Category Archives: Fundraising Ambassadors

Janae Watterson | Salon Kathleen Daddy Daughter Date Night November 2023

Our Fundraising Ambassador, Janae Watterson from Salon Kathleen in Enumclaw, Washington had held their fourth Daddy Daughter Date Night!

In this unique fundraising event for the benefit of the Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., she and her colleague Matt Fugate develops a Daddy Daughter Date Night to help Dads learn how to style their young daughters’ hair while spending some quality time with their little girls!

It was very well attended and Health Bar supplied smoothies.

Nearly $300 was raised on this unique idea and we are so grateful to everyone at Salon Kathleen who attended, donated and make this event so successful.

Thank you to Janae, Matt, and the folks at Health Bar for your generosity in raising funds for grieving children.

If you live or visit Enumclaw, Washington, please pop in to Salon Kathleen, Health Bar to thank them for their efforts on behalf of grieving children.

And if you can patronize their businesses, even better!

With Gratitude to:

Mike Cindric, Cody Dieni, Griffin Eshpeter, Chris Feister, Matt Penoncello, Nathaniel Wilson

Janae Watterson | Salon Kathleen Daddy Daughter Date Night 2023

Our Fundraising Ambassador, Janae Watterson from Salon Kathleen in Enumclaw, Washington had held their third Daddy Daughter Date Night!

In this unique fundraising event for the benefit of the Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., she and her colleague Matt Fugate developed a Daddy Daughter Date Night to help Dads learn how to style their young daughters’ hair while spending some quality time with their little girls!

It was very well attended and Sunn Health Bar supplied smoothies.

$1,750 was raised on this unique idea and we are so grateful to everyone at Salon Kathleen who attended, donated and make this event so successful.

Thank you to Janae, Matt, and the folks at Sunn Health Bar for their generosity in raising funds for grieving children.

If you live or visit Enumclaw, Washington, please pop in to Salon Kathleen, Sunn Health Bar to thank them for their efforts on behalf of grieving children.

And if you can patronize their businesses, even better!

With Gratitude to: Gregg and Teri Fugate, Pat Adams, James McGrath, Trey Beauchamp, Kevin Moore, Joe Semler, David Rosser, Cody Klemann, Jordan Lenk, James Rea, Matt MacDonald, Guillermo Maldonado, Shayne McNeill, Drew Wright, Ty Elkinton, Giovanni Cervantes

Ryan Watterson of Watterson Excavation completes Peak 24

In an ingenious fundraiser, Ryan and his wife, Janae who is our Fundraising Ambassador and owner of Salon Kathleen in Enumclaw, Washington, offered to remember us as Ryan participated in Peak 24.

Their efforts raised over $6,000 for grieving children, teens and young adults and we are so grateful.

Janae made a wonderful video at the beginning of the challenge. Watch it here from her instagram page.

Watch as Ryan gives updates to his challenge. Also during the night.

And especially when he finished!

We are so grateful to Ryan, our newest Fundraising Ambassador, and all who participated. What an amazing feat!

We also appreciate Janae and Salon Kathleen’s sponsorship of Ryan. Below is Janae’s wonderful mother, Kathy Rogers, who was killed in a car accident when Janae was a teenager. This picture graces Janae’s office at her salon.

Thank you to the following amazing donors who gave so generously:

Ryan Watterson | Watterson Excavating LLC, Janae Watterson | Salon Kathleen, Reed Watterson | Watterson Excavating, Shannon Watterson | Watterson Excavating, Tammi West, Victoria Schneider, Jennie Froemke | Hawk’s Heating and Air, Bobbi Lashbrook, Jacque Chaussee, Brandon Thomas, Kacie Monroe, Dean Thompson, Ryan Lundeen | Stanley Patrick Striping Company

Poole Eye Associates | Fundraising Ambassadors

Recently we received a large donation to the Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc. and wondered what the backstory was.

I decided to call Dr. Mo Poole, owner of the Poole Eye Associates in Marble Falls, Texas to thank him personally for such a generous gift and learn more about it.

