Whew!! It's been a busy two weeks!
As a result of the Global News visit being aired several times on October 29th and 30th, we were VERY busy with folks coming and sharing generously. Some were from the deep south of Calgary, others from Carstairs and Didsbury, while some were from Airdrie who hadn't heard about our crazy fun before.
I loved telling visitors that Paul the Alien was abducting "Chicken Nugget," especially if they had kids. Like Clifford, some people thought it was udder nonsense, but it made everyone laugh, which was mooosic to my ears. LOL
In addition to the already amazing visits and stories we shared, there were a few others that touched our hearts and brought laughter, created moments to cherish, and inspired us. Here they are...
The neighbour kids came around frequently, especially Jack. Jack loves trains, and just like Christmas, we have a train in the Halloween window. One day, we might get it to move on a track too, but the fact that it was stationary didn't matter to Jack. It was a train and he loved it and the HH. It was a part of the schedule to visit before bedtime.
Then there are the girls. They would guess what was being said and done in the videos playing in the windows and sometimes re-enact it. One night, one of the videos had some creatures dancing and they tried to follow along. It was always so fun to watch!
We had one gentleman and his wife ask about the Stargate... just a small fan... he has the gate address symbol for Earth tattooed on his wrist. If they could have found a Stargate, instead of an arch for his wedding, they would have walked through one. Such a fun conversation!
You might remember the family I posted about last. Well, Momma is a nurse, a gal with connections and a HUGE heart! She took a video of the HH, took it to work and shared it with the kids who couldn't visit in person. For one special youngster who couldn't get out of bed, she even made the bed's features highlight aspects of the HH. Fold up, massage, head up, etc. So amazing! Thanks for including us in their Halloween!
Somewhere along the way that momma shared the information with an activities coordinator for young adults with special needs. On Oct 30, just as we were starting to get costumes ready, we had a knock on the door and asked if we might be willing to open up for them on an afternoon. "So many places were not budget friendly given their income. What would it cost?" Absolutely the same as anybody else. Give as you can, and if you can't, come get some community spirit, have fun, and make memories!
On November 1st, we had 20 lovely young people and seven or eight caregivers/ aides visit. Most of them went through twice, some even a third time. The laughter, the pictures, and the delight filled our hearts. Their eyes lit up, especially when we gave them treats. One young man loved the jokes and was looking forward to telling them to his friends and family. LOL
After saying goodbye, and before getting ready for the last bonus night that evening, we discussed the visit. Before I could even get the words out of my mouth, Clifford said: "We need to do matinees for seniors, folks with disabilities, and others that might appreciate a daytime visit." Of course, I think it's a fabulous idea. Oh, my heart!!
On November 2nd, we were catching our breath after having tackled a lot of props and containers for the "put away process", when a neighbour came by to thank us for inspiring them. They decided to decorate, make their place a "Barbie house" and have fun too! They didn't have a chance to swing past while we were open, so we gave them a personal tour later that evening. Turns out there was a connection through past careers when they and I worked in a different industry together. It's a small world, and we have new friends!
I'm sure you're curious about totals. Here they are:
Halloween night visitors - 1236
Total visitors - 2577
Food donated - 1290lb / 585kg
Cash donated - $1455.40
Total value of donations - $6,073.60
Fun, joy, delight, laughter, memories - priceless!!
It's been a blur, especially Halloween night, but we loved every minute and hope you did too! We couldn't have done it without our fantastic sponsors - Airdrie Safety Training, Brick Bin, Genesis Builds, Airdrie Dodge, Orca Rebar, Solis Energy, TPH, Tahinis, the support of incredible neighbours, volunteers, and an amazing community!! Thank you for all you did to assist us in bringing joy, laughter, hope, creating memories, and abundance to others.
PS
I'll make one more post for those of you who might like to know about some of the inside humour and fun and watch the videos we have. Then it's time to wrap it up to shift gears for Christmas!!!
If you aren't aware, we do a life-size EYE SPY that is a feast for the eyes, may inspire some singing, bring back memories, is fun for all ages, and is accessible so all can enjoy it too. The concept is the same as the HH - sharing abundance, the joys of the Season with the community, raising spirits, and donations as you are able for the Airdrie Food Bank.
If you would like to hop over, the QR will lead you to that website blog.
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