Father thanks 'Blowout' volunteers, organizers, and attendees

Aug 11, 2015

My son Braiden was chosen to be the recipient of this year’s annual “Blowout” fundraiser event at the Holy Ghost Ground in South Dartmouth on Aug. 8. I had only heard of the event in the past but was not entirely familiar with it.

Last Saturday, I was able to experience first-hand what The Blowout is all about . . . tons of great food, non-stop amazing live music, and awesome raffles and fun activities for the kids. However, there was one thing that stuck out above all of this, and that was the people.

It was evident that the people were there to support my son and me. I was greeted by so many people who made it clear that they were there to graciously support Braiden. From the volunteers who have been tirelessly planning this event for months gathering food, supplies and donations, to the volunteers who cooked up an amazing spread of food (which started the day before), to the live bands, the rock climbing wall donation and the volunteers who took care of the trash, the list can go on and on.

What I want to say is that I had a hard time sleeping the past few nights as I lay there trying to come up with an idea to get my message of being entirely thankful across to every single person who was involved. I hope this message reaches the majority, if not everyone.

The amount of funds raised certainly plays a large part in giving us the ability to make the proper decisions to keep Braiden on the path of living a happy and healthy life. Within months, we will be facing some treatment decisions and when we have funds available like this it helps open the door to possible better options that may not have been obtainable.

In closing, I hope every single person who entered the gate, donated items or 
volunteered last Saturday at The Blowout can fully understand that Braiden and I are forever thankful for your support. We will never forget the “2015 Blowout for Braiden.”

Philip Norton