Sorry for the late posting. It’s been a lazy morning after a late and busy night.  Diane and I spent the early part of the day sitting in Sam’s room trying to write a single paragraph ‘thank you’ to our community for the next issue of the Richmond/Huntintong Time’s Ink. (As I was writing, our dog Chai came in and sniffed around Sam’s room  and layed down sadly on his  bed.. She knows…)   It was so hard to try and boil down into words our enormous gratitude for the love and support we’ve received from the community over the past several weeks. We wish we could do something more than words… 
      Speaking of love and support.. The benefit for Sam at Talent Skate Park last night was absolutely amazing. Our friends Hannah, Dave and Adah Deene donated all the proceeds of the 3 hour skate to Sam’s Memorial fund.If you don’t know Hannah, Dave or Adah.. drop by Talent and say hi. They are like part cool older brother/sister, and part guidance councilor to so many kids in the area. The event was great.. there were about 120 sweaty kids hitting the ramps on a variety of wheeled objects.  Lots of loud music.. Sam would have loved it..definitely his kind of celebration.
The  good folks from Red Bull donated 12 cases (!) of the sacred elixer and the  nice folks at Vermont Sandwich Comanpay donated 4 huge subs so there was plenty to eat and drink for everyone..  To add to the festivities Hannah brought Latkes.. the traditional potatoe pankakes of Chanuckah… We did a small candle lighting to mark the first day of Chanukah.. that was the only time in the evening that I lost it. By the end of the evening Hannah and Dave had raised  $1200 for Sam’s fund !!!!!  Thanks so much to the kids who skated for Sam.. and the parents who watched…  Thanks ultra much to the good folks at Talent for making it happen ! Our good friend Jen was also there last night selling Sam snowboard tree ornaments that she had made for a donation to the fund… if you didn’t get one.. but want one.. please let me know. I also got asked about more Sam shirts and buttons. I will try to find some and post the info on my blog. Please watch this space.
    One small coincidence to relate before closing…. My mother-in-law Marcia called while I was writign this blog entry.. she told me that she’d just run into a guy in a parking lot down in Binghamton NY who’d seen the  ‘I Love Vermont’ sticker on her car. Turns out the guy has been to VT and really loves Bolton. Somewhere in the conversation he also told her he’d visited this great sandwich shop in South Burlington: Vermont Sandwich Company..   must be good kharma !
    Gotta run now.. pray for snow..pray for Sam..
-jc