Upcoming Events Friday, November 28, 12pm-4pm, Gift Wrapping Fundraiser, Borders Books 30995 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, 48334 2 & 4 hour shifts available, contact Dena Raminick to volunteer, 248-444-5228 or missqueendena@comcast.net Friday, November 28, 12-4 Holiday Wrapping for Donations! Borders Books, 45290 Utica Park Boulevard Utica, MI 48315, North East Corner of M-59 and M-53 3 hour shifts, 2 per day To volunteer contact Beth Monicatti Blank at 586.752.6381 or bmonicattiblank@allseasonscommunications.com Saturday, December 6, 12-6 Holiday Wrapping for Donations! Borders Books, 45290 Utica Park Boulevard Utica, MI 48315, North East Corner of M-59 and M-53 3 hour shifts, 2 per day To volunteer contact Beth Monicatti Blank at 586.752.6381 or bmonicattiblank@allseasonscommunications.com Sunday, December 7, 12-6 Holiday Wrapping for Donations! Borders Books, 45290 Utica Park Boulevard Utica, MI 48315, North East Corner of M-59 and M-53 3 hour shifts, 2 per day To volunteer contact Beth Monicatti Blank at 586.752.6381 or bmonicattiblank@allseasonscommunications.com Saturday, December 13, 12pm-4pm Gift Wrapping Fundraiser, Borders Books 30995 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, 48334 2 & 4 hour shifts available, contact Dena Raminick to volunteer, 248-444-5228 or missqueendena@comcast.net Sunday, December 14, 12pm-4pm Gift Wrapping Fundraiser, Borders Books 30995 Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills, 48334 2 & 4 hour shifts available, contact Dena Raminick to volunteer, 248-444-5228 or missqueendena@comcast.net December 15, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Detroit 1-3 pm Contact Nikki Follis at 248-680-4770 or nikki9@wowway.com Monday, December 29, 6 pm, Royal Tuck In & Gimmee a Break William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak ONLY VOLUNTEERS THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED SHOULD ATTEND, THIS TIME ONLY. To volunteer contact Dena Raminick at missqueendena@comcast.net or 248-444-5228 Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 7pm, Chapter Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59. All welcome! For more details contact Esther Skiba, Director, qfad.heroes@gmail.com or 248/793-3120 Monday, January 12, 2009, 6 pm, Royal Tuck In & Gimmee a Break William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak ONLY VOLUNTEERS THAT HAVE VOLUNTEERED SHOULD ATTEND, THIS TIME ONLY. To volunteer contact Dena Raminick at missqueendena@comcast.net or 248-444-5228 Sunday, January 18, 2009, 3pm Texas Hold 'Em Tournament with proceeds to benefit Queen for a Day/Heroes Astro Lanes, 32388 John R. (corner of 14 Mile), Madison Heights, 2 remodeled sports bars, arcade, bar, pool tables and pro-shop. Cost: $40 entry fee gets you one day of play (each day of play is $40); 50 people max per day, so reserve early! Food is provided (pizza, salad, wing dings) Chip Denomination and Rules: Each player will be given 4 different colored chips totaling $1,250.00 Randomly selected seating arraignment, 6-11 players per table Prizes if 50 participants attend each day: 1st Place-$400 2nd Place-$200 3rd Place-$150 If fewer than 50 participants, the prize amounts will be adjusted to the amount of players and subsequently will be lower. 50/50 Raffle For more information on participating or volunteering contact Jeremy A. James, Chairman, Heroes Program, cell (248)345-4189 or devonsdaddy@hotmail.com. Friday, January 30, 2009, 1-3 pm St. John Hospital, Grosse Pointe To volunteer contact Jennifer Groomes, jennifer@rwchamber.com or 586-634-4666 Tuesday, February 23, 2009, 7pm, New Volunteer Informational Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59 All welcome! For more details contact Ruth Williams, rwilliams6303@wowway.com or 248-829-9972 Tuesday, March 2, 2009, 7pm, Chapter Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59. All welcome! For more details contact Esther Skiba, Director, qfad.heroes@gmail.com or 248/793-3120 Saturday, April 4, 2009, QFAD/Heroes 2nd Annual Fashion Show Details in process, to volunteer contact Nikki Follis, nikki9@wowway.com or 248-680-4770 Tuesday, April 21, 2009, QFAD/Heroes 6th Annual Beauty Bash Excel Academies of Cosmetology in Troy is located on Rochester Road, south of M-59. All proceeds will benefit the Metro Detroit Chapter of Queen for a Day and Heroes. To volunteer contact Angie Sanchez, asanchez@trottlaw.com or 248-853-7793 Tuesday, April 28, 2009, 7pm, New Volunteer