Archive for month: October, 2014

Why the blog?

Toward the end of the summer I got an email from a former colleague, Jena Pierce. She was happily working for the Sunshine Memorial Foundation. It had been awhile since we’d found time to catch up so we enjoyed a long lunch that included lots of laughs. Along the way I learned more about the Foundation and its work. I also got the feeling she was going to try to recruit me for something!

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Over the next few days we exchanged emails and she mentioned the idea of a blog. Would I be interested in writing the “secrets behind Sunshine Fest”? I thought about it for another few days. Then I emailed back.


 

To: Jena

From: Stacy

“Yes! Let’s talk again soon.”


 It didn’t take her long to reply…


 

To: Stacy

From: Jena

“You’ve made my day!”


 

“While looking forward to my first Sunshine Fest I was curious about the ins and outs of such a big, annual event,” said Jena. “I spoke to a lot of people who had heard of the event but wanted to learn more. Knowing Stacy is a great writer who had a personal blog, I thought she would be a great asset to our marketing and media committee as a blog writer. And I was right!”

I guess the rest is history because you are now reading the blog. We met and discussed ideas for content. I quickly learned there are so many different aspects to Sunshine Fest that it didn’t take us long to fill a docket of posts. Our topics will cover registration details, sponsorship, volunteers and much, much more! We’ve also left some room for changes as details are ever-evolving and new ideas are always coming up.

The very first Sunshine Fest in 2010 included about 80 runners and walkers. There were over 900 participants in 2014. Let’s see how many of us can find some extra Sunshine in 2015!

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Ready, Set, Go!

Hello! You may or may not have heard about Sunshine Fest. If you’re like me, you’ve heard about it. You’ve watched news reports on it. You’ve read newspaper articles about it. You’ve participated in it or you’ve wished you had.

Planning is already underway for the 5th Annual 2015 Sunshine Fest which will take place on February 7th (from 9 a.m.-noon). It’s going to include a 3K Indoor Walk, 5K Outdoor Fun Run and a Health and Wellness Fair.

A little history…Shannon “Sunshine” Larson died September 8, 2007, in Mesa, Arizona, of natural causes related to heat exhaustion, while hiking in Usery Mountain Park. Shannon was 31 years old and just beginning a new chapter in her life. You can read Shannon’s full story here.

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After coping with Shannon’s death in 2007, her family wanted to make a difference in the town she grew up in. They started the Sunshine Memorial Foundation and began an annual event called the “More Sunshine Annual Walk and Fun Run”, a.k.a. Sunshine Fest! Sunshine Fest is the Sunshine Memorial Foundation’s annual event that each year helps to raise money for charitable causes. The event consists of a 5K outdoor fun run and an indoor 3K walk, a health and wellness fair, music, fun activities and dozens of amazing prizes!! This year all money raised will be going to the Sunshine Memorial Foundation in support of the Proposed Sunshine Hospitality Home!

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My name is Stacy and I am a wife and mom of 2 from Grand Forks. I’m new to this event and the process of making it happen. In the coming weeks I’ll bring you peeks at what is going on behind the scenes to bring this incredibly fun event to our region.

Mark your calendars now because everyone could use a little more sunshine…especially in February!

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