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January is flying by! As I type this post, the sun in shining through my windows. Sunshine Fest is coming up so quickly. January 30th will be here before we know it! I heard last week that all of the volunteers needs are filled. That is incredible! Thank you to all who are helping out and getting prepared for the best Sunshine Fest yet.

Now we just need to fill Ralph Engelstad Arena with even more smiling faces and maybe a few fun costumes too! You can register individually or get your team together. Head over to www.sunshinememorial.org to get registered today.

Enjoy the sunshine today and the warm winter temperatures forecast this weekend…and get registered too!

Until then,

Happy New Year everyone! I can’t believe its 2016. I also can’t believe Sunshine Fest is merely a few weeks away!

Our committees are working harder than ever. Sunshine Fest has a fantastic group of people organizing everything behind the scenes but now its your turn to join the action!

There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer at this year’s event.

Cole and Tricia Reimann are helping to recruit and organize this year’s volunteers. They let me know that signing up to volunteer at Sunshine Fest 2016 is very easy, just go to https://sunshinememorial.org/blog/events/ to see all the different positions they need help with. Time slots are conveniently only 1.5 hours long so there is still time for you to enjoy the festivities of the day!

Until then,

There are several new faces involved in the upcoming Sunshine Fest. I thought I’d introduce you to a few in the next few posts.

Meet Haley!

Q: How did you get involved with the Sunshine Memorial Foundation?

A: I got involved in theSunshine Memorial Foundation by applying for an internship experience last summer. I saw the description of what the internship would be like and I thought it would be something I would really enjoy! I interviewed with both Donovan and Jena and got offered the internship shortly later! It has been such a good experience and I could not be more thankful for the opportunity!

Q: What is your favorite part of working with the Foundation?

A: My favorite part about working at the Sunshine Memorial Foundation is working with all the people I have met through the experience. I walk in and know every day that I’m going to learn something new and it is going to benefit me and my future. Every day is different which also makes it fun! Keeps me on my toes!

Q: What are you most looking forward to at Sunshine Fest 2016?

A: I’m really looking forward to seeing how Sunshine Fest is going to come together. I have never been to the event before so it has been fun being a part of the planning process and putting everything together for the big day. I can’t wait to see how it turns out and everyone there celebrating such an amazing event for an amazing cause!

I can attest to the fact that Haley is wonderful to work with. I have been bothering her on a regular basis for information, pictures, ideas, etc. I’m looking forward to seeing the whole event come together as well! Don’t forget registration is currently up and running at www.sunshinememorial.org and if you haven’t already, find (and BUY!) some raffle tickets. You won’t be sorry you supported a great cause!

Until then,

As I have been thinking and planning for upcoming blogs, my thoughts inevitably return to the reason it all began.

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.

Shannon had recently moved to the Phoenix area with her fiancé and although she had done extensive hiking previously, she was unaware of the effects of the intense heat and the subsequent large quantities of water necessary under these circumstances.  Perhaps her death could have been avoided if information had been available to her about the dangers of dehydration and heat stroke.

Shannon was born and raised in Grand Forks, North Dakota, the daughter of Van and Dee Larson.  There,  she attended elementary and high school and graduated from the University of North Dakota.  Following graduation, she was employed for two years at Ecolab in Grand Forks.  In the fall of 2006, she moved to Kazakhstan, where she taught Business English, tutored students in English usage, was a member of an International Hiking Club where she participated in philanthropic activities.  Also while there, she and her fiancé, Matt Morrison, traveled extensively, including several weeks in Indonesia.

Shannon had a passion for living life to its fullest and was a shining ray of sunshine….  Spending time with family and friends and traveling were her main interests.  Her winning smile, compassionate and helping nature, generosity, and sense of humor, touched the lives of all those around her.  Whether you had a long-term friendship or just met Shannon, she had such a charm and genuineness about her that she seemed to captivate you, and would always connect with a wink and a smile!

Her family has created the Sunshine Memorial Foundation to honor her memory and help others just as she did. The Foundation is currently raising funds to build the Sunshine Hospitality Home which will help so many. It will provide a place to stay for those in Grand Forks for medical treatments and appointments of many kinds. It will most definitely be a place that brings sunshine to many in difficult circumstances. Proceeds from the upcoming Sunshine Fest will benefit the Home.

We could all use a little more sunshine in our days. My challenge to you is to bring an extra dose of sunshine to someone else’s life this week, friend or stranger. I just might buy a few extra cups of coffee for others this week!

Until then,