| Author | Message | ||
     Jerry_haughton |
May 27, 2007 this place is for Matt Ware, and his family. soon all the threads related to Matt elsewhere on BadWeB will archive off the bottom of the page, perhaps never to be seen again. here, in the Tale Section, Matt's story and legacy will have a more permanent home. fitting, i think, as Matt's "tale" is about as profound as any you'll ever read, and Buells and BadWeB played a part in the last three years of Matt's journey. if anyone who happens upon this quiet place wants to add words and/or photos to Matt's Place, please do so - i'm sure Matt would enjoy your company. Mitch and Lori: thank you for sharing your grace and courage, and thank you for sharing your son. Alex: this is for you, too. thanks for introducing us to Matt, thanks for being a good friend, and thanks for showing us the way. Matt: you're gone in the physical sense, but still very much here in the spiritual, and you'll never be forgotten. ride in peace. FB&D     Matt Ware links and information: Inaugural Matt Ware Courage Award/Scholarship Recipient: Matt Sanderson, 5/31/08 Kentwood Relay for Life Entertainment and Activities Schedule, 5/29/08 Team Matt Ware/Kentwood Relay for Life Update 5/27/08 Team Matt Ware/Kentwood Relay for Life Update 5/15/08 Mitch Ware: Matt Ware Remembered, one year later, 5/8/08 Team Matt Ware All-Stars/Kentwood Relay for Life Update 5/1/08 HopeWithSupport.org: Brain Tumor Survivors and Angels Reading of the Names at the Vigil, Washington, DC, May 5th, 2008 Relay for Life update, 4/21/08 Kentwood Relay for Life 2008 update, 3/20/08 Kentwood Relay for Life 2008 - Team Matt Ware, 2/19/08 Mitch Ware: "All of Matt's medical expenses have been paid off - Thank You!", 2/17/08 Matt Ware Courage Award, 2/17/08 Matt update 2/5/08 Matt update 11/8/07 Mitch Ware: "Thank You BadWeatherBikers!" 5/30/07 "Matt's Place," 5/27/07 Matt Ware Trust Fundraiser - Finale and Thank You!!! 5/25/07 Mitch's Final Matt Ware Update 5/24/07 Ulywife's Great News! 5/22/07 Benefit Dinner/Raffle for Matt Ware & Family 5/18/07 The Matt Ware Memorial Ride 5/13/07 "Matt Ware Rides With Me" benefit patches 5/13/07 Matt's Ride 5/9/07 Matt Ware - Peaceful Update 5/8/07 BadWeB's "Matt Ware Benefit Auction" 5/4/07 Matt update 5/1/07 "BadWeB: Step Up for Matt Ware!!" fundraising campaign 4/30/07 Matt updates 4/20/07, 4/24/07 Milo's visit 4/28/07 Matt update 4/13/07 Matt update 3/26/07 Matt updates 3/6/07, 1/26/07 (three-year anniversary) Matt updates 12/15/06, 10/31/06, 9/24/06, 8/27/06 Matt updates 7/21/06, 7/2/06, 6/22/06, 6/13/06, 6/10/06 Matt updates 5/9/06, 5/3/06, 4/23/06, and more Matt update 2/5/06 (two-year anniversary) Reep's Prayer 1/26/06 Matt updates 1/26/06 (prayer request), 1/8/06, 1/3/06, 1/1/06, 12/29/05, 12/2/05, 10/10/05 (from Matt!!!), 8/20/05, 8/11/05, 5/21/05 Alex Prior's epic "Ride Across North America" to benefit the American Cancer Society in honor of his friend Matt Ware, 3/12/04 "Where Joy and Sorrow Meet" (MP3 audio link) (Message edited by jerry_haughton on May 31, 2008) | ||
| Prior |
Thanks for setting this up, Jerry. I was going to ping you and Blake about doing this, it's just too good to lose it all. I'm awaiting a visit from DaveS, Kandie and Mom and we're going to go burn a bit. Hopefully you're sipping cold Yuenglings by now. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
you're welcome, Alex. you're right, this needed to be done. i added the two e-mail updates from 8/11/05 and 5/21/05 you recently sent me, plus links to everything else i could find Matt-related here on the board. if you think of anything else to add link-wise (or otherwise), let me know. one of these days i hope Mitch and Lori can find the time to come here and enjoy BadWeB's "tribute" to their son. hope you had a nice visit with Dave, Kandie and Mom. me 'n D spent an AWESOME day in the wind yesterday with Kristi and Carlos, about 150 miles all told, the Parkway and a lot more. no Yuenglings were harmed in the making of our adventure, but we put a serious hurt on the Corona and lime supply in Laurel Springs, North Carolina... Matt, you were an integral part of our day yesterday - it was good to have you along.  FB&D | ||
| Ulywife |
FB - very cool! I too hope that Mitch and Lori will come here and visit when they feel up to it. Matt will live forever in the hearts and memories of a lot of people. Thanks for setting this up. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
you're welcome. | ||
| Prior |
An update from Mitch, a bit late, sorry guys! One particular part to take note of: Also, we are very proud to report that after the Hospice invoice is paid (when and if we get one), we should have thousands of dollars left over in Matt’s benevolent trust fund to donate to brain cancer research! Thank you to all of you who have donated to this most worthy cause. The only thing between us and a cure for primary brain cancer is money. You badwebbers played an instrumental part in making the donations to the American Cancer Society come true, and many will benefit from this. Simply fantastic! November 8, 2007 Everyone, It is hard to believe that six months ago today, Matt went to heaven. I am not sure if they have totally adjusted up there yet, as Matt has probably been put to work in the engineering area (you know how scripture talks about a ‘new heaven and new earth’). I am sure Matt has an opinion or two about how things should be laid out, etc. I wonder if Job (from the Old Testament) has been assigned to work with Matt, he was a good listener, must have had a good sense of humor and as we all know, he developed tremendous patience for stubborn perfectionist individuals! For those of us left behind, these past six months have been interesting to say the least. This has been a time of change and adjustment. There are days when the sadness overwhelms us, and other days … more often then not… when we interact with the rest of the world fairly well. We certainly have our challenges… and although we are people of faith, we need to heal like everyone else. Not having Matt around is awkward and different. As we mentioned in the previous update, Matt’s transition to heaven was wonderful. Also, the peace that God provided us during that time was immeasurable. And for that, we will always be grateful. However, life after Matt has been a roller coaster of emotion… there are reflections that bring a big smile as well as memories that stop you cold in your tracks… thoughts that squeeze the very breath out of you, leaving you empty, sad and broken. That is when faith is so important. When something like this happens, you long for ‘normal’. But making it back to normal is not always possible. Even with the love and help from others… sometimes ‘normal’ is just gone. On January 25, 2004 and again on May 8, 2007 we lost a big part of who and what we are! For us, ‘normal’ has taken a turn. Are we a family of 6, or 5, or what? I have read most everything in print about the grieving process and have concluded the answer is a big ‘sometimes yes, sometimes no, and good luck with that one!’ No easy, painless answers, no single right or correct way to move on. No proven method, no magic formulas, AND no predictable time line. You just have to live through it as best you can relying on each other and God to help you redefine ‘normal’. Holidays, birthdays, the whole deal. You have to follow your instincts and do what is right for you and your family. I stopped by Matt’s former employer today to say hello to the engineers and staff (they are an awesome group of people). They shared with me how they still think of Matt everyday and miss him. I was reminded of how my Mom would tell us how much she missed our Dad… decades after he had passed. I remember thinking to myself, it must be tough losing a life partner of 45 years. But after a period of time she should get over it!! Even though it has only been 6 months since Matt passed away, I now know exactly what she meant and where that sentiment came from. I guess that feeling of lonesomeness will always be there, you never ‘get over it’. To that end, grief is a journey not an event. With God’s help… in time you learn how to move on. And move on we shall!! With the permission of the athletic department at East Kentwood High School, we have planted a beautiful flowering crab-apple tree in Matt’s honor… right next to the flagpole at the new baseball/softball complex. It will blossom about the same time baseball season starts! Everyone walking into the facility will have to walk by that tree. The coach has afforded me the honor of throwing out the first pitch at one of the first games next season in honor of number 6, Matt Ware class of 1997. He also is allowing me to address the team and their parents at the first varsity team meeting in March. I am going to share Matt’s story of courage, not only his battle with cancer, but also his courage in life as well as on the field of battle for the Falcons. With their support, we are going to ask the team to start a new tradition in EK Baseball, every time the team takes the field they are going to walk by Matt’s tree, touch it… or just point to it and be reminded of how everyone of us face fear and adversity… draw on the courage and be reminded of how each of us can rise up and overcome any adversity and fear through courage. Courage is not the absence of fear, it is taking action in spite of it… fighting the battle to the very best of your ability. As far back as I can remember, Matt exemplified courage. Matt was a firm believer in higher education. He would regularly lecture his brothers about the value of going to college and getting that degree. To that end, we are establishing an annual Matthew K. Ware Student Athlete Courage Scholarship at East Kentwood High School. This award will be presented in Matt’s honor each spring at the athletic banquet. A thousand dollars will be given to a college bound senior student athlete (male or female) that has exemplified extraordinary courage in the eyes of the coaches, faculty, staff and administration. Also, we are very proud to report that after the Hospice invoice is paid (when and if we get one), we should have thousands of dollars left over in Matt’s benevolent trust fund to donate to brain cancer research! Thank you to all of you who have donated to this most worthy cause. The only thing between us and a cure for primary brain cancer is money. Something to think about for the new year, Team Matt Ware is going to once again be part of the Kentwood Relay For Life in June. It is going to be a ton of fun with even more activities than last time! Stay tuned for more information about that in the spring. In closing, we miss Matt more then we can express, more then we ever thought possible. The memories are precious and plentiful. It warms our hearts to see his legacy live on. Matt continues to speak to all of us through the example he left for us in what it means to be a person of integrity, honesty, honor, generosity, loyalty, courage and love. It was great sharing this extraordinary journey with you! We all can now ‘move on’ with Matt living in our hearts and minds. Thank you for your continued prayers and support! We couldn’t get through this without them! Thankfully, Mitch and family P.S. You can see photos of Matt’s tree… and the actual planting of it under the watchful eye of Timmy’s new puppy Max! Just click on this link or copy and past it into your browser: www.flickr.com/photos/team_matt_ware} | ||
| Ulywife |
Alex - thanks for sharing Mitch's update. The Ware's are certainly an amazing family. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
[update from Mitch Ware & Family - FB] February 5, 2008 Happy Fat Tuesday everyone! Here in West Michigan, we have a large contingent of Polish Catholic friends and neighbors who celebrate a special holiday the day before Ash Wednesday, Fat Tuesday. Historically, the women of the household would make pastries that would include all the sugar and sweet stuff in the cupboard, in part to clean out the supply of such things, and in part to serve as a last big treat before giving up sweets for the biblical season called Lent. Although it seems like only last year, it was four years ago today that Matt had his brain tumor surgery. With this surgery we found out that he indeed has cancer. They told us that they were able to remove all of the tumor they could find, but what they did remove was partially malignant. I recall him waking up that night in the ICU asking me what they found… he asked me “Dad was it benign”? I told him “partially”… he looked at me and said “Dad I don’t want to die” … I replied “then don’t… get some sleep”. And as you know, he beat the prognosis of 12 - 18 months by living another 39 months after this surgery. Seems like every day, we reflect on favorite ‘Matt moment’ and like many of you, we miss him more and more each day. We are very honored to announce that we have finalized the plans to make available the first annual Matt Ware Student Athlete Courage Award. This scholarship is being given to a deserving 12th grade student-athlete at East Kentwood High School. The winner of this award receives a 1000-dollar scholarship. They will also receive a wonderful certificate and a very big trophy (compliments of the athletic boosters at EK). Their name will go on a large plaque, which will be displayed permanently in the main hall of the High School athletic wing. The recipient will be a male or female who is a college or trade school bound student, and who participates at some level of athletics at EK. This person is someone… who in the minds of the many coaches and staff, has had to overcome some form of significant personal circumstance. And in spite of those circumstances, is still willing to participate in sports at EK. There are so many courageous kids that go unrecognized… real-life ‘over-comers’ that deserve encouragement and who serve as an inspiration to those around them. We are very honored to be a part of this new award. And, I know Matt would be pleased and very proud to have his name associated with it. We will now be turning our attentions to acquiring the permission to place a permanent bench on the campus of Kettering University (Matt’s alma mater) in his honor. He loved being a part of Kettering and was very active there in intramural sports. Most of the students at Kettering belong to a fraternity. It serves as a network of fellow students who help each other get through the rigors of an accelerated curriculum (16 weeks condensed into 12). Kettering is not for the faint of heart or slow to learn. It is a very tough school. Matt had to overcome reading disabilities and had to work very hard to make it. As you know, he blossomed and finished on the Deans