Bert’s Big Adventure 2010 Send-off
Today I saw magic happen. It was magic in the form of the sparkling eyes of children, the utter joy of their parents of seeing them happy & the love & genuine fondness between all the families who were gathered at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel for the same reason. They were all at Bert’s Big Adventure 2010 Send-off to Walt Disney World. As many of you may know, Bert’s Big Adventure is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides a spectacular five day journey to Walt Disney World® for children with a chronic and/or terminal illness and their families. This trip and the year round programs that follow each adventure allow participants to: establish lasting friendships with others facing similar challenges, experience events and venues that otherwise could not be afforded & enjoy the gift of intimate family time together where the focus turns from living with an illness to making magical moments. Sponsored by my fabulous friends & amazing people-Bert & Stacey Weiss-Bert’s Big Adventure is really, really magical. For those of you who don’t know, Bert is a DJ on Q-100 on the morning show-The Bert Show.
Being involved with this incredible organization is honestly one of my most favorite things to do all year. Last year was my first year being involved (my artists & I do all the make-up for all the moms going on Bert’s Big Adventure), and this year I was so honored that Bert & Stacey asked me again to be a part of this great day & great organization as a whole! I had six make-up artists & we started out at 5:30 a.m. working on Stacey and then all the moms & didn’t finish until The Bert Show broadcast was nearly over at 10 a.m. It’s amazing how thankful the moms are that day & really everyday, but the day of Bert’s Big Adventure, they actually get to spend some time on themselves for once. I mean, here are all these incredibly selfless women who care more than 100% about their children & they finally have the opportunity to be pampered. It was such an awesome sight. These women were able to sit back & relax, have Authentic Beauty (us!) do their make-up, and get massages by Corporate Massages Onsite, get their hair done by Aura Hair Studio & watch as their children had a blast. The kids made hats & played with the “Imaginator” from the Imagine It! Children’s Museum Downtown as well as played & danced with the Disney characters, and jumped in the moonwalks.
We were all slightly groggy when we got there, but as more & more people filed in the Sheraton’s ballroom, the energy in the air really kicked into high gear. From all the volunteers running around in their bright yellow BBA shirts to the Disney characters dancing with the all kids to the yummy breakfast spread, BBA 2010 was a huge success. My children, Quinn & Zach were there, and I am so happy they came. They were so touched by each & every business who dedicated their time & energy to the betterment of each of the families who are involved in BBA. My family & I are truly blessed & I am so thankful for my staff at Authentic Beauty, all of my amazing customers, for my awesome friends like Bert & Stacey & so many other people, & I am so thankful for the other businesses volunteering to make a difference in other people’s lives. Hope you had a great weekend everyone!
XO-Aly