Dr. Mo Poole and Dr. Brianne Poole

Lindsey, the lovely individual who answered the phone, helped me learn that each month Poole Eye Associates chooses a charity and gives $5.00 for every pair of glasses that are sold.

It seems their Practice Manager, Kristan Jesseman, chose our charity for the month of October.

“I chose this charity because I love my own children dearly, and cannot imagine their lives without our support as their parents. Kids need support like this charity offers when experiencing something as devastating as losing parents. I was so happy to find a charity that takes care of these sweet children.” – Kristan Jesseman

Poole Eye Associates | 1008 Falls Parkway | Marble Falls, TX 78654 | 830.693.3292

Heather Jamison McGinty, an Optician at Poole Eye Associates, wrote me with the following backstory:

“The professional optometrists and staff at Poole Eye Associates offer comprehensive eye care services to residents in Marble Falls, TX and to the surrounding Texas hill country. We’re proud to have built a reputation as a trustworthy provider of compassionate, personalized eye care.  

During the pandemic of 2020 our staff realized a need in our local community for support.  “Frame it Forward” started as a way for our little office to pay it forward with our sales. A way to give back to our community and have our patients be a part of it as well.

Since its inception in August 2020, Frame it Forward has raised over $25,000 to different charities local and nationwide.  Every month one of our staff has the opportunity to select their charity based on personal or professional preferences.  For every frame purchased, we donate $5.00 to that month’s selected charity.”

We are so grateful for Dr. Mo Poole, Dr. Brianne Poole, Heather, Kristan and the entire staff at Poole Eye Associates for their generosity. What a surprise it was to receive such an amazing gift!

Thank you from all the grieving children, teens and young adults who have experienced a loved one’s death, which this gift will help! 

If you live in the Hill Country of Texas, please visit the wonderful staff at Poole Eye Associates for all your optometry needs. And tell them we sent you!

xoxo

Janae Watterson | Salon Kathleen Daddy Daughter Date Night 2022

Our Fundraising Ambassador, Janae Watterson from Salon Kathleen in Enumclaw, Washington had held another Daddy Daughter Date Night!

In a very unique fundraising event for the benefit of the Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., she and her colleague Matt Fugate developed a Daddy Daughter Date Night to help Dads learn how to style their young daughters’ hair while spending some quality time with their little girls!

It was very well attended and Sunn Health Bar supplied smoothies.

$640 was raised on this unique idea and we are so grateful to everyone at Salon Kathleen who attended, donated and make this event so successful.

Thank you to Janae, Matt, and the folks at Sunn Health Bar and Griffin Brewing for their generosity in raising funds for grieving children.

If you live or visit Enumclaw, Washington, please pop in to Salon Kathleen, Sunn Health Bar and Griffin Brewery to thank them for their efforts on behalf of grieving children.

And if you can patronize their businesses, even better!

CrossFit 77 | Mooresville NC | Fundraising Ambassador

In mid-December 2021 we started to obtain several donations on our site from the same town in North Carolina.

When this happens I usually think someone has died and their family and friends are directing donations to us in honor of their loved one and for the benefit of grieving children.

Well, in this case, it seems a gym – CrossFit 77 – located in Mooresville, North Carolina decided to hold a 5K run in honor of the son of one of its members, who has unexpectedly passed away at the age of 32.

Army Sergeant David Mazzullo has left behind his parents, wife and son as well as many other beloved relatives and friends.

We are so grateful to CrossFit 77 for welcoming us into their fundraiser.

Below was the post for the event to honor Sgt. Mazzullo which was attended by hundreds of individuals in the community!

Many thanks to Jaspen and the entire staff who created this amazing event and to the family of Sgt. Mazzullo who we pray for and know his memory will live on forever.

Latiera Harmon | Essential Living | Fundraising Ambassador

It’s such a blessing when someone reaches out to you from across the country with the intent to bless others who have also experienced the death of a parent.

This was Latiera Harmon’s original goal for Father’s Day 2021 to honor her father who took his life when she was 8 years old.

Yet, unfortunately, all didn’t go as planned.

With the pandemic, every time we tried to find a center, it wasn’t open for face-to-face support groups in California, where she lives.