list. His fraternity Pi Kappa Epsilon… aka PIKES, was a big part of his experience there. Matt served as an officer in the club several times. He was active as an alumnus as well. So, perhaps we can work with them in getting this bench placed on campus. Stay tuned! Please mark your calendar for June 13 and 14, as we will be walking/jogging and strolling at the Kentwood Relay For Life. We will be resurrecting Team Matt Ware with all of its fun, food, prizes and entertainment for kids from 1 to 101! We have several important guests that we hope will join us from the brain tumor group here at the Grand Rapids Gilda’s Club. We are gathering this year for four significant reasons; first to raise money for a cure to brain cancer; second, to lift up and love-on the many survivors of all forms of cancer (and let the world know about the success research is having in each of these very personal battles); thirdly to raise consciousness about brain cancer, as well as other forms of cancer that effect each and everyone of us; and finally to have a wonderful reunion for the many comrades in arms, people who are friends, relatives, and acquaintances of Matt’s. We will be getting more info out later this spring. Please mark your calendar now as we would love to have you, your family and/or group join us for a couple of laps in Matt’s honor, and then we all join you in a lap or two in honor of your loved ones who are or have battled this insidious disease. After all, we are all in this together!! Finally, we want to thank you for your continued prayers and support. Even with our very strong faith, this journey is so very difficult. And at times, we are overwhelmed with a sense of terrific loss, and can only see the moment. But with your prayers, we are able to look beyond, gather our perspective and press on. We aspire to be what Matt would have us to be, and that is happy, positive, and loving. Have a great day, and hope to see you in June! Mitch and family | ||
| Court |
Jerry: Let those nice people know they remain in the thoughts and prayers of more folks than they can possibly imagine. My 78 year old Mother is watching my sister, who has been given the "days to weeks" talk die before her eyes. No parent should ever have to watch a child die. Every time I look at that Matt Ware decal I'm torn between the smile testifying to how much better he left the world in the time he was here and crying, knowing as only a parent can, what his folks must feel every day. God bless them. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
glad to see that he'll be remembered here in a place of his own. it's good to know that his parents financial worries are lessened. i'm also glad that enough was raised to make a donation to cancer research. my aunt was terribly ate up with it and just the week before xmas a good friends wife lost her battle with brain cancer so in one way or another, it does affect everyone at one time or another unfortunately. (Message edited by nevrenuf on February 05, 2008) | ||
| Torquemonster |
I never had the pleasure of speaking with Matt, but from what I gather, he is the epitome of what a man / son / friend /Bueller should be. I wish I had the chance to know him. My heart cries for the Ware's loss and I admire their strength and perseverance. I can only hope that I would be so strong if faced with a similar situation. There is no amount of comfort I can offer to Matts folks to ease their pain, but hope they can find peace in the fact that our creator has a plan for all of us, and one day we will be reunited with those we love so much. Peace be with you, Ware family. Matt is smiling down on you everyday. He is the wind caressing your shoulders and the sunshine on your face. He is not gone from you, but in a better place, eagerly awaiting the blessed reunion of your loving family. If there is ever anything I can do for them I hope they will not hesitate to ask. (Message edited by TORQUEMONSTER on February 06, 2008) | ||
| 04buell |
Our local Relay for Life is July 11th. I am on the planning committee and for the past 3 years have been at the Relay the entire event. I will put out a lumineria for Matt......what a courageous young man he must have been. Carol | ||
| Prior |
Jerry, Thanks for posting that. I knew you'd have me covered. Torquemonster, got your message, can do. As Mitch said, the Kentwood/Grand Rapids area Relay for Life is June 13th-14th, we'll have a big team together with the Ware family to hang out and support this great cause. I'll pass on more information as it becomes available. I'll be there for sure. Court, My prayers are with you and your family. | ||
| Ulywife |
If anyone is interested in making a group donation from BadWeB for the Relay for Life, the Matt Ware PayPal account is still open. mattwaretrust@gmail.com I will forward all donations (minus fees) and any messages to the Ware Family. I'm really proud to be a part of this family. | ||
| Denisea |
Court, Our prayers for you and your family. Denise and Jerry | ||
| Oldog |
Court sorry to hear this your In my prayers. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
[Update from Mitch and Lori Ware & Family, 2/17/08 - FB] Matt Ware graduated from East Kentwood High School in 1997. Matt competed in Football and Baseball during part of his four years at East Kentwood. He was well liked and could be characterized as a "good athlete, but not a great athlete." Upon graduation, Matt attended Grand Rapids Community College for one year and then transferred to Kettering University where he graduated on the Dean's List and earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering. In February of 2004, as a result of some unexplainable dizzy spells, tests revealed a mysterious mass on his brain. Matt had surgery to remove this from his brain and it turned out to be anaplastic astrocytoma, which is a terminal form of brain cancer. Despite Matt’s prognosis, he chose to continue living his life with optimism, determination and purpose. Matt was given 18 months but lived 39 months as he lost his battle with cancer on May 8, 2007. Matt inspired many people throughout his lifetime. He was the definition of courage, and he lived his life with strength and vigor. A few years ago, Valleywood was slightly ahead in points to Grandville Middle School in a big wrestling match. The highly accomplished group of grapplers from Grandville were about to be unseated at the top of the conference if Valleywood could only avoid a pin in the last match. That match pitted Grandville’s best wrestler against a first year wrestler from Valleywood...a strong kid with lots of heart, but lacking in experience. The match came down to the third period, the kid from Valleywood was on his back with the Grandville team captain trying desperately to pin him. Finally the whistle blew, and the boy from Valleywood had fought and fought and survived without being pinned giving Valleywood a huge upset win over Grandville. That boy was Matt Ware. After he was told he was sick, Matt chose to acknowledge his fear with regards to his illness by making everyday a good one. He did hours of research, he knew what lay ahead of him. Yet, he continued to work as an engineer, he continued to workout in the gym, he played softball and took up kayaking. Some, who didn’t know him, accused him of being in denial. Rest assure, there is no denying the huge scar on the side of his head, the daily radiation or chemo treatments for an entire year, the loss of function of his left side, the loss of memory, or the ability to use simple words that are right there… on the tip of your tongue. He was not in denial, he was in a spirit of defiance. A true warrior, in a battle for his life. Matt bought a two-story house and decided to totally remodel it from the floors up, or when he learned to play golf during his treatments even though those treatments were taking Matt’s sight and he was going blind; nothing stopped Matt from living his life. Matt was the epitome of courage; he persevered in spite of his fear and circumstance, to achieve his goals. It is with this spirit that the Matt Ware Courage Award is given to an athlete who has shown the courage to overcome obstacles, learn/grow from these obstacles and truly live life to its fullest. Qualifications: 1. Graduating Senior 2. Male or Female Athlete 3. Will be attending a post-high school institution. 