The JULY 21st FUNDRAISER at RED OAK!

It was a SEA of Carolina blue...     ( I know, carolina blue!) on July 21st 2012 at Red Oak Fire Department. We arrived about 8:00-8:30 to begin setting up. WHAT a successful day it was! The Friday night before we were anxious as it rainied and rainied...what would Saturday hold, but fortunately the rain held off. As we all sat and ate pizza and a wonderful salad provided by Mrs. Wanda and Mr. James we talked about "when you pray tonight please ask the Lord to bless tomorrow and to PLEASE let the weather be good"....well he heard and answered in a big way! Truly although it was hot it WASN'T as hot as it could have been and the clouds kept the temps down...and the rain held off....

Setting up Donate Life table...registed OVER 50 people as organ donors that day.

Setting up the bake sale! We sold out of almost EVERYTHING we had!

Waiting for the crowds to arrive

Kids enjoying the bouncey houses...thanks ASAP rentals.

Red Cross blood mobile, 30 units collected on the 21st in Rays honor and 11 more collected on the 22nd at Simpson in Rays honor...41 units total WAY TO GO!

Red Cross helpers...Jennifer red cross QUEEN and my mother-in-law Coleen....and our NEW friend Randy!! Ummmm that is another story for another blog!! :)

Tshirt sales

Silent auction area

Stephanie Stallings and Leah Lehman, ready to sale some baked goods. THANKS to the both of them for ALL their help with the bake sale, organization and baking!

Register to be an organ, eye and tissue donor

Ray and his good buddy Chris Amyette.....go team EcoLab...thanks Chris for all your help the day of the event and ALWAYS

My other "coordinator of fundraiser chaos" Marley Adams and Kevin Via....thanks to you both for ALL your help and dedication

Bake sale table....Mrs. Marty, Stephanie and Jeffrey Stallings...Jeffrey was SELLING some baked goods!

DONATE LIFE table looked great!

Daddy and his other "son" Randy...no not crazy Randy from earlier...asiain Randy

In full swing!

Let the bidding begin!!

Thanks to ALL our sponsors and those who donated couldn't have done it WITHOUT them all.

.....So the day started at 10:00am and the people began coming! MANY donated blood that day, braving the heat and the WAIT...some had to wait as long as 1 1/2 hours just to be able to donate in Rays honor....THANKS guys! We collected 30 units that day. 16 people were turned away due to low iron, low bp, surgeries to close to giving, husband had hep C and they didn't want her blood (umm hmmm). But 30 units! The following day 11 more units were collected in Rays name, 41 units total. They definetly paid back from THIS surgery! The bake sale was a huge success, hamburgers and hotdogs, chips, drinks, bouncey houses, tshirt sales and of course the DONATE LIFE table. We had donate life raffles all throughout the day given by the Donate Life NC and Carolina Organ Donors, and donate life giveaways. OVER 50 people registered that day with the national registry to be organ, eye and tissue donors. The two biggest things we wanted to get out there that day we DID...blood donation and organ donation. The day was great! The silent auction ended at 2:00pm, EVERYTHING except two items up for bid sold....we had OVER 50 items. Some people got some GREAT deals and everyone seemed really happy that they were able to get a little something and donate to the cause at the same time. By the time the auction money was collected, clean up began and regorganization of the fire department...we all began to leave RIGHT as the bottom FELL OUT! Thank you Lord for holding off the rain!
Through genroristy of friends, family and others we didn't even know-they heard about the event on radio, newspaper or on TV we had a very successful day. A day that will allow us to pay for Rays prescriptions and Duke bills, a day that TRULY helped the Brooks family. A day supported by the community. We could not have done it without the hardwork and dedication of our friends, my parents, Rays mom and Red Oak FD, COULD'NT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU ALL! It is a humbling experience that leaves you feeling loved, supported and taken care of.
Last summer I stood in my friend Christy's kitchen at the beach, we were talking about Ray, his health, the future, etc...I remember I began to cry, I told my friend Christy "I couldn't handle another transplant , I couldn't do it" I remember her telling me I could do anything as long as I was faithful and had my friends and family by my side and certainly if we had to face that again I COULD COUNT ON the support of my friends and family. I know that last summer the Lord already knew what our path looked like, how this all would play out. He knew that Ray and I were strong enough, he knew would we would doubt ourselves but that he would faithfully stand beside us, he knew this would test us, he knew he would be by our side the whole way and he also knew that YOU all would be there as well. I know that God has put EACH and EVERYONE of you in our lives and in our paths for a reason, it is all a part of HIS plan. The help, love, hugs and support that you all give are straight from him, you are like angels on earth taking care of us, sent directly by God.
I am reminded daily of what is now my favorite verse..."trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight" Proverbs 3:5-6.
Thank you ALL again for a great day and huge success!
Ray, Janet, Jackson and Riley Brooks
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