| |
| |
|
 |
Hi Everybody,
My name is Yvonne and I am the co-founder and co-captain of the Walkin' Raviolis.
Five years ago Tina and I were encouraged by my mom Maria, to drive up to Vacaville for some cancer event she had been raving about. My mom had been begging Tina and I to come up for weeks. We finally decide to drive up to Vacaville that hot summer day and the experience we both had at the Vacaville Relay for Life, was amazing. To be in one place with so many people who were going through the samething was like finding a new family. For Tina, it was finding others with the same life-threatening disease, who were not letting the cancer get the best of them. We were so overtaken with all thepositive energy and were in amazement at all the people working for a cure and giving us hope.
Walking around the track that night for the Survivor lap, with hundreds of lighted Luminaria bags, was one of those life-experiences you will never forget. All the people touched by cancer, the feeling of helplessness turned into energy and that energy all focused to finding a cure. Relay for Life gave us a sense of hope, a place where we could do our part to help find a cure - to turn all of that anger and despair into something positive. On the drive home that night Tina and I were so overtaken by the positive energy at the event, we talked about start ing our own team in San Jose . With our enthusiasm we easily recruited 20 of our family members to join the team. Soon afterwards the "Walkin' Raviolis" were sauced! See, Tina's nickname is Miss Ravioli, and my husband
jokingly coined the name "The Walkin' Raviolis". It was perfect and the rest is history!
As you know, Tina passed away on July 1st, 2007, just before she had a chance to do the Campbell Relay for Life. Updating our website and my personal page has taken almost a year. It wasn't something any of us wanted to face
as life hasn't been the same since Tina went to live with the angels.
Tina changed my life. When times are tough I think of her. I think of how strong she was and how she didn't let the cancer take her spirit away. She taught me to look past the bad and see that there is good in our life, even though sometimes we just want to give up and cry. Giving up was never an option for Tina and the lessons she passed on will be with me forever. I relay for Tina, her dream and for our future in a world cancer free.
When I am not busy being "Head Meatball" with the Walkin' Rav's, I enjoy mountain biking, photography, sitting
on the beach watching sunsets, and spending time with my precious Mini-Ravioli's Isabella and Bryce.
Thank you for visiting my page, for your support, love and friendship. Life is nothing without family and friends and I am so blessed with both.
Click here to donate to Yvonne. |
|
|
|
|