4. Demonstrates an extraordinary level of courage to face obstacles, circumstances, or situations and learn from them and overcome adversity. Selection: 1. Nominees will be provided by the Athletic Office or East Kentwood coaching staff. 2. To be selected by an Athletic Department committee composed of the Assistant Director of Athletics, two coaches and the Principal/Designee. 3. The Director of Athletics shall be part of the above-mentioned committee and vote only in case of a tie. Award: 1. The athlete selected will receive $1000.00 toward their tuition at the post-high school institution of their choosing. 2. An engraved cup will be presented to the athlete and his/her name will be engraved on a permanent plaque to be displayed at East Kentwood High School. Kentwood Public Schools Kentwood, Michigan 49508 USA Phone: 616.455.4400 Fax: 616.455.4920 Contact: Blaine Brumels, Blaine.BRUMELS [at] kentwoodps [dot] org Kentwood Public Schools | ||
| Prior |
Also from Mitch: Everyone, Thanks! We will keep you posted on the activities we have planned! I also wanted to let you know that due to your kindness and the kindness of others, we were able to pay off all of Matt's medical expenses as well as write a check from the Matt Ware Benevolent Trust to the Musellula Foundation who is the leading research group for brain cancer research in the world in the amount of $10,000.00 on Matt's 29th birthday, December 30, 2007. He would be so very honored and proud of all of his friends! Thank you for making this a reality! Mitch, Lori and family | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
[update from Mitch Ware, 2/19/08 - FB] First, you should all have my email address [gr_wares (at) hotmail (dot) com] and you probably have my cell phone number, but just in case you don’t here it is: 616-318-3748. Call anytime, really! I will be picking up the various pieces of RFL literature at the board meeting tomorrow night. I will have receipts and everything you need by then as well… including the luminary bags. This year, we are going cyber!! We will have our own website courtesy of the American Cancer Society (ACS) for Team Matt Ware. The beauty of this site is that people anywhere in the world can log-in and donate money on a secure network to ACS and our team! There will be a goal thermometer on there showing how we are going etc. I am still working on selecting photos and writing a note of greeting for that site. If you want to give me a hand with that, please let me know! Last time, we raised $30k with $10 of that being from one company. Minus that money, we were able to raise $20k from friends, colleagues, and associates. We are looking to match that total of $20k again this year! Every penny is going to brain cancer research. Why is that? Because the brain cancer research effort gets very little research money inasmuch as it is one of the rarest forms of cancer. We feel led to honor Matt and to help those who have or will have this insidious disease by funding the research efforts. The only thing standing between a cure and us for cancer is money. That is the bottom line truth. It takes money to develop new research, to find new treatments and to fund clinical trials. I am confident that with enough money, we can find a cure for cancer in our lifetime. Can you imagine the TV and radio news that day?? There will be dancing in the streets. I for one can’t wait and am excited about being a part of it… I know you are too! Several of you have expressed interest in managing specific areas and I have noted that in parentheses. Even so, if you would like to help that person in that particular area, additional help would be appreciated! Here is the list of areas we need your help and leadership in (in no particular order): - The overall theme of the Kentwood Relay is Sports. The overall slogan is Team Up For A Cure! We need to determine how we can fit into this theme and yet still be unique! We want for our teammates to be visible and stand out from the crowd. Last time we adopted a Hawaiian theme, and everyone got a lay when they arrived and signed in at our tent. So please give this some thought and give me your ideas so we can vote! - Manage the money with Mitch (Lisa ??) i.e. checks and cash collected via US mail or handed in to one of us and get it to Kyle of ACS in Kentwood. - Manage the procurement of two very large tents (Lisa). - Procure 8 banquet tables with coverings and chairs. - Procure a generator. - Manage and coordinate the setup and tear down of the tents, tables, etc. - Design and procure our tents decorations around the unique sports theme we all agree upon (Jennie. This would include having signs made (by kids) to hang on the fence like last time (I have some contacts who might be able to help with this). - Coordinate the decoration of luminary bags (some to be given to young school aged kids to decorate for a specific person) - Manage the sign ups and act as greeters during the event (Ken and Christine). - Games and activity coordinator! Put together a plan for fun things for us to do as a team, while working in conjunction with the overall events activities (a list of which I can give you) making sure we are represented well in the overall event activities i.e. survivors walk; reverse walk; hop and skip walk; pet walk; etc. It would be great to have a late Friday night dance or something similar after the luminary celebration at dark. Then maybe the high school and college age kids could have another Texas Hold’em tourney. - Manage the distribution of posters and other Relay materials, getting them people in a timely fashion (Mitch). - Procure and manage the goodies for the give away bags for team walkers. Last time we had gift bags that were gender specific. That was a real hit with everyone who came out! We have a list of companies who helped us last time. - Procure and manage the food and water (Tracy ?). - Chaperone the teenagers over night (Cy ?). - Be the Team Matt Ware official photographer and capture the fun on disc so we can all share in it for years to come! If you can think of anything I left out, or if you can think of anything else that would make this a super special experience for everyone in attendance. Please let me know! I am very excited about this year, I think this event is going to be even more fun then last time which was a real blast! By the way, you can see tons of photos from last time by going to Matt’s photo website www.flckr.com/photos/team_matt_ware and click on the relay for life icon. Also, I am sure Matt would be very proud of his friends and family for continuing on this very important work in his honor. He was a very compassionate and fun guy. He really enjoyed the time, and I think if it is possible he will be smiling with us this time too! Thanks for taking time to read all of this! Let us know where your interests lie and what other ideas you might have! Mitch Ware and Lisa Champlin | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
