July
11, 2013 UPDATE: THE JOSHUA PROJECT
FOUNDATION INAUGURAL FUNDRAISER
Hello everyone! My
name is Christie Goldenberg and I am Josh’s mom.
I have been given the
opportunity to take over The Joshua Project blog at this time, so please
forgive me if I get a little wordy for this first one. Since I am not an experienced blogger, other
than my book review blog, please be patient with me as I learn the ropes.
There are only 21 days left until the Inaugural Fundraiser
Event at The Palm Restaurant on Aug 2nd, 2013! All of us involved in The Joshua Project
could not be more excited and anxious and a be tired at this point too. Planning this event has been like planning a
wedding, but in our case, with a very short timeline. I could not be more grateful and proud of my
husband Evan and the other board members who continue to work tirelessly
everyday to ensure this events success. All
of us are putting our entire hearts and souls into this because we believe so strongly
in what we want to accomplish.
The responses for donations for our silent and live auction
have been overwhelming! We have a rare
laser signed football from the 2011 Dallas Cowboys (Josh’s favorite football
team, and mine too), signed boxing gloves from boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard
along with jewelry, massages, salon services, limo rides, wine tasting and even
a foursome round of golf at Sherwood Country Club and so much more! There is something for everyone. And those are just the silent auction
items. For the live auction we have a
Dream Car Ride for 2 where the winner and the guest will have the once in a
lifetime opportunity to spend the day driving in the world’s 7 most expensive
and exotic cars! If you have an item or
service that you would like to donate, please contact me right away!
But by far the one I am looking forward to the most is one
that is so personal to me. Stephen
Haddad has been Josh’s Occularist since
he was a baby. Stephen is the one who
fit Josh’s eye sockets with the special pieces to stretch out and prepare them
for both of his prosthetic eyes (along with 4 surgeries). Stephen Haddad is also the artist who, by
hand, fits, makes and hand paints these magnificent works of art, that are my
sons eyes today. Stephen has over the
years become a special friend to our family and Josh still eagerly looks
forward to every visit to his office. I
am honored that Stephen is a part of our Board of Directors. Generously Stephen will be donating a pair of
prosthetic eyes which will then be given to a child or children whose families
could not previously afford them. Each
eye is valued at approx. $1500! When
Josh was a baby and we inquired to our insurance company about prosthetic eyes
we were told that they were considered cosmetic and therefore were not
covered. Another insurance company considered
them “durable medical equipment” in the same class as crutches, and therefore
only covered up to $250. This for me and
Evan will be a full circle moment for us and one we have spent years dreaming
about.
The “Dining In The Dark” part of the evening seems to be the
thing that most people are talking about and excited about doing. Please be aware that although we are selling
over 150 tickets for the event there are only a total of 40 seats for this part
of the fundraiser. Although tickets only
went on sale this week, we have almost half of those 40 seats filled
already! The night is going to be filled
with tears, laughter and inspiration. I
promise that everyone who attends will walk away feeling like a million bucks
(which is how much I hope we raise).
All of us on the Board of Directors are bursting with ideas
to be implemented once we have the funds to do so. Imagine
not only grocery stores with Braille, but also machines or an app for your
phone that can recognize products and verbally give you information! We want desperately to get braillers, Braille
printers (embossers) and computer apps for the blind and visually impaired,
especially students! As an avid reader, Josh wants there to be a much better
selection of Braille books and audiobooks in the libraries. This is just the tip of the iceberg! The Joshua Project Foundation is dedicated to
improving the lives of blind and visually impaired people in any way possible.
I really hope that you can join us for a night of amazing 5
star food, drinks, music and so much more.
If you are unable to attend I hope that you will consider making a
donation to the project. For those who
are financial struggling during these difficult times, please help us by
telling your friends and family about us, liking us on Facebook and or
contacting us to volunteer.
I am looking forward to sharing information and personal
stories on this blog, along with giving hope, laughs and inspiration to all!
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