Save the Date
32nd Annual Dawn of a Dream will take place on Saturday, November 3 at The Depot in downtown Minneapolis. More details coming soon!
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Let us be thankful that the death of a child is so uncommon…but remember that it is not unheard of. Let us honor the loved ones we have lost.... but not lose ourselves in the process. We have a new understanding that our pain is not unique. Sooner or later, in big or small ways, we all feel pain."Why us?" isn't the question to ask. The question to ask is, "Who do we choose to compare ourselves to? What do we choose to feel—unfortunate, or privileged?"
We don't expect people to die, and we don't expect people not to die. We mourn the ones we have lost, and we celebrate that we had them in the first place. We remember the loved ones who have died, but we never forget that we are still alive… and we have a lot of living left to do.
John Golden, Emily Eaton, Oscar Golden with portrait of Julian Golden
Bloomington, Minnesota
Julian lost his battle with leukemia two weeks before what would have been his 4th birthday.
Nearly 800 guests filled The Depot on Saturday, November 5 to celebrate the 31st Annual Dawn of a Dream. The memorable evening began with an array of fundraising experiences. Guests could pick a treasure from the "Tiffany & Co. Forest", punch for a manly prize in the Man Cave, or draw a butterfly in the Women's Butterfly Garden. And for the first time, guests used handheld technology through BidPal to place bids on their favorite items.
Throughout the evening, guests saw, heard and read stories of people touched by cancer. Stories that continue to compel…motivate…and inspire us to continue on our quest to find a cure for childhood cancer.
Program highlights included a poignant photo essay and powerful spoken word performance that both captured the joys and heartache of the children, families, doctors, researchers and others in the trenches of the cancer experience. We also met Barbel Abela, the grateful recipient of a life-saving stem cell transplant and her announcement to commit $100,000 to fund promising research.
In a touching tribute, Children's Cancer Research Fund founders, Diana and Norm Hageboeck, honored friend and longtime supporter, Suzanne Holmes Hodder (1932-2011), for her commitment to our cause and her family's gift of $5 million to fund a new research chair at the University of Minnesota. Sue's husband, Bill, and their family were presented with the Dream Maker Award, Children's Cancer Research Fund's highest honor.
The evening culminated in a fabulous live auction during the program, which included a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Proceeds from the live auction topped $100,000.
As our evening of stories came to a close, more than $1 million was raised to support groundbreaking research to help write new chapter and change too many unhappy endings.
We want to extend a very heartfelt thanks to our co-chairs, Susan Prell and Lisa Wagner, their steering committee, dedicated volunteers and Martin Bastian Productions, along with the generosity of corporate and community partners, and attendees.