[update from Mitch Ware, 3/20/08] Everyone, Hope this finds you enjoying the brief sunshine on this, the first day of spring! It is approximately 90 days out from the Relay For Life, June 13 and 14. As you know the over all event is taking on a 'sports' theme with the slogan 'Teaming Up For A Cure'. We have not received a consensus on which sport to adopt. So Carla Bradley (a new member of Team Matt Ware aka 'TMW') suggested that we call ourselves the Team Matt Ware All Stars. That way we can use lots of ideas when decorating our tent, and people can come dressed in their own favorite sports attire from baseball to motor cycle racing, to soccer to football, from fishing to swimming and everything in between! Missy and Vicky suggested using a lanyard, with a medal of some sort on it to give to each Team Matt Ware participant when they check in at the tent... much like we did the Hawaiian leis last time. These brightly colored lanyards will enable us to see TMW people everywhere around the field. That helped us win most walkers, and helped us win the spirit award last time! We will need to find the funding for the lanyards (about a dollar each) and medals (??) if we go that route. We are still waiting to hear from Beth about using her tent again. We are definitely in need of a second tent however. So if you know of anyone who has a tent, preferably 12 X 12 or bigger that we could borrow it for the day, we would appreciate hearing from you. Tracy Golden did an awesome job with the food last time, and has graciously agreed to handle it again. She maybe contacting you for ideas, stay tuned! Kevin has a generator that we will be able to use, so we will have power ... lots and lots of power :-) Vicky has agreed to help coordinate the decorations. She is terrific with that sort of thing, and is willing to step in and take the reins. We hope to win best tent again this year!! Ken and Christine are handling the TMW check in and hospitality duties. They will be deputizing all of us, to help meet and greet. They did a wonderful job last time, and we are fortunate to have them with us again! Patti Harris is going to be our group historian this year. She will be the resident shutter bug, capturing the whole thing for us on film, well, digitally anyway! Thanks Patti! A few things we still need are: Items for the TMW participant give away bags - Missy is checking with her friend that gave us those excellent running socks last time. Bags to put the afore mentioned items into. Banquet Tables and chairs - Missy had a line on these, so I will let you know if we are able to take those off the 'still need list'... Paper to cover the tables with. Face painter. A big ole tent (or two). Signs made up to hang on the fence (like Lori's kids made last time)... People to decorate luminary bags for out of towners who can't do so. Over night chaperone to stay in the tent and 'keep watch over the flock by night...' :-) Someone to coordinate fun TMW activities through out the 24 hours. Especially for Friday evening and Saturday morning. I think that is all, if I forgot something, please let me know! We welcome your thoughts, ideas, and concerns! Please take a moment and drop me a note if you get a chance!! Hope your Easter is a blessed one! Mitch | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
From: the Ware Family - gr_wares (at) hotmail (dot) com Date: Apr 21, 2008 8:50 AM Subject: Team Matt Ware leadership... Good morning! Good news, thanks to Carla we have the quick link fixed from the American Cancer Society for Team Matt Ware. So, please ask your friends, neighbors, collegues, frat buddies, family etc. to go this link and sign up to a part of Team Matt Ware this year. It doesn't cost a thing to sign up, and the info we add to the page is worth the time! Also, this is a secure link so people can donate using thier credit cards and not have to write a check or worry about catching up with you to give you cash... very cool.... :-) We will be replacing the photo that is there with some photo's of Matt and friends at Relay last time. But first things first, please check it out, sign up and pass it on! Click here to view the team page for Team Matt Ware: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/Rel ayForLifeGreatLakesDivision?team_id=198926&pg=team &fr_id=8114&s_tafId=117556 I will be sending out an e-meeting note later this week with an update as to where we are as team. RFL is only 7 weeks away, and closing fast! Hope your day is a 'groovy' one... Mitch | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
www.HopeWithSupport.org: Brain Tumor Awareness & Support Every year during Brain Tumor Action Week there is the "Hidden Under Our Hats" special display near the Capitol in Washington, DC. This year it is on May 5th and at that time a reading of Brain Tumor Survivors and Angels names at the Vigil will take place. This is the list of names that have been submitted: HopeWithSupport.org: Vigil Names [NOTE: Matt's name is on Page 7 - FB] | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
Team Matt Ware All-Stars 5/1/2008 Everyone, Here is our current status as we get closer to the June 13 - 14 Kentwood Relay For Life! We still need small items for the TMWA (Team Matt Ware All-Stars) participant give away bags - Missy is checking with her friend that gave us those excellent running socks last time. Anything that you can find to put into the bags would be great! Just let Missy know at: missboersma [AT] yahoo [DOT] com We want everyone to come away with a bag of treats! Bags to put the aforementioned items into – Lisa is working on this. Banquet Tables and chairs - Missy comes through again!! Paper to cover the tables with. Face painter – we have been advised that this is a bad idea as many kids are allergic to face paint and the liability is high. So we will do tattoos instead… no not real ones J A big ole tent (or two). – done! Wo-hooooooooooo!! Food – Tracey is handling that. If you know of sources for free food, especially fruit and healthy snacks let her know at: tracy.golden [AT] expresspersonnel [DOT] com Signs made up to hang on the fence and tents… Mike and Jamies kids are making these, however, more would be great too! Big TMW signage... to hang on the Tents People to decorate luminary bags for out-of-towners who can't do so – Jennifer VanDerMolen is helping us with this! Over night chaperone to stay in the tent and 'keep watch over the flock by night...' :-) Someone to coordinate fun TMW activities through out the 24 hours. Especially for Friday evening and Saturday morning – Jennifer Kessler is helping us with that! If you have any ideas, let her know at: kesslerjennifer [AT] hotmail [DOT] com We are still struggling with ideas for something to give everyone to wear so that TMW All Stars are