Informational Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59 All welcome! For more details contact Ruth Williams, rwilliams6303@wowway.com or 248-829-9972 Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 7pm, Chapter Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59. All welcome! For more details contact Esther Skiba, Director, qfad.heroes@gmail.com or 248/793-3120 Tuesday, June 23, 2009, 7pm, New Volunteer Informational Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59 All welcome! For more details contact Ruth Williams, rwilliams6303@wowway.com or 248-829-9972 Tuesday, July 7, 2009, 7pm, Chapter Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59. All welcome! For more details contact Esther Skiba, Director, qfad.heroes@gmail.com or 248/793-3120 Thursday, July 9, 2009, Camp Quality, QFAD and Heroes Fenton, Michigan—Tiki Island Adventure, details in process Friday, July 21, 2009, Camp Quality, QFAD and Heroes Petoskey, Michigan--Super Heroes, details in process Tuesday, September 1, 2009 7pm, Chapter Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59. All welcome! For more details contact Esther Skiba, Director, qfad.heroes@gmail.com or 248/793-3120 Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 7pm, New Volunteer Informational Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59 All welcome! For more details contact Ruth Williams, rwilliams6303@wowway.com or 248-829-9972 Tuesday, November 3, 2009, 7pm, Chapter Meeting Excel Academies of Cosmetology, Rochester Road, south of M-59. All welcome! For more details contact Esther Skiba, Director, qfad.heroes@gmail.com or 248/793-3120 2008 events   |   2007 events   |   2006 events   |   2005 events   |   2004 events "Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-November 17, 2008 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD/Heroes Detroit Founder Last night's Tuck-In/Gimme A Break was our best one yet, according to Child Life Coordinator, Joann Young. We began by setting up the "spa" with refreshments, giveaways, manicures, paraffin dips, mini facials and massages. Ruth Williams, who heads the staff for the Gimme a Break program, said they saw 22 people and gave them "the works". This month our parents/caregivers were especially in need and it was very meaningful to all involved. On the Tuck-In side, our new friends from Ross Medical along with volunteers Jeff & Jenica Gunsburg donated a plethora of toys, blankies, stuffed animals and more. Our 6 volunteers met 29 queens and heroes, who were showered with gifts and attention....from the 7 month girl old to the 19 year old boy. Several months ago we found that some of the parents were reluctant to leave the room to go to the "spa" so this month we spent extra time (some played play doh while others read stories) and we got a helping h and from some Nursing Students who helped alleviate some of the guilt associated with leaving a child in their hospital bed (even if it's just for a 1/2 hour). William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak – October 27, 2008 Royal Tuck In & Gimmee a Break, QFAD/Heroes of Metro Detroit By Lori Faital I participated in my first Royal Tuck In, and plan to be a regular volunteer for this event. We organized an area in the hospital, the Garden Room, as a spa in the pediatric unit. Moms and Dads relaxed in a quiet atmosphere while they received massages provided by massage therapist Juli Johnson and enjoyed other elegant pampering like having their nails and hair coiffed by Ruth Williams and Excel Academy of Cosmetology. Volunteers traveled to children’s rooms with the Child Life Director of Beaumont Hospital Joann Young. We pushed our comfort wagon down the halls, as Joann prescreened each room for children and families who may enjoy a Royal visit. I participated as a Royal Reader. A group of us, volunteers both women and men (very exciting) walked through the halls with Joann. Our comfort wagon had books, blankets, glow in the dark jewelry, all of which had been donated to QFAD. After a quick review of each child we were to visit, we were able to shop from QFAD’s comfort wagon to create a package just right for each child. Intimate groups of two volunteers went into each room with comforts and books. As a newbie, I was happy to partner with a seasoned Royal Tuck In Volunteer. This gave me comfort and freedom to familiarize myself with the setting. We saw children, ranging from very young to teenagers. Visiting in groups of two allowed for a pleasant and relaxing individual patient