As they say, "Explore faith at your own Pace."  September,  2010    

Dear Friends of Grace Church,  It’s difficult to find the right words to express my sincere appreciation for everythingthat was done to see that the lives of both mymother and father were honored in themost loving way.  Years ago when we used to walk to churchsingle file, along Ridge Road, through all kinds ofweather and sometimes several feet of snow, it surely didn’t occur to me that we were doingany more than JUST going to church.   However,
over time it became clear that we were In fact, going to worship with friends. . . friends who wouldbe there whenever we needed them. Your support eased my mind and comforted my spirit.Thank you for being there on so many different levels.   Yours Truly,

Elaine Barnard

HEAVEN   KNOWS . . .     by  Walt Iliff  

First of all I would like to thank the congregation of Grace Church for all the support you have shown and given to my wife and I over the past 20 some years.  Most especially I would like to thank the Grace Church for the monetary support which has allowed my wife to become a member of Team Ohio.  This year each team member had to raise at least $250.00 to become a member of Team Ohio.  This fee helped to cover many expenses incurred on behalf of each team member.  For those of you who bought raffle tickets or purchased Giant Eagle Gift Cards – a big THANK YOU.  Your efforts and support is greatly appreciated and admired by both Kathy and I.

The transplant games are held every two years and are run much like the real Olympic Games are run.  For the past twenty years the games have been organized and sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation and Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation.  This year’s games were held in Madison, Wisconsin.  Forty seven different teams representing the fifty states of the United States were present at this year’s games. 

 Some states such as Ohio have just one team with athletes coming from all over the state.  Other states are combined such as TEAM MOKAN which had team members from Missouri and Kansas.  Other states because of size are divided up into numerous teams such as TEAM NOCAL for Northern California or TEAM LIBERTY for those who live in New York City.  Each team has its own pin which makes for some interesting “horse” trading especially during the early days of the games when everyone is out to get as many different team pins as possible especially from teams such as TEAM HAWAII. 

The opening ceremony is conducted just like the one you see on television.  Each team is introduced as the team marches into the building used for the opening ceremony.  The one used this year was very similar to the “Q” or Wolstein Center in Cleveland.  Following the teams are the living donors from all the teams attending the games and the donor families again from all the teams attending the games. 

By the time everyone was seated there were over 5000 people in this auditorium.  One of the most moving events at the opening ceremony occurred when a young women presented a very moving song about someone who had provided someone else with the gift of life.  We found out after her performance that she was a donor mom.  Her 2 ½ month old son had died and she donated his heart to a three month old boy who needed a transplant in order to live.  The donor family and the recipient family finally meet at the games for the first time.  What a moving moment.  I don’t think there was a dry eye in the entire auditorium. 

As exemplified by the opening ceremonies, the games are attended by three different groups.  The athletes all of which have had at least one solid organ transplant.  At this year’s games the youngest athlete was 2 years old and the oldest was 85.  These are the people who participate in all sorts of sporting events such as bowling, tennis, racket ball, table tennis, cycling, track and field, and such team competitions as 3on3 basketball and team volleyball. As in the real Olympics first (gold), second (silver) and third (bronze) place metals are awarded to those who place in their chosen events.  Metal presentations are usually made by living donors or donor family members. 

This year Kathy and her partner from Middleburg Heights (a kidney recipient) won a gold metal in team bowling.  Kathy’s second metal this year was a bronze metal which she won in the singles bowling event. 

This year 1216 individuals participated as athletes in the transplant Olympics. The second group which attends the games is the living donors.  Living donors are those who have voluntarily donated part of their body such as a kidney, bone marrow, part of a liver, a lung, or part of their pancreas so someone else might live.  These donations generally are made to family members because the chance is greater that they will be a match. The third group which attends these games is the donor families. 

These are the real heroes of the transplant games. These are the families who have lost a loved one for some reason and have decided to donate that loved ones organs so that someone else might live.  T

These games could not be possible if it had not been for the many donor families who have courageously decided to donate their loved ones organs. If you have not decided to become an organ and tissue donor please do so.  Your unselfish gift could save someone’s life.