Full Tummies & Happy Hearts

We are once again completely overwhelmed by all the love and support that we continue to receive for our little man Jacob. Yesterday, one of our local restaurants Smokey D's hosted an all-day fundraiser and 20% of all meal tabs are being given to Jake to benefit his ongoing medical expenses.To say our fundraiser was a success, is truly an understatement. Smokey D's was completely inundated with phone orders and lines of customers out the door. In fact, by 12:30 we got a call from the owner telling us that they had to close the doors because they were running out of food and had a 1 1/2 hour backlog of phone orders! Needless to say, they spent the mid-afternoon calling in extra staff and getting more food for the dinner crowd, which showed up with a great big appetite! Again, there were countless family members, friends, and local community members who came out to support our fundraiser, which meant lines out the door for hours and slim pickens' on what food was left by the end of the night. We are still in disbelief about the number of people who came out to support Jake.

Despite a couple of seizures earlier in the day, Jacob was in great mood and joined in on the fun! We sat out on the patio listening to the live music and mingling with everyone who showed up, as well as thanking them for their support. I can't tell you how much it means to us to have this immense amount of love and support for our family. The financial support is something that we are beyond grateful for, but it's the well wishes, kind words of encouragement, and hugs that mean more to us than you will ever know! The fact that our little man is making his mark on the hearts of so many, truly makes our hearts happy.

The outdoor patio was packed!

Our favorite parts of the day:

• Getting the call at lunch that lines were out the door!Yahoo!!
• Josh and Jaker's grandpas (Beaver, Dennis, and Paul) sang/played a special 'Heart of Gold' song for Jacob
• Grandpa Paul played Jake's favorite song 'Here Comes the Sun'
• Recieving e-mails from complete strangers who had heard about the fundraiser and visited Jake's blog...we're RAISING AWARENESS!!! We also had information about Niemann-Pick at the event.

Special thanks to Dave Huitt (Smokey D's owner) and his incredible staff for their tireless efforts to keep the BBQ a cookin' and filling the tummies of all that showed up to support Jake. I heard rave reviews about the delicious food!

Thank you to all of the talented local musicians who graced us with the amazing gifts of music: Paul Cotruvo, Tony Bryant, Larry Hall, Jim Caroompas, and Hope Savage. That patio was a ROCKIN'!

Larry, Toni and Paul playing out on the patio

This little cutie even got up and sang a song - so sweet!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you...to all of you who dined-in, ordered take-out, and sent donations even if you couldn't make it.