A few weeks ago I read a post on Facebook that really tugged at my heartstrings. It was a call to action from my middle-school show-choir dance partner whom I hadn’t seen in, literally, twenty years. In the post he mentioned Swim For Melissa— which is a fundraiser I had heard of — but didn’t know much about.

A Miracle

My friend went on to reveal this: when his nearly 2-year-old daughter Rachel was born, she had a twin named Raymond. They were born 23 weeks into the pregnancy and, for a day and a half, they were able to be with Raymond.

For the miracle, he credited Huntsville Hospital and the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund. My friend concluded by saying that “few hospitals would have been able to give us these gifts and Melissa, Rachel and I hope you consider making a donation.”

Well, consider it I did. And, after doing a little Googling and Facebooking, it appears that many others support this local cause. In fact, the memorial fund has tallied more than $60,000 in donations this year alone. During the past seven years, the group has raised more than $1.4 million for the RNICU at Huntsville Hospital.

After reading more about the memorial fund, I discovered that the popular fundraiser is actually a two-day event. First, the Miracle Bash takes place on Friday night, which is then followed by Swim For Melissa on Saturday morning.

Friday: The Bash

Much to my delight the Miracle Bash kicks-off this Friday night, August 10th at the Von Braun Center. I will be there live tweeting, along with Larkin Grant, so be sure to follow our commentary on Twitter at #MiracleBash.

The dress is casual, and guests will enjoy dinner, live and silent auctions, and dancing to the tunes of the high-octane band Juice. If you have been bitten by the travel bug then you will definitely want to attend the Bash, as there are awesome vacation packages up for grabs like all-inclusive trips to Paris, Jamaica, Costa Rica, New York City, and Lake Tahoe.

Saturday: Swimming

On Saturday, August 11th the fun continues at Hampton Cove pool with Swim For Melissa. Kids ranging in ages from 4 to 16 have been raising money all summer for Melissa’s fund. They will celebrate their success by participating in the swim.

Event Information

Event: Miracle Bash

Date: Friday, August 10th
Time: 6:30-7:30pm
Location: Von Braun Center North Hall 
Tickets: $75. Click here to purchase or call 256-265-8077.

Event: Swim for Melissa

Date: Saturday, August 11th
Time: 9:00am
Location: Hampton Cove Pool