Making a difference for the Make Lemonade Project

As 2024 began, I felt inspired to channel my passion for paper crafting into a meaningful cause. Together with my dedicated team leaders, we embraced the challenge of organizing two paper crafting events with the ambitious goal of raising $10,000 for the Make Lemonade Project. This incredible local organization provides essential support to cancer patients, and we are honored to contribute to their mission through our 'Garden of Hope Fundraiser.'

The events, named "Garden of Hope," were dedicated to my mother, Lucille Santiago, who passed away from cancer last year. In her honor, all the money raised was donated to support the Make Lemonade Project.

Raising $10,000 in a month was the most ambitious project we had ever undertaken, and it came with significant challenges. Coordinating two back-to-back events on different islands, just one week apart, required a tremendous amount of effort and dedication from our team. Despite the obstacles, the countless hours of hard work paid off when we tallied the final donations at the end of the month. We were thrilled to discover that not only did we meet our goal, but we also surpassed it, raising over $11,000 for the Make Lemonade Project.

During the event, our guests created seven beautiful projects using the Sweet Thoughts Memories and More Cards by Stampin’ Up! All the projects were elegantly housed in the stunning butterfly tote pictured below.

It was delightful to see both new and seasoned crafters enjoying the creative process together.

Jodi Hashimoto, one of my leaders from Oahu, created the adorable centerpieces pictured below. Our guests wrote heartfelt messages to encourage cancer patients, which we collected and donated to the Make Lemonade Project. At the end of the event, we gave away the centerpieces along with soil and seed packets, allowing the lucky recipients to grow their own flowers or herbs.

Oahu hosted a retired stamp sale, while Maui held a silent auction. Both events featured a variety of handcrafted items for sale, providing attendees the opportunity to purchase items for themselves or to donate to the Make Lemonade Project's lemonade stands. These stands are small displays where cancer patients heading in for treatment can choose a free gift to brighten their day. Below, you can see the stand we filled for Maui. The butterfly pins pictured on the top row were a significant part of our event, but I'll save that story for another day.

Cindy Ontai of Zoe, Hawaii created these adorable bee-themed cookies to complement a special card made with the Bee Mine Stamp Set. We sold these charming cookie and card sets at the event to help us reach our fundraising goal.

Ramon Corson, pictured below, is one of my team leaders from Maui. She and her crew worked tirelessly to ensure our first event in Maui was a huge success!

After our event concluded, we enjoyed some downtime exploring the beautiful Kula Botanical Gardens.

At our Maui event, I had the pleasure of meeting some truly incredible people with hearts of gold. Pictured below is Aunty Kamiki Carter, who generously donated all the food and snacks for the event. It was inspiring to talk with her and learn about the amazing ways she serves her community with such humility.

Another group that significantly contributed to our success were five incredible demonstrators from around the world: Dawn Griffith from Michigan, Natalie White from Utah, Lynsay Mahon from Canada, Missy Shipman from New York, and Meg Loven from Illinois. These special guests provided outstanding project tutorials via video for our attendees to enjoy.

In addition to the money raised at these events, some people also gave donations at classes and via Instagram and Facebook. At one of our final classes, we invited Kelsey and presented her with a check.

The generosity didn't stop! Even after presenting her with a check, donations continued to come in, raising our total to a fantastic $11,069!

Next week, I have the pleasure of presenting Kelsey with a new check reflecting this amazing community support. I'm truly in awe of everyone who came together to surpass our goal.

At this event, I shared my personal story of battling cancer twice. We also honored those in attendance who have battled cancer or who have been a caregiver to someone battling cancer. It was beautiful to see so much love and encouragement in the room.

I met a lot of amazing people both in Oahu and Maui.

So now you know where I’ve been for the past few months. I am slowly returning to work, hosting classes, making videos, and meeting with my team.

I want to say MAHALO again to EVERYONE who gave their all to make this fundraiser a HUGE success. I am SO VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOU!!!

Let’s continue to Papercraft with Purpose and make a difference in the lives of others, one card at a time!

With love and blessings,

Cindy