Red noses aren’t just for clowns anymore.
On May 26, Pediatric Partners of the Southwest committed to the Red Nose Day theme for a fundraiser for kids in need, decorating the entire practice in crimson, garnet, cherry, berry, rose and every other tone of red.
With the goal of “getting funny for the money” or “seriously silly,” as the CEO of the practice, Dr. Cecile Fraley, put it, the practice offered red noses and red wristbands for those who wanted to wear one or both and offered red foam noses, novelty toys and other prizes for parents and patients for a $1 donation. They had a photo prop station, where patients and staff could snap selfies wearing goofy glasses, lips and so on for another $1 donation.
To make the day extra special, the therapy dogs (and their humans) who are regular visitors made sure to be there for the fun. (Although, since dogs can’t distinguish the color red, they missed out on some of the excitement.)
The funds raised by Pediatric Partners – $1,213 – will go to the Red Nose Day Foundation. About half of what was raised on the day, May 26, will go to nonprofits helping kids in the U.S., with the other half going to some of the poorest communities in Latin America, Asia and Africa. Some of the organizations that will receive funding to continue their work are Feeding America, Save the Children, the Children’s Health Fund, Charity: Water, The Boys and Girls Club of America, Covenant House and OxFam America.
This is a reasonably new effort. It started in the United Kingdom with Comic Relief before coming “across the Pond” to the U.S. in 2015.
Pediatricians are already on the front lines helping kids. This way, their kid patients got to help other children, which is pretty sweet no matter how one looks at it.
To say I’m in belated-birthday land is an understatement. So here’s to those folks I missed as Neighbors went two weeks without running, because birthdays still matter even if I’m not on time in acknowledging them – Jayne Griffith, Malcom Cannon, Jacob Peters, Bridget Cahill, Della Johnson, Barb Casey, Darrell Gardner, Marcy Pugh, Gwyn Stites, Kyle Kirchner, Bob McGrath, Ronald Anderson, Roger Hausen, Tracy Kennedy, Dene Thomas, Shelley Plomske, Randy Hatcher, Scott Hagler, Will Connelly, Ruth Wagner, Ment Goehring, Monique Monson, Karen Johnson, June Mason, Shane Benjamin, Mary Lou Hall, Sandra Mapel, Betsy Williams, Robert Anderson, Drew Lewis, Shannon Bassett, Karaline Bassett, Michelle Hendrickson, Kathy Stottlemyer, Deb Barnes, Dan Steaves, Shannon Nelson, Char Day, Barbara Corrigan, Cahlie Bartel, Cassie Bartel, Davy Wells III, Dale Wingeleth, Maxine Sproul, Samantha Alverez, David Bennett, Ani Gannone, Jan Scott, Gerri Wilson, Bob Pitmon, Barbara Pevny, Annette Zuccolillo, Brady Sutherlin, Will Hakes, Tony Santistevan, Casey Carman, Bill Collins, Zoa Stuntz, Nancy Furry, Tracy Zellitti, Pat May, John Kirchner, Ron McKay, Amie Hotter, Lucy Porter, Kalen Porter, Kelly Becker, Lauren Cotgageorge, Chris Dunker, Marjorie Appel, John DeLeo, Ethan Ryan, Michael Fusco, Nancy Stevens, Tom Williamson, Lauren Wolfe, Julie McCallister, Roger Cole, Kendra Moffett, Susan Hermesman, Janine Crossno, Dorthy Wilson, Pat LaRose, Paul Beauregard, Jordan Brenner, Richard Jung, Audra Krull, Paige Krull, Erin Christiansen, Flannery Krischke, Judie Stewart, Neil Hammond, Dony Goodwin, Kim Pierce, Kate Halsband and William Knight.