obvious and visible everywhere at the venue. Please let me know if you have any ideas. We have to be mindful of our cost, and hope to keep them to bare-bones minimum! We need to get the word out that the survivor dinner on Friday night is for all survivors! Anyone who has been diagnosed with cancer is invited to the dinner, along with a guest! There is no cost, just an RSVP so that we can plan for how many dinners to serve. Bennigans has offered to donate the dinner to Relay For Life! How cool is that? We will need a sound system for the TMW Friday night dance party. If you have one or know of one, please let me or Jennifer Kessler know. Decorations are being handled by Vicky. If you have any ideas or items you would like to loan to us for the event, please let Vicky know at: anerdgirl32 [AT] comcast [DOT] net Help with Marketing – everyone :-) - please sign up on line at Click here to view the team page for Team Matt Ware and then ask your out-of-town friends to sign up too!! The ACS has proved us with a secure system to take credit card donations electronically that way. Very cool! If you would like a personalized poster to hang up, that is one with Matt’s photo on it, let me know. We have a half a dozen of those already out there, and they look excellent! It is effective and appropriate to put a face on this disease… and people should know who Matt is if they don’t already. If you have any questions, concerns, or need supplies let me know! I am going to stop here. THANK YOU so much for all of your help, love and concern. This is going to be the best RFL ever...thanks to you! Mitch | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
(from Mitch Ware, 5/8/2008 - FB) Everyone, It is hard to believe that it was one year ago today that Matt went to heaven. It has been an interesting year to say the least. Even though Matt was out of our household for several years living on his own, he still had a very profound effect on us all, and has left a huge whole in our lives. We are in the process of redefining 'normal' and as many of you know from your own experiences, that is a difficult and often painful process. We have weathered our season of 'firsts'? first birthday, first Thanksgiving, first Christmas, first Easter, even first funeral of a family friend, all without Matt being here. In some respects, it was more difficult then I ever thought it would be in ways I couldn't have imagined. God provides us with peace, but many times we opt to 'go it alone' for some reason, and choose to suffer through. I guess it is human nature. Anyway, the five of us are living testimonies that everyone grieves in their own unique way, and within our own time frame. There is no 'express line' available when grieving; you just have to live through it. I am told that it gets better with time, however the first year seems to get worse before it gets better. There are times when something comes out of the blue, a song, a photo, even a thought? and the lonesomeness washes over you? totally consumes you and for a moment you just can't breathe. That too is part of the process. Fortunately, there are increasingly more 'better' days then 'bad' ones. We are certainly thankful for that! Thanks to many of you, Matt's legacy lives on. As you know, Matt's friends raised a huge amount of money to pay his medical expenses with any balance left over to go to brain cancer research. On Matt's 29th birthday, December 30 2007 we were able to donate the balance of the trust fund (thanks to your generosity) to the Mussella Foundation for Brain Cancer research as we sent Mussella a check for $10,000. I am positive that Matt would be very impressed with his friends and extended family in how they rose-up to this challenge. Even though it takes millions and millions of dollars to fund the clinical trials and research programs, every penny counts! Dr. Mussella himself wrote us a thank you note in which he says: "thank you to everyone involved with the wonderful and heartfelt donation in the name of your son Matthew Ware. I assure you we will use this money to speed up the search for a cure so other families will not have to go through this nightmare in the future." We are excited to share with you that we will be awarding the first annual Matthew Ware Student Athlete Courage Award at the East Kentwood High School athletic award banquet at the end of this month. One college or Skills Center bound athlete from EK, who has been in difficult circumstances beyond his or her control, who has persevered and competed in athletics at EK will receive $1000 towards their higher education. We are excited to meet this first recipient! As mentioned in previous updates, we have placed a flowering crab-apple tree at the East Kentwood High School baseball diamond in Matt's honor. It was a long and very snowy winter here, but it is doing very well. In fact it is in bloom!! Lori has added additional landscaping around the tree and it looks terrific!! I promise to get updated photos on Matt's photo website soon: www.flickr.com/photos/team_matt_ware We will be focusing on working out the details for a permanent park bench in memory of Matt to be placed on the campus of Kettering University. We will be working with Professor Bell's office as well as Matt's fraternity chapter, to see if we can make this a reality yet this summer. Please mark June 13 and 14 on your calendar. That is the day of the Kentwood Relay For Life. Matt wanted us to be a part of that endeavor. If you recall, we had a Hawaiian theme last time, and he showed up in his coconut bra and grass skirt for part of it! It is a 24-hour love fest for cancer survivors, caregivers, friends and community. It is a time of remembrance for those who have passed-on with a very moving luminary at dark on Friday night, as well as one big party for kids of all ages before and after. We are currently putting together this years Team Matt Ware, and would love to have you sign up and join us. The theme is 'teaming up for a cure', and we are the Team Matt Ware All-Stars! Everyone can wear their favorite sports gear and walk a couple laps, or just hang out at our tent and visit with other Team Matt Ware All-Star buddies and snack on some delicious goodies! Bring your neighbors, church group, kids, everyone that wants to have some fun. We will be sending out a separate email with more details about some of the activities and fun we have scheduled. In the meantime, you can sign up to be part of Team Matt Ware All-Stars (even if you can't attend) for free online at: Click here to view the team page for Team Matt Ware If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/Rel ayForLifeGreatLakesDivision?team_id=198926&pg=team &fr_id=8114&s_tafId=117556 When these kinds of things happen, you quickly find out how many friends you have. Matt and we, are blessed with many. And for that we are so very grateful. And we are very thankful for our wonderful and understanding family and extended family. Family and friends are so important. Again we want to thank you for all of your prayers, cards, emails, phone calls and kind words of support. It is really an honor to have you in our lives. Blessings, Mitch and family | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
