List: Exciting Things Happening!

It’s time to summarize all that is happening. It’s a lot of information, but it’s fun and exciting! As I often do for you, I set it up so that you can click on any link and your web browser will open a new tab and not close this post. I hope this is something you find useful.

• Fundraisers. Four I want to call-out at this time are:
  
  • Mali Thai Cuisine. To recognize Ryan’s birthday, Mali Thai Cuisine (Ashburn, Virginia) donates 15% of all orders on the 21st of each month. If you live or are visiting Northern Virginia, make it a point to get some excellent ethnic food (especially on the 21st of each month).
  • Scentsy. This fundraiser, hosted by Michelle Bennett, is currently active. The full 100% of proceeds are being donated to Ryan! Like many others, we are big fans of their products and like the ease of online ordering. Michelle is also trying to arrange an on-site show (in norther Virginia) that will likely happen in a week or two; that way you can grab the 10% February discount.
  • Perfectly Posh. Carmen Musick, an independent consultant, holds these events for just one reason. To help a cause or purpose each month. She has designated May for Ryan’s Rally! This is wonderful news and is extra nice because Mother’s Day fits nicely. If you want to see what is available then take a look at her website, but wait to place your order until May.
  • Greg Wells 3rd Annual Golf Tournament. This is one of the largest fundraisers held for Ryan each year and continues growing in popularity. My advice is to sign-up your team quickly! A foursome can play for a little as $600 (or $150/player) and get breakfast, lunch, and drinks included! This year it will be held on Tuesday, May 17th at the 1757 Golf Club in northern Virginia. Amazingly, you could actually win a car, among other items! As for me, I don’t golf but I do hang out at the bar and patio if you want to swing by and chat.
• Anti-Parole Petition. Another one-thousand people signed the petition asking the West Virginia Parole Board to deny release to Austin Vantrease. This brings the total signatures above 32,000! Yes, you read that correctly… thirty-two thousand! Vantrease, the attacker who kick Ryan in the head while he was incapacitated and defenseless, is eligible for his next parole hearing in July of this year. He is currently incarcerated in state’s Huttonsville Correctional Center (housing maximum security inmates). Please sign the anti-parole petition and help keep this violent felon in prison.
• Bone Clinic. This appointment was reschedule from January because Ryan had shingles. Ryan will travel to Children’s Hospital (Washington, D.C.) this week for a complete evaluation of his bone health, to include a DEXA scan and blood work.
  

  Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is the best technique to measure bone density (DXA, previously DEXA) is a means of measuring bone mineral density (BMD). Two X-ray beams with different energy levels are aimed at the patient’s bones. When soft tissue absorption is subtracted out, the BMD can be determined from the absorption of each beam by bone. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry is the most widely used and most thoroughly studied bone density measurement technology. [Source: Wikipedia]

• 

  The building I’m hoping to lease space from.

  Office Space. By now most know I’m hell-bent of creating a physical presence for Ryan’s Rally LLC. Something is telling me this is necessary and it looks like the means will be available to cover the entire first year of the lease! Right now I’m closing in on office space (roughly 700 square feet) that’s just miles from my home; in the next town over. What I like about this one is it has a private office already built into the larger office. It has room for Ryan’s equipment and a conference/work area. Okay, so it’s a bit really run-down and I estimate the building was constructed forty years ago, but that’s okay. I’m not in this for retail sales and foot traffic. At least not yet. It falls in line with my approach to “dream big, start small” that has proven successful for me throughout my life. Another perk is it is located next to emergency services (Fire and Rescue)… literally a few steps out the back door.

• Oprah Magazine. This month’s edition of O: Oprah Magazine features the annual De-Clutter for the Divineys fundraiser. I love the exposure it brings to Ryan, but I am even more happy that those who made this happen are getting the national recognition they so rightly deserve.
• Unstoppable Moms. This is a big deal if Team Diviney can pull it off. A long-time reader (Jo Hobbs) began this campaign to nominate my wife, Sue, for this $100,000 contest being held by the Kelly and Michael morning show. She is certainly worthy and the money could be directed toward Ryan’s care and treatment! Who is more so deserving? Truth is, no one. Please take a look here to get the details and nominate her.

See, I told you this would be a fun post today. A lot of great things are happening. Thank you for being a part of everything and keeping Ryan relevant.