A baloon is not just a baloon

Last Saturday - as Steve, Stefanie and I prepared for FFL's first ever volunteer appreciation dinner - I had an epiphany. I found myself standing next to a helium tank at 9:30 on a Saturday morning, inflating pink and silver branded FFL balloons. Not one or two - but hundreds.

After fifteen or twenty minutes of the tedious task, I quickly realized how a simple undertaking - like blowing up baloons - requires a huge ammount of time and effort.

As my raw fingers began to turn red, I also realized that this was the first time in nearly half a decade that I had ever blown up a balloon in preparation for an FFL event. It got me thinking about the importance of volunteers. More specifically, those volunteers who take on the most time consuming, thankless tasks without ever complaining or asking for gratitude. These are the people who make each FFL event what it is. Whether its promoting, decorating, securing donations, selling raffle tickets, or blowing up balloons; our volunteers are the backbone of every event that we put on.

And with this comes an omission. Each year, the chaos associated with managing an event intrudes on every factet of my life. From managing entertainment, negotiating contracts, securing sponsorship and selling tickets; holding a large-scale charity fundraiser literally becomes a second job. Caught amongst the chaos, I often fail to recognize those who play such a vital role in execution of our events.

The bottom line is this:

A baloon is not just a baloon - it is a symbol of the dedication and commitment of a core group of supporters who have stuck with us through thick and thin.

Thank you all so much for making FFL what it is today. We will never be able to thank you enough for the countless hours that you invest in our cause.

From all of us at FFL....

Thank you!