visit. All the families and children were pleasantly surprised when we arrived to tuck in each child with blankets and comforts. We then read a story and gave them the book. Older kids were given puzzle books instead of child stories along with a blanket. Each child received an individual and personalized Royal Treatment. The Royal attention and donated comforts were a big hit. I enjoyed these visits as a reader as much as the kids who received the treatment did. To see the smiles on everyone’s faces was a blessing. We finished our visit in less than 2 hours. Beaumont definitely wants us to visit again. All of us volunteers drove home with a warm feeling in our hearts. Royal Oak Beaumont Visit- October 23, 2008 By Debbie Hormel, Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson Halloween/Fall banners were a hit as our project for the Tea Party. Our volunteers, Roz Fantich and Beth Sills were very “crafty” helping the children glue, glue and glue some more! Catie Hormel and Josie Byrd filled bags with toys, make-up, tattoos, and crafts for 5 little ones who could not leave their rooms. One little girl was very down when they delivered her QFAD surprise bag, but by the time they left she was chatting, laughing and enjoying her make-up and nails. Her father left her bedside in tears; he had not seen her this happy in a long time. This is what QFAD is all about! As we spend one-on-one time with these precious children they open up to the fun and really enjoy the time of distraction from their treatments and hospital stay. We saw 6 heroes and 1 queen. Thank you volunteers for bringing smiles to the kids and tears of joy to a father. Job well done! Cookies-N-Dreams Fundraiser for Camp Mak-A-Dream-October 23, 2008 By Debbie Hormel, Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson October 23 was a busy day for QFAD volunteers. After hosting an afternoon tea party at Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital, Josie Byrd, Beth Sills, Karen Blazek, Debbie and Catie Hormel went to Somerset Mall to volunteer at the annual Cookies-n-Dreams Fundraiser for Michigan’s chapter of Camp-Mak-A-Dream. The event featured area bakers who generously donated their time and delicious cookies for a wonderful evening of fun. In addition to sampling the cookies, there was children’s entertainment and activities, as well as complimentary food and beverages. QFAD has continued to support this fundraiser which is a key to the success of their organization. A huge thank you to the QFAD girls for their time in helping another charity raise funds for children and young adults touched by cancer. St. John Hospital Visit-October 21, 2008 By Jennifer Groomes-St. John Hospital Chairperson It was a busy day at St. John. I had no volunteers attend but thankfully Sandi the child life specialist lent a hand. We had 6 girls come down to the playroom for crafts, makeup and nail polish. 16 room visits were made to 12 additional girls and four boys. A big thank you to Sandi for all her help. I will make a stop during the week of Christmas to drop off gift bags for the children to enjoy in their rooms. Our next regular visit will be January 30, 2009. QFAD Private visit with Julie and Faith-October 15, 2008 By Jeremy James, Mott Hospital Chairperson It was our honor to meet with Julie and Faith at Mott Hospital’s PICU today. The first princess we visited was Julie, along with her spirited siblings, Juan (9), Elouisa (8), and Leandro (7). Julie is a beautiful 8-month-old, (has been in the PICU since May 2008!) with a history of cholestatic liver disease, lung disease, has a trach and is vent dependent. Our prayers are with her as she undergoes a liver transplant this week. We showered Julie with tons of pink which brought much needed smiles and joyful tears to everyone in the room. The siblings kept busy by making crafts with Loreen Couch, QFAD volunteer, and sword fighting in the hallways with the foam swords that were in their gift baskets! A special thanks to the PICU staff who provided a bilingual nurse who bridged the language gap with Julie’s mom, Christina. Our second princess was Faith, a 9 month old with chronic lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac repairs and a failure to wean from the vent, with a trach. We suited up in hospital gowns and gloves, then dolled up Faith for her party! Faith’s mom was ready for us and had also decorated her bed with princess apparel as well! Inspired by Advisory Board member Dena Ramnick’s highly successful “Gimmie a