Bid for Bachelors and Bachelorettes 2010
February 10th, 2010 at 7:51 am by Laura Velasquez under Entertainment, Weather
February 6th, 2010
There are those moments in life where time seems to stand still. The world becomes quiet; objects and people outside of your immediate attention blend into the background, and you can count every breath you take.
These are powerful moments, they come seldom and when they do, last only a short time. They can only be brought on by something, or someone, that demands every ounce of energy and attention you have. These are the truly important things in life.
I had one of these “moments” on Saturday night, at the beginning of the “Bid for Bach” event, a fundraiser for Friends and Families of Cystic Fibrosis. Everyone had been asked to take their seats, the host and hostess had been introduced, and there had been a introduction given. We assumed it was time to start the bidding, then there was a pause, and the hum in the room grew silent. About the same time I noticed a girl, a teenager, standing at the back of the stage. Just then, the woman speaking said there was one last thing before the bidding was to start, and for this, she needed our undivided attention. “I need to hear a pin drop”, was the statement she made. Then she introduced the girl, Sohpia.
Confident and poised, she walked forward and stepped up to the microphone. In the next few minutes she gave one of the most compelling speeches I have ever heard. She described to us a little bit about her life, her life living with CF. She told us of the struggles she faces each day, and her hopes for the future, along with how important it is for her to stay healthy. By the time she was done, I had tears in my eyes, and I wasn’t the only one.
It was those few minutes when we all knew exactly why we were there…the bachelors and bachelorettes, the committee members, parents, friends, and attendees. Clear as crystal.
She received a standing ovation from the crowd, and left the stage. After everyone dried their eyes and sat back down, the bidding began and the first of over 51,000 dollars was raised…and they are still counting!
So I’ll say it again, thank you to all who donated, all who participated, and all who came out in support. Whether in a big or small way, you did make a difference!
Laura,
Thank you for participating. I knew this speech from Sophia was coming as I was a committee member however I still had tears in my eyes. She is a precious precious girl! I think it was so powerful to have her speak right before the bidding started! Thanks for this power post!
Following Sophia’s speech on Saturday, and being first up on the “auctioning block” was overwhelming to say the least. I am with Laura in saying I had tears in my eyes, and when I passed Sophia as she came off the stage I was able to tell her how incredible and brave she was for sharing her story. It was the only opportunity I had to speak with this amazing girl all night, and it was a powerful moment to look someone in the eye to say, “okay … let’s beat this!” Thank you to everyone who came, donated, but more importantly – support this cause. It’s humbling to know how generous west Michigan is
Laura,
Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. As a part of the Bid for Bach committee for the past few years, it is our hope that people ‘get’ the message. Sophia’s speech made the reason for the event very clear and we knew in an instant exactly what we had all come together that evening to accomplish. She is an amazing teenager facing tough challenges, many of which we will never fully understand, but I assure you there is rarely a day that you would catch her without that smile that that lights up the room. An amazing evening! Thank you for being a part of it!
Yeah, I remember when she said that she was the girl in her story, I just felt this wave of emotion roll throughout my body and it brought tears to my eyes as well. I had only met her once but when she came off stage I just felt compelled to walk up to her and give her a hug and tell her how courageous that she was for doing that…
Wonderful post, Laura.
Laura- thank you for this post! As Sophias aunt and riding this journey with her, I would like to give you all a little background on this amazing girl. Up until last December, Sophia had shared the truth of her disease with very few people. She was hospitalized for the first time in December 08. During that time we had many discussions and she came to the realization it was time to speak out. She made the decision to start using her voice to help find a cure for CF. Less than two months later, Sophia and I wrote that speech that she gave last Saturday night…..The biggest part is….She gave her very first speech and revealed her truth in front of her entire High School Student Body!! Standing in front of 400 kids, she took her first step in changing her life, revealing her truth and using her voice! We can all remember being 17… I know I didn’t have that kind of confidence or courage at 17.
She is an amazing young woman…not because she is the face of Cystic Fibrosis, but because she is on a journey to make a change in this world.
Thank you to all of you for being a part of her journey…and helping her by using your voice to educate others on this disease.
~Chris Panyard
Thank you to all who have taken part in this event.
My daughter Jamie Kloote passed away 9 years ago at the age of 22.
A child’s journey with CF is at times very difficult.
They are amazing kids and young adults.
God enables them to reach the hearts and souls of those who have contact with them. Jamie lived her life full.
The funds for the families are so very important.
A huge thank you to all of you who contributed to this event.
I was there and it was an incredible event. Over $50,000 raised for local CF families. Too bad attendee Rep. Mike Sak (D) was not on his best behavior.
Laura – Thank you for posting this on your blog. It is written perfectly. A few months ago Sophia and her Aunt Chris came to me to hear about Friends & Families of CF, and to see if they would be a fit for getting involved in our event. Needless to say we are VERY fortunate that they decided they wanted to get involved. I have been a part of the CF community in some way or another for 20 years, and meeting Sophia has been a highlight for me. She is an amazing young lady, with courage and a heart of gold.
Thank you Laura for being a part of the event and raising awareness. And thanks to all those that came out to support our event! Our goal is to give back a small piece of joy that CF has taken away from our local families. With your help, this is now possible.
wow i dont even know where to begin. Thank you all so much for your wonderful compliments. You are all the reasons why i keep going in life why i want to find a cure so very much. That night was an amazing night that i will never forget. Also thank you all who came to support the event.
ONE DAY CF WILL TRULY STAND FOR CURE FOUND! Thank you all again i love you!
Sophia Cerniglia