20th Annual Jordan & Kyra Memorial Golf Tournament

 Perfect weather, good friends, and a great cause: the 20th Annual Jordan and Kyra Memorial Golf Tournament on Friday, October 18th. Picture getting together with 150 of your golf buddies for your annual day-in-the-sun, all benefiting the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation.  The Jordan & Kyra team went all-out with decorations at the Seascape Golf Club in Aptos, California - including photo boards with pictures from the last 2 decades.

The Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation was created in memory of Jordan Stuart and Kyra Pillsbury, and raises money for brain tumor research, and to provide free housing at Family House in San Francisco. Both Jordan and Kyra, along with their families, were guests at Family House before they lost their battles with cancer.  This annual event is a great way to cherish their memories, and keep their playful spirits alive through hope, dignity, and comfort of families currently undergoing treatment for cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

Congratulations to the Jordan & Kyra team for putting on such a successful event, and to all of the donors, volunteers, and attendees - this event shines because of you!

To see more event photos, visit:
http://on.fb.me/1dEjHpP

To learn more about the Jordan & Kyra Memorial Foundation, visit: http://www.jordanandkyra.org/

Why I Run by Karen Banks

A Full Marathon is one of the hardest physical challenges a person can do. I started my running journey about 3 years ago in August 2011 when I made a life change: I had an intensive surgery and lost weight to get healthy. I began running a single mile – which was painful, but over the course of a few months, I was up to 5 miles. I signed up for 5ks, 10ks, and any small runs I could handle. I started to get the so-called “runners high,” where I felt incredible and amazing after running. It gave me a feeling of freedom and accomplishment after completing each mile.

I successfully finished my first half marathon in July 2012, which was the 2nd half of the SF Marathon. I found out if I completed the 1st half the following year I could get an extra medal. I was hooked on “run bling!”

After doing both half marathons, the next obvious choice was the full marathon, but I was scared of not finishing. The fear caused me to be lax on training, to just will my way to the finish. The most I had ever run were the 7 half marathons before - I never made it over 13.1 miles.  I made excuses and told myself for months that I would train the next week, and then all of a sudden it was Sunday, July 27th, and the start line was staring me in the face.

I began to breathe very hard and I actually panicked and teared up and told myself, “I can’t do this. I can’t complete this. Who the hell runs around the city of San Francisco?” But I just went for it.


I got through the first half as easily as I had other half marathons. It wasn’t until the 15th mile that I thought I could go through with the whole marathon. By mile 20 however, I was in pain. Bad pain: every muscle in my body was sore; it felt like my toes were bleeding; my knees ached; my calves were swollen. I walked more than I wanted to, but it was because I felt like I couldn’t go on. I just kept pushing. Every single mile slowly went by and it felt like agony.  “When would this stop, why did I do this?  I can’t go anymore.”

But I did go; by mile 25 I could see the Bay Bridge and then the turns around the Embarcadero and again I started to tear up and be short of breath when I saw the mile 26 marker. It was the marker that told me, “You are here and there is no turning back. Who the hell runs around the city of San Francisco?” I do, apparently.

Why did I choose to fundraise for Family House? I choose to do this for the kids I meet at Family House who may never get to run, ever.

In my day-to-day I get to meet some amazing kids who have changed my life forever. Those that are going through tough struggles and sometimes do not get to see another day. It is because of these incredible superheroes that I choose to run and am asking for your support financially.

Family House is an amazing place where there is laughter, love, and a community to support 34 families while they are dealing with serious illness. There are so many families and hearing their stories and being there to help them through the toughest times imaginable is what drives me to run for them.

https://www.crowdrise.com/TeamFamilyHouse-2014SFMarathon
     

Volunteer Spotlight: Jordan Phan and Justin Azar

How does one define an amazing volunteer? Family House defines this as dependable, friendly, outgoing, and motived, with a strong desire to help families. With that being said, we have had the pleasure of having two amazing and devoted summer high school volunteers - Jordan Phan (graduating class of 2014) and Justin Azar (graduating class of 2015). Not only did they volunteer for the program last year, they have also stepped it up to lead an entire team of high school volunteers during the summer of 2013. Jordan and Justin were introduced to Family House at the 2012 St. Ignatius Volunteer Fair, where they received information about the Family House Summer Volunteer Program. Their creativity, drive, and ideas were key in completing the summer project to make a Thank You video for the band Train.

What makes these two so special is that they came back to Family House to lead the next year’s class of summer volunteers. They planned and managed activities for the incoming sophomores and juniors for the summer 2013 Program. They have brought their own special talents to Family House as well. Justin isn't just the top swimmer at his school; he also loves to bake, and has led some tasty activities including baking cakes, cookies, and other treats for the families. (He plans to return to Family House in 2014 to lead the next group of Summer Volunteers!) Jordan, who will graduate high school this coming school year, has plans to attend medical school. She has participated in another service learning project at Habitat for Humanity, and currently attends undergraduate anatomy classes at Stanford University.