(from Mitch Ware 5/15/2008 - FB) Everyone, As you know, Matt lost his battle to cancer a little over a year ago. He was very courage and battled this disease to the very end. In the spirit of that battle, we are asking you for help in continuing the good fight in Matt’s name. In four weeks, Friday June 13 through Saturday June 14, the Kentwood Relay For Life will be held at the East Kentwood High School Falcon Football Stadium and Team Matt Ware will be there! Relay For Life, the American Cancer Society's signature event, is a fun-filled 24-hour event designed to bring together those who have been touched by cancer. At Relay, people from within the community gather to celebrate survivors, remember those lost to cancer, and to fight back against this disease. Relay participants help raise money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society in its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health issue. During Relay For Life events, teams of people take turns walking or running laps. Please mobilize the family, neighborhood, scout group, youth group, ball team, and co-workers and join in the fight!! The event is held overnight to represent the fact that cancer never sleeps. But, Relay isn't all about ‘taking laps’ -- it's about coming together (physically as well as philosophically) in the fight against cancer. It’s a place where people connect with others, share the cancer experience, and find comfort and solace. It’s a time to remember, but also a time to celebrate and have tons of fun!! And it's an opportunity to build hope for a future where cancer no longer threatens the lives of the people we love. Can you imagine that day? I can… As members of Team Matt Ware All-Stars, your efforts support research, education, advocacy, and services that allow the American Cancer Society to offer help and hope to people across the country when they need it most. By joining together at Relay, we celebrate life, friendship, and an opportunity to work to defeat cancer for future generations. Please join us. If you are out of town or have other commitments that weekend, please join us online at: Click here to view the team page for Team Matt Ware If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/Rel ayForLifeGreatLakesDivision?team_id=198926&pg=team &fr_id=8114&s_tafId=117556 Sign up today to become a part of the Team Matt Ware All-Stars Relay For Life effort, and fight back against cancer. Signing up is free. Even if you can’t be here physically, sign up and be with us in spirit! Mitch and family P.S. If you would like a pledge packet, literature, posters to hang at work, church or school, drop me a note and I will get them to you ASAP! See you at the Relay! Also, ask your employer about matching your donation!! | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
(from Mitch Ware, 5/27/2008 - FB) Good morning everyone!! Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend! We are less then three weeks out from the Relay… time is flyin’ by… Here is a brief update as to where we stand on things: Still needed: - Little things for the give-away bags: we picked up some cool things yesterday and Missy scored the very cool high end running socks but, we still need a few things to add. - Coverings for the tables, preferably paper and tape. - Help filling give-away bags with all the treats! - Help Ken and Christine with greeting and signing up people for the walk. - Help setting up the luminary bags i.e. filling with sand putting in position on track… - Help setting up, and help tearing down and cleaning up! - Marketing at your church, work, neighborhood etc. We need to have more groups signed up to walk. - Please get the word out about the luminary bags… $10 each and we will decorate for those who can’t or don’t have the time. We will then send them a digital photo (or two)… via email. - Company matching gifts… please remind people that many times their employer will match their gift or sponsor them in activities like this. We will send a receipt and thank you note to those companies that participate in this. Sign up on the official Team Matt Ware AMCS webpage if you haven't already... thanks! Update on the other stuff: Setup and design: As you know, we are the Team Matt Ware All-Stars… and therefore we are asking people to be an All-Star of their favorite sport of for the day. Vicky is designing the ‘look’ for our tents, inside and out. What we discussed is going to be absolutely awesome! Lori picked up lights, and other decorations so things are all set (or nearly so). Food: Tracey reports that we have some donations of food, and we are looking good. She is going to have fresh burgers and Falcon Franks on the grill for all of us! I am not sure what else is needed i.e. bottled water and the like, so Tracy please let us know if you need anything more! Decorations: Vicky has that well in hand. Lori has purchased most of the things needed so we should be looking good (pardon the pun). Missy has tons of great sports stuff she is allowing us to borrow, which is greatly appreciated! Mikey and Jamie’s kids are making signs we can hang on the fence, which will be awesome. Matt thought of those kids as his nephews and nieces. I am sure he would feel very honored and pleased to know what they are doing with this years Relay. Be prepared to be WOWED with what Vicky has for us. See above for a few items we still need! Luminary bags: are available for to honor survivors as well as to memorize those who have passed on. We will gladly decorate, photo and email the digital photo to out of Towner’s that want to support the effort by purchasing a luminary bag. Just let us know who it is for and we can take it from there! Team Historian: Patty Harris is going to be there for nearly the entire event taking photos… however, bring your camera and shutterbug away! Then we will combine your best with her best for the website! Activities: Jennifer Kessler has some great stuff lined up; starting with a very cool DJ named Chris and a terrific dance party from 7pm until 9 pm on Friday evening. It is going to be a blast!! You will see moves that are well, not quickly forgettable from the Mitch, Kevin, Alex, Mike V, and of course great moves from Missy, Jamie, Mikey, Lisa, Jennifer, Vicky, the other Jennifer, Carla, Tracey, Christine, Ken, and well… the whole gang! We will be doing the slide, the hustle, and the one I know Lisa can do without help, the Chicken Dance!! There will be other great tunes played for you to cut up the rug with… we can guarantee some major hilarity! Also, Kevin and Mikey are bringing generators so that we can have ample power and backup power… thanks guys! Water balloon volleyball: this is a game where you and a partner are on either side of a beach towel and have to ‘serve’ your water balloons over the net to the other team, which is made up of several 2 person teams who then catch it and return the water balloon. As it is always hot on this weekend, this should be the perfect game… start time is 10am Saturday… There will be other games available through out the event as well as event-wide games and activities. A list of those activities will be available to you at check-in. Sign in: Ken and Christine will be meeting and greeting everyone. Part of the process is getting a waiver signed listing contact info for walkers (it is a requirement of the ACS this year) so that if someone gets ill from the heat or whatever, we know who to call in a prompt and timely fashion. There were two incidents in the Rockford Relay two weeks ago requiring that emergency contact info. Everyone who signs up at our tent will be given a big Team Matt Ware name tag to wear, which will help us stand out from the other teams. We have an assortment of football, baseball, soccer ball and star-shaped foam nametags. They look great. We are going to have a stencil made that says Team Matt Ware All-Stars, Relay for life 2008 and paint them all. Then people will take a sharpie and write their name on it. It will pin or clip on their shirt and voila! Should be great and cost effective too! That is all for now, please touch base and let me know how you are doing and if you need anything else. We are planning on having tons of fun this year, so pack your suntan lotion and get ready for a great experience! Thanks again for all of your help and hard work!! | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
