Our Day at the Dash

On April 13, 2014 My daughters and I participated in our first Dash for Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness. It was a historical day, as there was a record 12,000 people participating that day. I was in awe when I heard that statement. Twelve THOUSAND supporters of the life saving act of organ and tissue donation.

We had a great time supporting the cause. When we first got there, we got our DASH T shirts. It was official. Now, if you know me at all, you know that whenever I do something new, I innocently, yet often, do something silly. I don't try to do these things (Maybe it's the writer in me creating drama...who knows) but they often happen when I'm involved. The day of  The Dash was no different.

The girls and I began to look for our team. We asked the sign tent if our team had picked up the sign yet. They said no and tried to give us the sign, but I knew the team would be looking for it. An hour or so passes by and we did not see anyone from our team. (Meanwhile, they were assembling at the Team Tables, which I neglected to notice). Finally, I asked again if our team had picked up our sign. They said, "No" and asked again if we wanted the sign. We were beginning to think we were the only members of our team present, so we decided to pick up our sign.

After waiting and waiting, we decided to look around to see if our team was anywhere. We finally found them and they were wondering what happened to the sign. A little crazy, but all ended well.

Later, the girls had a chance to do some fun activities, including participating in the radio's "Kid Cast". 

This is were kids read from a script and broadcast the weather and sports clips. It was tons of fun and an experience they won't forget!

Finally, the big moment came. We were ready for our 3K walk! We met up with the rest of our team, sign in hand, and walked for our cause! The crowd broke into cheers as we took our first steps. And we broke into cheers as we crossed the finish line! 

 Seeing teams and teams of people gathering together to dash for their loved ones touched my heart. There were dashers for people who needed a transplant. There were dashers who were families of donors. There were dashers who just cared about the cause. Every one had a reason to dash. Everyone had a story. This was truly an inspiring day and turned us into regular "Dashers".Next time I promise: I will not steal the sign.