Howdy Everyone,
A.J. here.
Matt asked me to give you an update on this weekend’s events.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
The Gala last night was a huge success!
Thanks to everyone who came to the event and donated to help families in need.
Thanks to everyone who donated merchandise or services for the auction.
Thanks to all of the volunteers who worked tirelessly over the past weeks and months to ensure that it would be a success.
We couldn’t have done this without everyone, and so we thank you!
If you didn’t get a chance to come to the Gala last night, you still have a chance to bid on some awesome items. We have an eBay site set up, with an auction running through this week. All proceeds go to benefit the foundation.
In addition, there is a story about Matt and Maddy on the front page of the Star Tribune today, A Father Alone Spreads Help to Others Like Him
Matt and Maddy Logelin were in the Twin Cities this weekend for two events to support a foundation Matt established earlier this year in memory of his wife. The nonprofit “Liz Logelin Foundation — for the love of Liz” offers financial support to men and women whose partners have died and left them with dependent children.
“I could have easily sat back and said poor me, poor me, please continue to send me clothes, send me gifts for my daughter,” he said on Sunday as Maddy played at his in-law’s house in Minnetonka. “But that’s not the case. I know there are other people way worse off than me. I see that as a big responsibility.”
The second annual 5K walk at Lake Calhoun on Saturday drew 300 people and raised more than $9,000. A gala Sunday night at the Calhoun Beach Club with a silent, live and Internet auction was expected to raise even more. An original painting by Maddy had a high bid on eBay of $400 as of Sunday afternoon.
Help us spread the word about The Liz Logelin Foundation! Send the article and the foundation website to your friends and family.
37 Comments
I think the best part is that the highest bids on Ebay are on the painting Maddy did
.
I am truly honored to have been a part of last nite. It was emotional and overwhelming and for the first time in a long time, I didn’t feel so alone in all of this …
So glad the event was a success – Matt, you are an inspiration to so many people and have done so much good for others!
Wish I could have been there! Next year for sure.
I wish I would have been able to come!! Sounds like there was an awesome turnout!
Sorry I couldn’t be a part of the gala yesterday, I truly wish I could have made it, darn sickies keeping me at bay.
Congrats on the successful and fun week-end! Maddy’s painting on Ebay is sweet~~woo hoo~~Go Maddy!
Aww, yay!
I’m sure Matt is very proud of Maddy right now. Most adult artists can’t get that much money for their talents collectively- muchless in one day.
Congrats! This is such great news!
So exciting that the events were a huge success. I am excited about the Ebay auction, I have my eye on a few things!
Wonderful news! I’m so glad it was such a smashing success.
Thank you everyone who may have walked on Saturday,wherever you walked in the world & to all that attended the GALA on Sunday night.I am overwhelmed by the outpouring of LOVE & support you all showed.Thank you to all the volunteers & CREEPS,who by the way aren’t as creepy as the name might convey,for all the time spent to make the foundation events such a success.We were pleasantly surprised by the number of folks who made it to Sunday nights event.
Thanks to Jackie for her beautiful tribute to her husband it was a very touching speech. Thank you to Tom & Candee for hosting all the pool parties for everyone and for all you do for Matt & Maddy.
Lastly Thank you Matt for all you’ve done to honor Liz’s memory, for being such a great dad to Maddy and such a wonderful son to us.
Love
Dad & Bev
I’m so glad the weekend was such a success.
Your mom’s post brought tears to my eyes. I’m glad everything turned out so well. Keep up the good job. Congratulations!
Congratulations on your successful weekend! What a wonderful tribute to Liz.
Your Mom’s reply had me in tears. I can’t wait to see more photos from this past weekend. I can’t begin to imagine the emotions that everyone had!
Maddy you are definately the star here, so much money for your painting. Congrats baby, I saw it on twitpic you deserve it. You must be so proud of your artist Matt
http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com
That is so awesome, Matt! I’m so glad everything was so successful!
A young husband just lost his wife today. She battled breast cancer while pregnant with their daughter and passed away days after her birth. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers:
http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/
I think everytime there is a kindness expressed by parents of adult children (Dad & Bev)it says more than words can ever convey. How proud they must be of their son and beautiful grandchild to carry on a legacy of a beautiful woman. Ahhhh, there is art in the agony.
