Today was the 5th Annual "Rowan's Smokehouse" for charity at Copa Wine Bar. It was the first one without Rowan, but I know we all still made him proud. Thank you to everyone who came out to help us make the good, in memory of Rowan. Here are some of the highlights and photos from the event.
Of course we still made and served, Rowan's Famous Ginger Lemonade...
Thank you Ian, for manning the lemonade stand...
Ian's Pre-K4 and Kindergarten teacher (and friend of Rowan and our entire family), Ms. Easley, showed up as she does every year, to help us run the door. Thank you so much Toni, for always being there for our family. We love and appreciate you so much!
We auctioned off 3 of Rowan's original signed paintings...
Ian sold signed prints of his portrait of Rowan...
Everyone brought tons of cereal for our collection boxes, for The Rowan Windham Memorial Cereal Drive that Methodist Children's Hospital renamed after him this year. We had to take the collection boxes out to the car and empty them four times, so we could fill them again. Can't wait to give it all to the hospital for the SA Food Bank, to help local children this Summer!
Ian, my friend Colleen and I, made up Be The Match swab kits last night. Jon Hudson and Spencer Stocker from GenCure, with the help of Margie Beecher and myself, swabbed 11 more people to add to the national registry.
I know Rowan is just beaming from heaven, excited about how we are ticking away at that 1 million he wanted to add to the registry...
These are just 2 of those heroes, who swabbed for life today...
I appreciate every single person who swabbed today, but I want to take a moment to thank these two from the bottom of my heart, and tell you all a little something about them. They lost their young daughter just 16 days ago to an inoperable DIPG brain tumor. The fact that they even came out to buy a BBQ plate to support this endeavor today would be amazing enough. But, they also brought tons of cereal, and chose to put others needs first, and both signed up to potentially save a life. Olivia and Rowan are certainly smiling down on you two, and I couldn't be more blessed to call you friends, and my brother and sister in Christ. You are a light in the darkness...you epitomize this verse. just as Olivia did:
John 1:5
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
Several people from Keller Williams City View also came out to support Rowan's dreams, as always. Thank you Margie Beecher for presenting me with Rowan's award today, "The Best Red Day Foreman Ever", based on his design, inspiration, and implementation of Jalene's Memorial Garden, which Keller Williams City View installed in 2015 for Jalene's family. It was one of Rowan's happiest days, and one I will never forget. Thank you for this great honor.
So many beautiful people came out to support this charitable effort, on Rowan's behalf... from Copa, GenCure, Methodist Children's Hospital, Woodlawn Theater, friends, family, Facebook followers, etc. I unfortunately did not get pictures of all of you, but here are some that I did get...
One part of today's event, I did not plan, and was not told about ahead of time by the person making the presentation, but boy was I blown away. Actually, I think we all were.
Tom & Kathy Masterson and Jeff & Angie Bridges, honored Rowan in a HUGE way! Tom and Jeff sat down the day Rowan passed away and wrote a poem about Rowan. Then, they commissioned the artist Graham Toms to help bring those words to life through visual art. This piece was on the altar at Rowan's memorial service, so some of you have already seen it. But today, Tom explained the background, read the words, and did an official unveiling of the artist's rendering...as well as letting us all know that both the poem and the artwork would now reside there at Copa Wine Bar, one of Rowan's favorite restaurants, where he has raised thousands of dollars for his favorite charities over the years, with some of his favorite people in the world.
To say we were honored, isn't enough.
Thank you Tom, Kathy, Jeff, Angie & Graham, for celebrating Rowan's life and legacy this way.
For anyone who wants to view these works of art, they are now up and hanging at Copa Wine Bar in San Antonio. You should definitely go see them in person. I know I will often...
I apologize if I forgot to thank anyone personally. You all continue to be held close in my heart. I cannot thank everyone enough for helping us continue Rowan's legacy of HOPE, charity, faith and love. He loved "making the good", is definitely happy that we did today, and would want us all to continue to do so.
Again, a huge thank you to Jeff and Angie Bridges, for the use of your facility, for the hours of preparation and delicious BBQ, for your friends helping with the sides, for your hearts that overflow with love for our son...We know you miss him as we do, but are so grateful that you choose to step out into the light to honor his life and legacy, rather than stand in the shadows and cry alone. You two, live like Rowan...and we thank you for that.
Rowan, we love you and we miss you so very much.
We've had 171 days without you, but you've had 171 days with Jesus.
We are one day closer to being with you, but doing our best to make the good in your memory in the meantime.
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