Break” program at Beaumont Hospital, we were fortunate to acquire two talented volunteers from Excel Cosmetology School in Troy, Melanie Madden and Kate Baldwin, who pampered both moms with facials and manicures. After spending months at the hospital with Julie and Faith, the small, yet grand gesture from the Excel volunteers brought a new life to both moms. Sadly, we received word from Julie's family that she got her angel wings on Saturday. The family isn't having a service, but they expressed their appreciation for QFAD/Heroes. Children's Hospital Visit – September 22, 2008 By Nikki Follis-QFAD Children's Hospital of Michigan Coordinator We had a blast at Children's Hospital on Monday, September 22nd. We were honored to welcome back Lieutenant Gerod Funderburg (aka Lt. Fun) from the Detroit Fire Department and newcomer Sergeant Theresa Burch (aka Sgt. Tee) from the Detroit Police Department, as well as Carie Deaton who is a customary QFAD volunteer at this visit. We even welcomed a few of Children's Hospitals own volunteers in training that day. All of the volunteers worked together on crafts with the children as well as assisting the girls with makeup and nail painting. I was lucky enough to have a boy by the name of Colby kindly paint my nails. He did a fantastic job for only being 7 years old! The yellow nail polish certainly caught the eyes of many. He thought it was great that he was able to give a manicure like the others at the table. We had 12 children attend our function this week and 4 room visits. There was a lot of laughter in the room that day and never a dull moment. This was an outstanding visit and it appeared that everyone enjoyed themselves. Thank you to those who helped this week! Your effort is always appreciated. Macy's Shop for a Cause --September 20 , 2008 By Debbie Hormel-QFAD Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson On Saturday, September 20, 2008 Queen For a Day was invited to become a part of Macy’s effort to raise funds and awareness for non-profit organizations in our area. Last year, Macy’s raised over $9,500,000 in a single day to benefit charities across America. We sold $5 shopping passes to the event for several weeks to our friends, co-workers and family; QFAD kept the proceeds from every shopping pass we sold. By purchasing a shopping pass, our supporters not only helped us but they got to enjoy a day full of extraordinary discounts and events throughout the store. Nikki Follis, Debbie & Catie Hormel, Josie Byrd, Fayclare Blau and Loreen Couch & daughter, all came to volunteer. They handed out literature about QFAD and had lots of stickers and temporary tattoos for all the children that stopped by our table in the children’s department. "Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-September 18, 2008 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD/Heroes Detroit Founder Monday, September 18th, Queen/Hero for a Day held a “Royal Tuck In” program at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak , MI . Ten of our volunteers (one was a volunteer from the Detroit Police Dept and we even had a husband & wife team) gathered to visit with around 20 kids, ages 6 months to 18 years old. Paired in twos, we read stories to them, distributed goodies and tucked them in for the night – one lucky little 6 month old boy even got to go on a wagon ride through the hallways. We added a new twist to this program after watching tired parents month after month. This time we included parents with a program called “Gimme a Break”…Thanks to the generosity of Troy’s Excel Beauty and Juli Johnson’s masseur skills, we sent our queens and heroes caregivers off for a little much-deserved pampering. Our beauticians were busy for two hours with manicures, mini facials, haircuts, makeup, massages and more. Each of our guests left with donated hand lotion from Avon and Frango chocolates from Beth Monicatti-Blank & Andy Blank. The programs worked beautifully hand-in-hand and with no advertising internally we were shocked at how busy and successful it was! Looking forward to our next event in October!!! 