And now for those birthdays coming up – Courtney Hightower, Chris Scott, Ann Duft, Jade Lucero, Diane Diiro, Jigger Staby, George San Miguel, Sharon Kinton, Carol Salomon, Sylvia Kehle, Kay Cooley, Nicholas Dudley, Ryan Ehrig, Lia Neergaard, David Jackson, Stewart Leach, Nancy Brown, Vicky Moreno, Katie Hotter, Yvonne Portell, Amber Lashmett-Levine, Jack Morrison, Clay Siekman, Sharon Watkins, Arnold Trujillo, Paul Mills, Jodie House, Emma Russell, Ricky Hermesman, Tiffany Mapel, Tyler Erickson, Erin Sparks, Calan Barnhardt, Mollianne Eckart, John Waters, Ann Willard, Erin Carman and Joe Foti.
If we reaffirmed anything last week, it was that Durango comes together when needed. And if there’s ever another case of being needed, it’s when a local kid has cancer.
Bryan and Tasha Miera Page are a hardworking couple who have three other children, and son Jaden is the one who received the dreaded diagnosis. As a veteran of the medical-bill wars myself, I can tell you no one ever seems to understand how much a major illness costs, especially when it includes travel to Children’s Hospital of Denver with higher out-of-pocket expenses and co-pays.
If you want to help the Page family, visit the GoFundMe page that has been established to help them at www.gofundme.com/25nvuyk. I have it on good authority Jaden will be sporting his Golden State Warriors garb until his team brings home the NBA championship.
My thanks to Joe Erickson for giving me the heads up about this family.
If there’s ever a month not to get behind on anniversaries, it’s June, because that “June bride” thing isn’t a myth. So here’s to those who’ve already had their celebrations – Peter and Lynne Rudolph, Linda Mack and Wynn Berven, John Condie and Wanda Ellingson, Jim and Carol West, Larry and Roberta Day, John and Mary Walters, Steve and Geni Miller Parker, Darrell and Sonja Smith, Gip and Karen Aldrich, Gary and Jan Scott, Dan and Kim Osby, Michael and Karen Peterson, Carl and Jodell Johnson, Donovan and Deana Schardt, Charles and Carol Gordon, Bill and Mary Foreman, Tim and Susan Schaldach, Brian and Nancy Van Mols, David and Diann Wylie, Sue and Chris Hampton, Mark and Donna Bauer, John and Emily TerMaat, Dave and Connie Trautmann, Mike and Susan Johnson, Robert and Jackie Manning, Frank and Katherine Campana, Bill and Cindy Donelan, Bill and Peggy Hoffman, Alan and Brenda TeBrink, John and Eliane Viner, Randy and Catherine Hawk, Scott and Amy McClellan, Tim and Eryn Orlowski, Bob and Jessica Cox, Caroline and Jeff Munger and Wendy Grant and Stephen Bowers.
Here’s to those whose anniversaries will be celebrated during the coming week – Mike and Dianne Milner, Tom and Penni Compton, Bill and Sheri Collins, Danny and B.J. Pierce, Hamilton and Jane Wright, Tonya and Darren Wales, Asanga and Nicole Ranasinghe, John and Katie Benner, Dan and Kim Harms, Trent and Gisele Pansze, Warren and Ruth Phillips, Ed and Phyllis Tucker, Jeff and Erica Max, Jim and Marjorie Appel, David and Jeanne Bennett, Kip and Nellie Boyd, Mike and Meme Eberspacher, Steve and Beth Scales, Darrell and Diane Trembly, Carl and Linda Curtiss, Deck and Diane Shaline and Jeff and Brenda Nelson.
Yikes, see what I mean? And it’s a record 255 names bolded in Neighbors!
My apologies to my Neighbors readers for missing last week’s column. As lead reporter on the story about Capt. Jeff Kuss – the Durango native and Blue Angels pilot who died June 2 in a crash – I was slammed and just couldn’t get to it.
Here’s how to reach me: neighbors@durangoherald.com; phone 375-4584; mail items to the Herald; or drop them off at the front desk. Please include contact names and phone numbers for all items. Follow me on Twitter @Ann_Neighbors.
I am happy to consider photos for Neighbors, but they must be high-quality, high-resolution photos (at least 1 MB of memory) and include no more than three to five people. I need to know who’s who, left to right, and who to credit with the photo. Candid photos are better than posed, and photos should be submitted as JPG or TIF attachments.
