The 2nd Annual Karen’s Purple Shirt Party is quickly approaching. Come out and celebrate the life of Karen Wagenaar. All proceeds from the event will be donated to the ALS Society of Alberta and will help families living with and affected by ALS.
Two years have passed since we lost Karen to this devastating disease ALS. Karen was only 48 years old when she was taken from us. Her battle was short at only 13 and ½ months. She left behind a husband and four boys. Karen fought ALS with courage and her faith. Karen’s Purple Shirt Party was conceived as the first anniversary of her passing approached. It was to be a time of healing with family and friends; a backyard celebration of Karen’s life. Good food, good friends, good stories, and a time to reminisce. The idea to add fundraiser was a last-minute thought. We raised $ 25,000 that evening and Karen’s Purple Shirt Party was born. This year, we have shifted to a fundraiser event with Karen being the main theme. ALS claimed Karen’s father Glen, 10 years before Karen and just recently, her cousin Jackie was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 54. Our cause and mission are clear. We must do our part in ending and solving the puzzle of ALS. Our hope in raising money and awareness is to also make sure people living with ALS have the tools and support they need as they live with the ever-increasing challenges ALS brings! The support that our family received from the ALS Society of Alberta was a Godsend! Our commitment to them to ensure they have the equipment they need is first and foremost in our fundraising.
Considering this, we would like to invite you to our second annual Karen’s Purple Shirt Party on June 8th. We have expanded our activities to include a 3 on 3 ball hockey tournament. We invite many teams to enter for a fee of $ 100/team. Karen was a fan of all things hockey so our tournament will be called Karen’s 3 on 3 for ALS! A silent auction including hockey memorabilia but also many other things, will be included. Join us for a complimentary barbeque dinner, enjoy a guest speaker from the ALS Society of Alberta and relax with some wonderful music. It’s our family’s hope to share an evening of great entertainment that is worthy of you attending. All costs associated with our event are paid for by Karen’s Legacy Fund so that 100 % of the money raised can go to ALS. We only ask that you donate at the event, enter a team in Karen’s 3 on 3 for ALS, or donate on-line through ALS Society of Alberta. Come out on June 8th and spend an evening with our family, good friends, and new friends. Join us in finding a cure for this disease. The medical community says they are as close as 20-25 years from cracking the code on ALS. We must believe and have hope that they are right.
Wear something purple in honor of Karen.
The event is free to attend, please RSVP https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/karens-purple-shirt-party-tickets-60709359328?fbclid=IwAR3Ww0CmybVjjTZou2sldDHuHfVKE3oYI9kQJA4VHJNEhHhD416meGbqTQg
For more event details please check out the Karen’s Purple Shirt Party Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pg/purpleshirtparty/events/?ref=page_internal