While we tried for months to get in touch, finally around Thanksgiving we decided to ship the gifts to us in Florida and, since we don’t have the same restrictions as California, we would find a great home for her generosity.

And so at the end of the year, we visited with Marla Sullivan at New Hope for Kids, our local Center for Grieving Children in Central Florida.

Marla, its Director of Development, graciously welcomed all of Latiera’s kindness and we just know there were many happy little ones from her gifts.

Mary Mac delivering Latiera Harmon’s gifts to Marla Sullivan of New Hope for Kids, Maitland, Florida

Thank you Latiera for all your hard work to wrap them all individually and make them so special for hurting young ones.

If you are in need of Amway products or would like to take a look at her site, please visit her here.

We are grateful you chose The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc. as your charity of choice and for supporting our cause.

You are a blessing to many!

Janae Watterson | Salon Kathleen | Daddy Daughter Date Night

Our Fundraising Ambassador, Janae Watterson from Salon Kathleen in Enumclaw, Washington has done it again!

In a very unique fundraising event for the benefit of the Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc., she and her colleague Matt Fugate developed a Daddy Daughter Date Night where they helped Dads learn how to style their young daughters’ hair!

It was very well attended and Sunn Health Bar supplied smoothies for the little ladies and Head Works Brewing refreshments for the Dads.

Over $600 was raised on this unique idea and we understand future events are scheduled at Salon Kathleen!

Thank you to Janae, Matt, and the folks at Sunn Health Bar and Head Works Brewing for their generosity in raising funds for grieving children.

If you live or visit Enamclaw, Washington, please pop in to Salon Kathleen, Sunn Health Bar and Head Works Brewing to thank them for their efforts on behalf of grieving children.

And if you can patronize their businesses, even better!

Janae Watterson | Salon Kathleen | Fundraising Ambassador

Over the last few years, Janae Watterson of Enumclaw, Washington, had consistently shared a generous monthly gift with The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc. as a Heart of Gold partner.

And on April 3rd, 2021 she shared her passion for helping grieving children with all those who attended her open house for her business’ new location. Salon Kathleen is appropriately named for her mother, better known as Kathy, whom she lost when Janae was 17 in a horrific car crash where Janae was a passenger.

“It is important to me to partner with the Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc. because I believe what this organization is doing and providing for these children is absolutely necessary and heroic,” explained Mrs. Watterson.

“It took me decades to finally find the help I needed to start the grieving and healing process.  I want to give back now, she said. This cause is very near and dear to my heart.”

To date, Salon Kathleen has raised $4,358 and we couldn’t be more proud of her and her staff’s efforts! What an amazing event and fundraising effort. We salute you!

If you are in the Enumclaw, Washington area or know family and friends who live nearby, we hope you will stop in and congratulate Janae and her staff on a job well done.

Visit her new location at 1539 Blake Street, Suite A, Enumclaw, Washington. Salon Kathleen has been in business for 15 years and has now expanded with twelve chairs, ten amazing staff and wonderful clients.

Thank you Janae for all your hard work in raising funds for our great cause. We salute you, your staff and the many individuals who contributed so very generously to the F4GC! Blessings to everyone involved.

Riley Church | Fundraising Ambassador

It is amazing what a 15 year-old girl can do to help others who are also grieving children.

In February, 2020, Riley Church from Arizona experienced the sudden death of her young father, Robert Church. He was an accomplished professional and a loving Dad.

In an effort to give his death meaning, she began an online ecommerce store, the Cactus Cove Boutique, with the partial intention of helping our other children, teens and young adults who had had a similar experience as she.

Earlier in the year, her brother gave her mother a stuffed animal – a grey elephant – which she calls a Comfort Elephant. It gave her and her mother comfort after the death of her father.

Riley has dedicated the proceeds from her Comfort Elephant Collection to our organization, The Foundation for Grieving Children, Inc. and we are so honored.

Please visit Riley’s store and shop for the Comfort Elephant products as well as other wonderful items for young girls.

Thank you Riley for your wonderful work on our behalf. We thank your customers, also, who are making an impact for grieving children, teens and young adults!

Bless you for all you are doing! xoxo