Family and Friends:

Last year, in honor of Kathleen hitting the big 4-0, we hosted a ridiculously fun party at the gorgeous Studio Paris before its official opening to the public, where our favorite 80’s band, Sixteen Candles, performed in front of a packed house. A special thanks to the Melman family for their generosity and kindness.

After that night, we both remarked that it was probably one of the happiest nights we could remember since our wedding, simply because it provided the opportunity to spend time with people we love and appreciate, while at the same time raise funds for a very worthy cause. We had asked guests to give the “birthday gift” of $40 or more to the non-profit, charity: water, and we were overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity. Kathleen’s birthday fund raised nearly $11,500 to support charity: water’s amazing global work to bring clean drinking water to underserved countries. Right now, two wells are being built in Ethiopia and Malawi. The pure joy that clean water provides the villages is truly amazing to witness and we are humbled and grateful that you could support that effort.

This year, in honor of Kathleen’s 41st birthday (June 21) and Mike’s 42nd (May 29), we hosted another fun event that we called the “1983” party to keep the 80’s theme going! More importantly, we supported another awesome charity that’s very important to us – Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. As many of you know, our 3 year old Finley was very sick this year and we could only imagine how hard it would be to have been in the ICU for weeks or months like many of the families do at local Ronald McDonald Houses.

So, if every person we know gave at least $83 in honor of our combined birthdays, we could make a huge impact to provide care and comfort to the families of hospitalized children. RMHC-CNI is about to open the world’s largest Ronald McDonald House right here in Chicago on Tuesday, June 26, 2012, which will provide families a place to stay, enjoy a meal and receive emotional support as their child receives treatment just blocks away at the new Lurie Children’s Hospital. Your generosity will help ensure that RMHC-CNI can continue to provide a “home away from home” for many more families each year.

I know there are lots of great causes to support but if you are looking for a way to give back to something that helps children and their families, then please consider supporting our charitable birthday campaign this year.

We are so thankful and truly grateful to have so many incredibly kind and generous people in our lives!

Fondly,

Kathleen and Mike