Sunday, May 31, 2015

Sunday, May 31, 2015

Tonight's picture was taken in July of 2002. Mattie was three months old and was getting baptized. Our priest, Father Jim, who was a friend of ours from the George Washington University, was amazed by Mattie. Mattie just got water poured on his head and instead of being scared by that process, was smiling, as you can see by this photo! Jim was telling our family and friends that this was a FIRST for him. Usually when Jim baptizes babies they land up screaming as soon as the water touches their heads! 


Quote of the day: Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart.  Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes. ~ Carl Gustav Jung


Over the course of the last week, I began posting photos from the Foundation's Walk on the blog in hopes of giving our readers a feeling for the overall event. There was something for everyone at the Walk from:

1) a Challenge Walk
2) an amazing raffle
3) food from Clyde's and a bake sale
4) informational posters
5) moon bounces
6) Lego displays and interactive areas
7) face painting
8) kid games
9) kid vendors
10) opportunities to meet the Child Life staff from Georgetown University Hospital
11) a magic show
12) a zumba session and 
13) music -- thanks to Rack Impact Entertainment! 

We can not thank Sergio and Claudia Rivera enough for their outstanding services. They are the co-owners of Rack Impact Entertainment and they provided their services to the Walk pro-bono! They stand behind our cause and did a phenomenal job entertaining our walkers throughout the entire event! I am so glad to have found such a reputable DJ company and would not hesitate to recommend them to other organizations. 

Tonight's photos feature the magic show hosted at the Walk! In 2009, when Mattie attended the Walk that our care community hosted for us, Mattie and Bob Weiman, AKA "the Magic Man" (pictured here) hosted a magic show together. In honor of Mattie, the Foundation always incorporates a magic show within the Walk and Bob Weiman makes this all possible thanks to his talents! Bob taught Mattie magic both at home and in the hospital and magic became a very special talent that Mattie turned to when battling cancer. Mattie's limbs may have been impacted by cancer, yet he still could perform magic tricks and outwit his audience, which inspired him. 

Pictured here is Bob Weiman at our Walk this year dressed in Orange, one of Mattie's favorite colors, performing to kids of all ages. 

Bob brings several fifth grade students from Mattie's school to the Walk to perform several tricks! This American Flag trick was wonderful. It isn't only a magic trick that that audience gets to watch, but in a way it is part comedy show. The dialogue back and forth between Bob and his students is very humorous and witty and he truly gets those sitting in the audience captivated by what they are watching!

Two fifth graders performing a trick! The girl on the left is Kate. Kate happens to be one of the girl scouts who has been involved with Mattie Miracle this year and her troop was at the Walk this year. The troop set up an activity table to help children at the Walk create bird feeders. Since Mattie loved birds, they decided to host a craft that Mattie would have loved to participate in at the Walk. 

This trick is officially called the Peanut Butter Booger trick, but unofficially it is the "Mattie Brown trick." Bob and Mattie learned this trick together at the hospital and Mattie thought it was a riot, mainly because of the name! In honor of Mattie, this trick is always performed at the Walk! I can remember it being performed in 2009!

Just so you know what I am talking about.... here was a photograph of the Peanut Butter Booger trick from May of 2009!

When Bob performs, check out some of the faces watching the show! I find the reactions just as fascinating as the show itself!

I wasn't present to see this for myself, but I only heard about this little boy in blue from my mother-in-law. Barbara told me that this little fellow was listening very carefully to Bob describing the Peanut Butter Booger trick and how this trick used to be a favorite of Mattie's. Apparently this little boy was so inspired by this story that at one point, this boy cried out..... MATTIE!!! As if perhaps Mattie was there or could hear him! Just too adorable. Clearly this little boy captured the attention of Herman, our photographer, because I have several photos of this cutie!