~YOGA AS SERVICE~
YOGA REACHES OUT to benefit BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL
I started fundraising for Children's Hospital Boston through Yoga Reaches Out in 2010. It started off as a mission to support our local & global children as my background is Social Work. So far my selfless team has raised over $480,000. I thank each of them dearly & recognize there is no "I" in team. This video below is from YRO 2019. I explained that from 2013-2019 both of my neices were diagnosed with rare diseases: Loeys-Dietz Syndrome (Cat) & Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension (Anabelle.) I didn't know 10 years ago, when I started this mission, that my own family would become the recipient of some of the very fundraising we had/have been doing through YRO. My neice, Catalina Smith, passed in October of 2021 after 14 years of navigating LDS. Children's Hospital was a crucial part of giving her the longevity to even make it to 14 years old performing over 15 surgeries on her during her short life. God rest your soul, Cat. Rest in Pokemon.
Don't be afraid to dive headfirst into service work. Get on board & go fund everything. Money is cyclical. You may even find you need it yourself some day.
HOMEBASE PROGRAM for VETERANS at MASS. GENERAL HOSPITAL
I started fundraising for the Homebase Program in 2012 after hearing a story of a local Veteran who has suffered massive injuries in the Afghanistan and Iraq war, both physically and mentally. After relearning how to walk, he credited the Homebase Program at MGH for helping him recover from the invisible wounds of war upon his return. Each year we held an annual hOMebase Yogathon for MGH from 2012-2018. Through the Yoga community & the dedication of close family & friends we were able to raise over $85,000 down dog by down dog. We must remember always, freedom is not free. Many have sacrificed their lives FOR YOU & I. We would start each benefit off with reading the names of each of our MA fallen soldiers in a roll call. Each student in the class had a card with one of the names on it and would start standing at attention. When their soldier's name was called they would do a salutation (full body salute), light their candle and dedicate their practice to their assigned soldier and all who helped him/her during the wars. Amazing Grace played three times on the bagpipes after all names were called & saluted. So moving, and necessary. Check it out....
SEACHANGE YOGATHON for SEACHANGE YOGA MAINE
I am honored to have headlined the Seachange Yogathon in Maine (my hOMe away from hOMe) throughout the past few years. Sea Change Yoga brings the healing power of trauma-informed yoga & meditation to all. They bring Yoga's teachings into substance use recovery centers, transitional group homes, and correctional institutions. Many teachers that have graduated from my Yoga certification programs in Maine (& MA) have gone on to become involved in Seachange's work! It was a honor to headline & partake in the 2019, 2020 & 2021 Yogathon. So far, just through Yoga fundraising, we have been able to raise over $140,000 through these Yogathons. Here is a timelapse of this event:
YOGA STRONG: The One Fund for Boston Marathon bombing victims