(from Mitch Ware, 5/29/2008 - FB) Entertainment & Activities Jennifer Kessler has several games and activities planned through out the event. The two biggies are highlighted below in bold. We are gonna have a blast!! -- Mitch Friday, June 13, 2008: 1:00 PM All teams report to starting line for the first lap! 2:00 PM Crazy hat lap 3:00 PM Theme laps 4:00 PM Bubble gum contest 5:00 PM Bozo will make an appearance for the kids!! 5:00 PM All ages friendly wet t-shirt contest Home concession opens, operated by Team Gordon Food Service 6:00 PM Opening ceremonies, immediately followed by survivor lap and dinner 7:00 PM - 9pm Team Matt Ware All Stars Dance Party at our tent... 7:00 PM Karate demonstration by Young Champions 8:00 PM Miss Relay contest 9:00 PM Luminary ceremonies and reflections 10:00 PM Kickball, organized by the Kentwood Jaycees 11:00 PM Dancing under the stars Saturday, June 14, 2008: Midnight Trick or Treat Lap: wear anything that glows 1:00 AM HALF WAY THERE! Pajama Party and Pillow Fight 2:00 AM Bubble blowing lap 3:00 AM 4:00 AM 5:00 AM 6:00 AM Prepare to wake up 7:00 AM WAKE UP!!! 8:00 AM Bounce a Ball Lap 9:00 AM Dress Like a Baby Relay Lap 10:00 AM All ages friendly wet t-shirt contest Kickball, organized by the Kentwood Jaycees 10:30 AM Water Balloon Volley Ball at Team Matt Ware All Star Tent 11:00 AM Cotton Ball Relay Noon Fight back & Closing Ceremonies 1:00 PM Final Lap! Schedule subject to change without notice. Massages will be available during relay provided by Certified Massage Therapist Crystal Vettel. There will be DJ playing music and request during the entire event. Other games and contests will take place throughout the Relay. Listen to the DJ announcements for more information about each activity. Teams are responsible for providing their own costumes and props for special events, theme laps, and contests. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
(from Mitch Ware, 5/31/08 - FB) Everyone, We are very excited to announce that the first Matt Ware Courage Award has been handed out at the East Kentwood Athletic Awards Banquet. If you recall, we are giving out [an annual] $1000 scholarship in honor of Matt. The athletic staff at EK nominate candidates for the award, then they decide who the eventual winner is. We have no idea who it is until we hear the announcement at the awards banquet. The first ever recipient is a young man who although a gifted athlete, has encountered numerous serious physical injuries over his 4 years at EK... which required corrective surgeries on his back and knees. Yet, in spite of these setbacks, he persevered through months of physical therapy and was able to compete in football and track and field throwing the discus. He graduated last week with a 3.97 GPA and is headed to the University of Michigan to study Engineering. And the icing on the cake, is his first name is Matt... Matt Sanderson. As these things go, Lori and I entered the auditorium that night and grabbed a couple of seats on the aisle. Unknown to us at the time was the fact that Matt had won, and his parents (who we didn't know) were sitting directly in front of us. And, Matt is dating [our son] Scotty's best friends sister... very small world in a school of 3000. Thank you for sharing in this and helping to keep [our son] Matt's legacy alive. Blessings to you Mitch and family | ||
| Ulywife |
 How cool is that! | ||
| Prior |
Mitch called and asked for my last few decals, what a cool thing to do with them!!! This is the latest email from Mitch, Team Matt Ware had a very successful Relay for Life!!! Everyone, Just a wrap-up note to thank everyone for yet another terrific Relay For Life! If you haven’t read the Friday June 13, 2008 article in the Grand Rapids Press, go to www.mlive.com and check it out. It is a wonderful article about the Relay and why we as friends and family of Team Matt Ware still fight the good fight! Thank you again Julie for such a wonderful article. There are tons of great moments caught on film, those photos have been posted on Matt’s site at www.flickr.com/photos/team_matt_ware There you will see the young and old walking, eating, doing the cha-cha slide (if you don’t know what that is, you are indeed over 40… :-) and just hangin’ out having fun! A terrific DJ whose business is called “Wired For Sound” came and entertained us for our inaugural Team Matt Ware Friday Night Dance Party. His name is Chris Huvaere; he can be reached at chris@djwired.com This guy can bring-it! We had a blast even in the rain! His high energy and nose for fun has been captured and can be seen on the aforementioned flickr site. Several of the highlights were the Friday night dance party, which pretty much started in the rain. Followed by the luminary. The gang from Matt’s work made a luminary bag decorated with some of the pointers he designed, and built in such a way that the pointers actually glowed when the bag was lit. Others were decorated with such love and care, that you cannot help but be moved. Lori made a bag for the gang at Gilda’s club… the original group of 10 or so that greeted Matt and us when we joined 4 years ago. All but two of them are now in heaven. We are obviously saving those bags! As we finished reading all the names of the honorees from the bags at the luminary ceremony Friday night… the sun was setting, and the most beautiful big rainbow appeared. The Holy Scripture tells us that God uses the rainbow to remind us of His promise, and everything was once again perfect. What a night… I am convinced that we could see a cure for cancer in our lifetime. The right people are in place to find more solutions to the many pathological puzzles that make up cancer. The only thing between us and a cure is time and money. And the quicker we can raise the money, the shorter the time. It takes millions of dollars to fund the clinical trials that result in new treatments, as well as the lab research that fuels the clinical trials. The Team Matt Ware All-Stars nearly hit our goal of $10,000 as we had a weekend of fun and remembrance. If you still want to donate to fight brain cancer in memory of Matt, there is still time! Please go to our Relay For Life website and do so or just drop me a note. Every penny counts: Click here to view the team page for Team Matt Ware By God’s grace, there is hope for a better tomorrow for all us. Thank you for being part of the solution and supporting this effort with your money as well as your shoe leather! See you next year, Mitch and family |