Thank you so much to Justin and Jordan for your amazing abilities, your creativity, and the care you give to the Family House mission. Family House adores you both, and we look forward to seeing you succeed in your future endeavors!  You have both worked so hard over the past year and half, and Family House wouldn’t be the same without you!

To see the photos from the Summer Volunteer Program, click here: http://www.facebook.com/FamilyHouseSF

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Volunteer Spotlight: Wai Har Lee

Wai Har Lee has logged more than 400 volunteer hours at Family House since she started in 2006.  Her dedication and compassion go beyond the tasks she performs, which include working off the house checklist (restocking supplies, tidying and cleaning common areas, etc.) and volunteering at events.  “Children are precious,” she says, “and none of them should have to suffer.”

Her empathy for the patients and their families is what brought her to Family House; the thankfulness of the families is why she continues to be so dedicated to our mission.  “The families appreciate my presence, and often say Thank You to me.”  Wai Har’s strength and time help provide shelter for those who suffer so they can focus on regaining strength and health, and get back to enjoying the everyday joys of life.

Wai Har shares and is a living example of the beliefs of Family House.  Thank you, Wai Har, for all you have done over the many years that you have volunteered with Family House!

Get involved with Family House! Learn more at http://www.familyhouseinc.org/volunteer.html

Remembering Jordan Stuart - A Fundraiser

Courtney Stuart reached out to Family House in January about doing something to celebrate the memory of her brother, Jordan, who passed away in 1992. We brainstormed some ideas, and Courtney decided to do a gift-card and pillow drive for the families currently staying at Family House, “to help keep his memory alive, and of course to give back to the place that brought such peace and faith to my family.” She raised over $900 in donations that were delivered just in time for Jordan’s birthday, on Valentine’s Day. He would have been 24 years old this year.

Q&A with Courtney Stuart

When did you stay at Family House, and how old were you at the time?

I stayed at Family House between May of 1991 and May of 1992 while my little brother, Jordan, was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation.  He was 2 when he lost his battle and I was 4. Although I only lived at Family House for a year, it was much more than a house to me - It was a HOME.

Even though I was so young, I always wanted to be the only one pushing Jordi’s stroller or holding him. As a 4-year-old, I loved having a baby “of my own” to take care of. After he passed, I wore Jordan’s clothes almost every day. I went from being dressed in pink dresses every day to opting to only wear his blue or red clothes. I actually used his blankets as blankets on my bed until about two years ago.

What do you remember most about staying at Family House?

Well, the whole reason this fundraising drive started for Jordan's birthday is because my dad had sent me a link about Family House. Although I still can't recall Jordan much from my memories (because I was so young at the time), I was somehow able to retain fond memories of Family House... the sounds of the Muni train going by and how the lights used to flicker and slightly dim when it passed, the blue padded basement and all of the games we would play and fun we would have down there (plus we could jump all around and not get hurt because it seemed the whole room was padded)!  I doubt it still looks like that now, but the memories stay the same. Just a lot of subtle memories but all of them made me feel at PEACE.  Family House brought normalcy into my life at a time when my whole family was falling apart.


A year after Jordan passed, in 1993, my father started the Jordan Stuart Memorial Golf Tournament to raise awareness and support for families of children with pediatric cancer. In the early years, I would help out at by babysitting kids in the daycare at the tournament, singing for guests during the banquet dinner, photographing all of the players and events of the day to post on the website, or coordinating and picking up donations for the silent and live auctions, and whatever other tasks were needed.

In 1995, we met Kyra Pillsbury and her family, and she passed away from a brain tumor the following year. I remember thinking how unfair it was and how I couldn't believe TWO kids had died of cancer. Her passing brought two great men together - my dad, and Kyra's uncle, Dave Pillsbury. When Dave joined and it turned into the Jordan AND Kyra golf tournament... it opened many new doors of opportunity on a national level.  The word was spread more, which ultimately led to more donations. Our tournament "family" grew, it became something people anticipated every year- something people traveled great distances to attend. Together as a duo - I’m certain they could accomplish almost anything.

Tell us about the donations drive you organized this year to commemorate Jordan's birthday.

I posted a status on my Facebook page to see how many people might be interested in contributing Safeway gift cards. I honestly thought everybody would ignore the post, or that maybe some close family members might want to help out (even though they already donate every year through our golf tournament). I was shocked when we hit $200 worth of gift cards, so I posted again & stated that I hope we could make a goal of $1,000- I figured maybe then we'd get HALF of the goal. In the end, we raised over $900 worth of gift cards/monetary donations, plus 7 pillows - better than I ever hoped!

What are your plans for the future?

This fundraising drive has been totally inspiring to me and I'm really hoping to make this a yearly thing from now on! I'm sure the needs of Family House will change as the years pass, but I'd love to help out in any way I can. I want the families that are living there to feel the same comfort, hope, love, and inspiration that my family and I felt when we stayed there (and ever since).


Thank you, Courtney and friends, for your generous contributions to the lives of families currently staying at Family House! Your support means so much!

Click here to learn more about Family House families:
http://www.familyhouseinc.org/family-stories.html