Before I start with the main topic, is it okay if I go off on a small rant? Oh thank you! I knew you would be okay with that. I need to vent about having to attend business meetings in California. Last year, the hotel where the annual convention was being held didn’t have a shuttle from the airport, so I rented a car. When I checked into the hotel, they charged me $38 for parking. That was the first time I have ever had to pay to park at the hotel where I’m staying. So whenever the hotel doesn’t have a shuttle, I have realized that’s why God created Uber. Now I just got back on Wednesday from a meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Newport Beach. In the morning I went to the complimentary breakfast area. Or should I say I thought it was complimentary. I was just getting finished with my breakfast when they brought me a bill for $25. Are you kidding me! $25 for a meal that all the other hotels I have stayed at are complimentary. If you’re going to charge me $25, you better at least have steak as an option. If I would have known, I would have eaten so more bacon! Okay, rant officially over. Thank you, I feel so much better now.
Last Friday, it was Homecoming for Thunder Ridge High School. I would like to thank Michele Kennedy and Principal Douglas McLaren for letting me come and present the Crusade Against Cancer banner to the student body. I have had so much support from Michele and the Thunder Ridge booster club and want them to know how much I appreciate all they do.
When it was my turn in the assembly to speak, Michele came up with me to help. I started by saying I really wasn’t a superstitious person, but I was positive Friday the Thirteenth was going to be extremely unlucky for the other team in the game that night. That got a nice round of applause. Then I explained about the Foundation and our mission to help local cancer patients and their families. I made sure to thank Michele and the booster club for all of their support. I told them about the Crusade Against Cancer fundraiser and thanked the Thunder Ridge cheer squad for all their help. I looked over to the cheer squad and said, “I promised all of you guys Shannon Wilker Foundation t-shirts and would like to give them to you now.” It was so rewarding to see the smiles on their faces as Michele gave them their t-shirts.
To conclude my speech, I urged them to start putting their groups together for next year. “Because I’m going to personally tell Bonneville and Hillcrest that Thunder Ridge says, Bring It! And when you really think about it, the school with not just the most but the absolute best Superheroes; well we all know that’s the Thunder Ridge Titans!” That got an enormous applause from the audience. Then they started chanting “MVP, MVP!” I must admit that was so amazing and surreal at the same time.
The greatest part of all of this was to see how many amazing and wonderful young adults we have in our community. It is comforting to know we have some great young men and women that will make terrific leaders for our future. Thanks for reading.
Next week: My Brother and My Mentor
P.S. Thunder Ridge won the game 48-34. See, I told you that would happen. I must be psychotic. I mean psychic.