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Teens in our Norwalk parishes need your
support with something very important!
First a little
background...
If you are not familiar with Norwalk High School senior
Chelsea Cohen... she is a senior and she has been battling a rare and
debilitating cancer for two years. She was a star soccer player and is now
almost completely paralyzed. It is a very sad and difficult story.
Recently, a couple of high school students visited
Kali DiMarco, our youth group leader at St. Philip Parish, and asked if there was
something more that they could do to help Chelsea. They still spend time with her - they are by
her side even as things become more and more difficult - they have not given up
on her although they feel completely
helpless, and they are trying desperately to hold onto their beautiful faith and
belief that she can get well. I think it is a testament to our youth, and all
that we have taught them, that they sustain this hope and faith. They are
following Chelsea's lead, and even though someone must now manually blink for
her, she is still talking about the future, the prom, graduation, and new
treatments, etc.
It is now official - Mayor Moccia has designated
Saturday, May 13th as "Chelsea Cohen" day, . On this day, the kids will hold several car washes all over
the city from 90:00 am to 1:00 pm:
- St Philip Churc h, manned by Xt. Philip and St.
Thomas Youth Groups
- Volk Firehouse on Connecticut Ave, manned by St.
Matthew and St. Jerome Youth Groups
- Norwalk High School, manned by the National Honor Society and
friends of Chelsea
- West Rocks Middle School, manned by the NJSA, Boy Scouts and other
helpers.
Proceeds of the car washes , bake sales and other
donations will be given to Chelsea's family, which is now in financial ruin due to the demands of this disease. The
Cohen family has given their blessing for this, and realize that these kids need
to put their love, fear, and faith into some sort of action. The kids will also
be selling baby blue (Chelsea's color!) HOPE bracelets, and baked goods at each
car wash site. Our middle schoolers will be surprising the family by raking
their lawn and planting tons and tons of spring flowers, as well as bringing
over many meals for the freezer (this is part of our "Secret Service" program at
St. Philip.)
Our Secret Service
will meet at 10:00am. If any middle school students would like to be a part of
that, please email the St. Philip Secret Service coordinators at: agentphilip1@yahoo.com.
Let's work together to have hope, value human life, and put our
faith into action. If you have questions or want to volunteer, please contact:
Kali DiMarco
St Philip Church
see the flyer for a photo of Chelsea
home 845-2385
cell 434-8407
kali1@optonline.net |
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How Can You
Help? |
If you
are a teen:
* volunteer at a car wash
*
help out with the Secret Service Project
* Put up flyers in stores, schools,
libraries, etc.
If you
are an adult:
*
We need someone to
organize the baked goods part of this (getting the word out,
coordinating where they should be dropped off, etc)
*
Make Baked Goods - individually wrapped to sell at
the car wash
*
Donate frozen meals for the family in foil pans, clearly
marked with heating directions, or donate gift certificates
for take-out or groceries
*
Solicit donations of flowers from nurseries, grocery stores, etc
- the more the better - we want plants that are blooming now
*
Chaperone to help at the car washes and the Secret Service Project
at the Cohen house on May 13th
Helping
as a Family
*
Have your car washed on Saturday May 13th - the cost is $6 per car
* Tie a baby blue (Chelsea's favorite color) ribbon on your mailbox, car or
yourself
on May 13.
* Prayers, lots and lots of prayers - for Chelsea, her family, and her
young friends |
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