My Name is Maureen Bishop. I live in Richfield Mn. A very good friend of our family Andy Heroux just lost his wife Bri after the birth of their first child. Andy is a St. Paul Police officer and Bri was a Stillwater police officer. You may of seen it on the news. I wish there was some way you could talk to Andy to help him through this. Thank you. Maureen
congrats on the success.
Didn’t know if you had heard about a man named Brady, who just lost his wife, 3 days after welcoming his daughter. If not, here is his blog address. http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/
Just thought you might want to know.
Your daughter is looking wonderful, and so are you, liked you without the beard, or the closely trimmed beard.
thanks for continuing to share your journey with “the world”.
Cindy
What a wonderful thing you are doing, Matt, with this foundation. My mom passed away in childbirth many years ago, leaving my dad as a single partent to 11 children. Back then he couldn’t get any help, and was told, ‘You are supposed to be the provider. If your wife had died we could have done something.’ But we made it and he was and is a wonderful dad. Your Maddy is so sweet and I can see, so loved! Thanks for all you do.
hey matt,
i just came across a blog written by a man named Brady whose wife, Sara, was battling breast cancer and going through chemo while pregnant with their beautiful daughter. their daughter, Chloe, was thankfully born healthy two weeks ago but Sara passed from a complication earlier today. reading about a brand new father now faced with raising his daughter alone made me immediately think of you. their blog address is http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/ if you are interested in reaching out.
j
Hi Matt!
I found out this story and thought of you straight away. Who better than you to help this guy out?!
http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/2009/09/heaven-bound.html
Have a nice stay in India and good luck with the book!
Kind regards from Sweden
ohmygoodness.
i just stumbled across this site and the logelins’ story today – and have been caught for the past hour or two, tears in my eyes… what a great father you are, matt; how brave you are; how proud of you liz must be.
my heart goes out to you.
lots of love to your family,
ingrid
So happy for the Foundation and everyone to have had such a Great Night!Hoorah!!!!
Thought of you this morning when I read about The Sullivans terrible loss and immediately thought of you and the foundation.I hope there is some way to be able to connect the 2 together later on of course.This new Dad and his baby girl tragically parted from Wife and Mom brought tears to my eyes as your story first did…….
Congratulations on a successful Gala. I just learned of a family here in Texas that lost the wife/mom. She leaves behind a two week old girl and husband. Here is the website http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/
I thought maybe you could reach out to him.
So glad to hear the weekend was such a success!
One suggestion on the ebay auctions currently on the go? As a Canadian it reads you will not ship to me or anyone out of the States. Broaden your horizons! Offer world wide shipping
Hi Matt. I really enjoy reading about your beautiful daughter. I’m sure you’ve been asked this before and I missed it, but what kind of camera/lens do you have?
So thrilled to hear the Gala was a huge success! You guys are doing wonders.
Matt, I LOVE the stuff on ebay, trying to think of which thing to bid on lol.
I have followed your blog from way back to the beginning days. A fellow blog friend of mine passed away 2 days ago after enduring cancer while pregnant and then shortly after birth they think she had a stroke and was declared brain dead. PLEASE go to this blog and share your sympathies, warmth, pain. Most of all reach out to this father, Brady who lost his wife just 2 SHORT DAYS AGO only a few days after his wife giving birth several weeks early to their FIRST DAUGHTER, Chloe. Their story is gutwrenching, and I know if anyone can help or understand it would be you my friend. So please PLEASE Matt reach out to him! Thank you Matt
http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com
I meant to add, Brady is now amongst the club that you are, raising a daughter alone, losing his wife before she ever got to know her newborn baby… why does this happen?? My heart is hurting!
Thinking of you and Maddy today and tomorrow. God bless you both!
Matt, a man just lost his wife shortly after she had her baby girl . I havent read too much into it yet, but Kelly Stamps of Kellyskorner blog posted about it. I saw that someone else posted about The Sullivan family to you in your comments. Please reach out to him, I know you can be with him.
http://bandssullivan.blogspot.com/
Thinking of you today. Hugs