This is a picture of me with my best friend, Joy.  Joy has two daughters (pictured on the home page), both of whom were born with congenital heart defects.  The youngest just turned 5 and went through her first heart surgery in April of this year.  Joy's oldest daughter is 7 years old and has already gone through two major open-heart surgeries, and has others looming ahead in her future.  Because of her daughters, Joy has become a passionate advocate for funding research into the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of congenital heart defects.  She has been the President of The Children's Heart Foundation Colorado Chapter and a part of the foundation's national board of directors.  Over the past 7 years, for every birthday and Christmas, the only gift she has asked for was a donation to fund research so that her girls can have a fighting chance at a normal life.  And every year, I made a donation.  In 2016, I came up with an idea that would allow for a bigger impact and do more for her cause than if I were to just give some money.  I began putting together a small fundraiser, which quickly grew way beyond my original vision and spanned 12 cities.  In one day, with the help of so many wonderful people like you, we raised $2229.82 for this organization that Joy feels so passionately about.  I wanted to do something that could potentially make a significant difference in their lives and in the lives of so many others, and together, we did make a difference!  There was such enthusiasm across the country, that I decided to hold this same fundraiser again and expand it even more to have an even greater impact.  The following year, we raised over $3000, and I'm hoping to surpass that threshold this year.

 

One in 100 children born in the U.S. have a congenital heart defect.  That is approximately 40,000 babies each year.  Many of these children (such as Joy's daughter) are born with multiple defects and have severe enough conditions that their life expectancy is significantly reduced.  Sadly, some won't make it out of childhood.  Others may survive only into their early adult years.  For these children and their parents, their only hope is for new treatments to become available within their shortened lifetime.  Funding research is what can make the difference and what gives these families hope.

 

When I reached out to The Children's Heart Foundation, I found an amazing, enthusiastic group of CHF board members, heart moms (and dads), doctors, and passionate friends in cities all over the country who believe as strongly as Joy and I do in this cause.  With their help and the help of friends, family, and people like you, fundraisers will be going on again this year at select California Pizza Kitchen restaurants all day long on Thursday, May 16th in each of the following cities:

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        Ann Arbor, MI

        Austin, TX

        Boca Raton, FL

        Boston, MA

        Chicago, IL

        Cleveland, OH

        Columbus, OH

        Dallas, TX

        Denver, CO

        Detroit, MI

        Fort Lauderdale, FL

        Hartford, CT

        Houston, TX

        Long Island, NY

        Los Angeles, CA

        Mashantucket, CT

        Miami, FL

        Mew York, NY

        Philadelphia, PA

        Pittsburgh, PA

        Simi Valley, CA

        St. Louis, MO

 

Let's face it...everyone has to eat.  And pizza is delicious!  Rather than dining out somewhere else, please consider choosing one of the participating restaurants in these cities and giving hope to so many families across this country.

 

To those of you who dine at California Pizza Kitchen and to those of you who make a direct donation, I want to say thank you from the very bottom of my heart.

 

With love and hope, 

 

Jenny Shrensker