That's how we would describe John's reaction to his surprise party.............
John apparently had been suspicious that something was in the works, but had no idea it would be on such a grand scale :)We are so very grateful to each of you for coming and making it an unforgettable night for our family. It's a memory we will cherish for a very long time. Where do we begin..........for those of you from out of town or are simply reading our blog. The night included lots of music as you would expect from a party for John. We had the Flower Hill Bluegrass Band which John helped to start many years ago, and a jazz group that John regularly played with for various events.
As you will see from the pictures, it was an outdoor event at the beautfiul home of good friends Eric and Dawn Newquist. Many months back Dawn asked what she could do for us.......I mentioned that I would like to have a party for John and she said "Let's make it happen!" The complete generosity of these dear people to open their home to over 200 guests so that this party could happen, brings us to tears. They have opened not only their home but their lives to serve our family.....thank you Newquists!!!
As John pulled up in his limo ( van service provided free by ALS Association ) he was surrounded by his cheering friends. In usual John fashion, he proceeded to peel around in his powerchair doing 360's. The food was delicious including smoked pulled pork provided by our good friend Scott Sheldon of scott@fat-daddys.com.
There was a special program which included songs and testimonies honoring John. We hope to post a video with highlights of this soon. We opened our program with Johnny B. Goode..........followed by the Ballad of Johnny Spiro to the tune of Davey Crocket........you get the idea. Lots of laughter as well as tears of gratefulness as John's friends communicated the impact his life has had on them. It was all so moving and heartfelt and John was deeply moved and grateful.
One of the most unexpected moments came as our friend Harry Gottlieb presented John with his Father's Purple Heart that was awarded to him from WWII. He said " I wanted John and his family to have this for the courage and faith they are showing for not giving up" in the face of their trial. Wow! Not a dry eye in the place. Thank you Harry, John felt so honored but unworthy
Then our pastor, Adam Malcolm presented us with money that our friends has collected to help towards buying a van with a lift. To our amazement, we were given almost $9,000. Unbelievable! We have been blown away by the outpouring of love and support from our friends and family. This was yet another expression of love and care for us. We are so excited to begin looking for a van so we can go places without the cost of a cab. THANK YOU SO MUCH! We'll post a picture after we find one. We have included pictures of the party and only wish we could have included many more of you. It was an evening proclaiming God's grace and God's glory. We are eternally grateful to God!
Below are a few more pictures from the party!
