November 2010

     Thanksgiving is only eight days away! Most of us are busy rushing around, making meal plans, and trying to figure out where in the world everyone is going to fit! I like to try to remind myself, when I get too bogged down in the planning of it all, what this season is really all about. Being thankful. For your family, your friends, pets…and your health.
     This year, Mermaid cottages has sponsored an event that truly embodies that thankfulness. Saturday, November 27th, is The 2nd Annual Pickle Run! This 5K beach/road run will be held on Tybee. The event starts at 9 a.m.sharp at the fabulous Huc-a-poos!
     What in the world does a pickle have to do with it all you ask? Well, there is a beautiful story behind this race I simply have to share.

On November 25, 2008, Dylan Robert Hall was born here in Savannah, Georgia. Despite a healthy pregnancy, Dylan suffered meconium aspiration along with 2 other bacterial infections during delivery. The doctors weren’t sure he’d survive his first night. On Thanksgiving Day, two days after his birth, Dylan had shown enough improvement so that mom and dad could hold their baby boy for the first time. As the days went on, ‘Dyl Pickle’ proved to be a strong healthy baby that just happened to be born very sick. During the two weeks Dylan spent in the hospital, the Hall family discovered how lucky they were to live in Savannah where the level of care their baby required was just down the street. Many of the families had to drive long distances to visit their children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery. This is where the Ronald McDonald House® comes in. Established in 1987, the Savannah Ronald McDonald House has provided a “Home away from home” for more than 5,000 families. The House has 10 bedrooms with private baths, a communal living room and kitchen, dining and laundry areas. Each night volunteers from the community provide a home-cooked meal for the families to share. To celebrate Dylan’s 2nd birthday, Mike & Lara Hall and the Huc-a-poos family would like to invite you to participate in the 2nd annual Pickle Run to support our local Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire.

     This story is inspiring in so many ways, but is so heart warming to me because this family really wants to give back to their community in honor of the little boy they are so very thankful for. All the proceeds from The 2nd Annual Pickle Run benefit the Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Coastal Empire, so it is a wonderful cause. Please join us next Saturday! The $25 registration fee includes an event t-shirt, one raffle ticket, and a yummy Huc-a-poos breakfast pizza, but registration closes Friday (November 26th) so hurry to the race site for more info. This is a fun and fabulous event, and a great way to remember what this season is all about…giving thanks!