

Ian and I spent hours sorting, boxing up and totaling the number of servings over the past few days, and we were once again blown away by the support you all give Rowan in his different fundraising efforts.  It is unreal!

 

 

 

 

Today, was the day that the hospital was presenting their totals to the San Antonio Food Bank.  Rowan, his nurse Cindy and his buddy David helped me take ALL of the cereal in to San Antonio.  We filled both my van and Cindy's car!

 

It was all hands on deck when we arrived.  Half a dozen nurses from the hospital and Jon from GenCure helped us unload it all onto dollies and carts, and moved it inside to the lobby.

 

 

Here are the amazing pictures of all the cereal that the hospital was able to collect as part of their National Cereal Drive, which partnered with the Million Meal Campaign this year. 

 

 

 

As you can see, Rowan was pretty tuckered out and slept while everyone organized all of the boxes...

 

 

But every once in a while, he just smiled in his sleep...including when Captain Cereal knelt down by him for a photo:)

 

The media was there to cover the story, and administrators of the hospital spoke about the collective efforts that made this drive such a huge success, then they presented their total to the SA Food Bank representative.  Rowan was recognized for helping again this year, and they even joked that they should change the t-shirt design next year to have his face on Captain Cereal's body:)

 

 

 

 

 

And now, drum roll please!!!!!

 

Rowan donated 4,525 servings of cereal today...

 

and the hospital donated over 70,000 servings total to the SA Food Bank!

 

All of this cereal will go to help hungry children this Summer, many of whom typically count on the school breakfasts and lunches that they receive while in school during the school year.  Can you imagine the impact that will make on children and families in our community this year?!  It was overwhelming to be a part of.

 

Thank you to everyone who helped, whether it was one box, 10 bags or a whole wagon full of cereal given...you helped make a difference!  You helped knock out a lot of hunger!