1st Annual QFAD/Heroes Golf Outing at Cracklewood Golf Course—September 14, 2008 By Jeremy James-QFAD/HERO Mott Hospital Co-Chairperson Seventy golfers, volunteers and dinner guests braved remnants of Hurricane Ike to attend the 1st Annual QFAD/Heroes Golf Outing, at Cracklewood Golf Course, in Macomb Twp. Golfers arrived during a brief stint of sunshine and managed to squeeze in 9 holes before a merciless rain shower. The weather didn’t affect anyone’s spirit of giving, resulting in 1,000 raffle tickets sold, many hole sponsorships and a very successful silent auction. We sincerely thank our special QFAD recipient, Bridgette and her mother Rita and brother Tyler for attending as our guests of honor…and a big THANK YOU to all of the golfers, volunteers and dinner guests that came out and gave us their support! Bill Williamson with full rain gear Bridgette Dinner in full swing Dena’s speech (classic shot) Comedy Walk at the Detroit Zoo, September 2008 Debbie Hormel, Chairperson Royal Oak Beaumont This year Queen For a Day once again volunteered to run and sponsor the children's craft tent at the Gilda's Comedy Walk at the Zoo 2008, a fundraiser for Gilda's Club Metro Detroit. Ruth Williams brought several students from Excel Academy to do animal face painting on the children. They also brought colorful clip-in hair extensions that were a huge hit! Debbie & Catie Hormel ran a table that kept the kids busy with crafts and animal print goody bags that they could take home. We had beautiful weather, fabulous volunteers and LOTS of excited children who came with their parents and friends to help raise money for Gilda's Club. We're looking forward to next years event! Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital Visit--September 8, 2008 By Debbie Hormel-QFAD Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson You never know what surprises a visit to R.O. Beaumont will bring. As my volunteers arrived and we were setting up for our special event in the Garden Room we were told that there weren’t any children who could leave their rooms and join us. You can imagine our surprise and disappointment. Well rather than pack our bags and leave, we packed up the party and brought it to their rooms! We delivered some great goody bags filled with games, puzzles, tattoos, nail polish, and stuffed animals to 3 boys and 1 girl. Then to our delight little Eve came to the Garden Room with her mom to join us. She was outpatient that day, but made a special drive over just to join us for the royal treatment. And did she ever get it! We pampered her anyway we could with make-up, nail polish, crafts, a Polaroid photo and a picture frame that she got to decorate. She sat on our Queen throne and we crowned her with a beautiful tiara and boa. Special thanks to Karen Blazek, Officer Tracy Miller, Catie Hormel, and Barbara Johnson for going the extra mile to bring a smile to our little queens and heroes! Party for Bridgette at the Tea Party Castle--August 19, 2008 By Debbie Hormel-QFAD Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson Tea Party Castle in Shelby Township once again provided a magical memory for a very special 5 year old, Bridgette. She walked into the tea party so shy and quiet and left giggling and twirling in circles, she was so happy. It truly was a precious "princess moment". Bridgette and 6 special friends were treated to make-up, sparkles, up-do's, beautiful princess gowns and satin slippers. They danced to music, had princess etiquette lessons, drank from crystal goblets and ate wonderful desserts off fine china. The setting was surreal but when Bridgette danced with her Mom encircled by her friends, that moment will truly never be forgotten! Thank you Karen & Tara for the joy and happy memories you brought to Bridgette, her friends and family! St. John Hospital Visit-August 12 , 2008 By Jennifer Groomes-St. John Hospital Chairperson On Tuesday, August 12th I had three volunteers–they were all new but they did a great job!! I had Jennifer Switzer, Dominique Strom and Officer David Wheeler. We had a very busy afternoon with a lot of craft projects. In the playroom we were visited by 3 Queens and 1 Hero. We also had several room visits – 7 Heroes and 4 Queens. Our ages ranged from 3 to 16 years old. Officer Wheeler helped deliver gift bags to the rooms. He did a great job and was a really good sport when Ms. Jules and her mom asked him to put on the pink boa and take a picture!! J We had a fun flower craft that the girls really enjoyed; our little hero (Chad) joined us in playroom had the greatest fun playing with the foam shapes – I'm not sure which had more, his picture frame or his shirt and arms! QFAD Visit to Camp Quality, in Petoskey , August 15 , 2008 By Ruth Williams-QFAD Petoskey Camp Quality Coordinator Camp Quality Petoskey was quite a day. As soon if not before we were done setting up the kids were coming in waiting for us to start. Catie had her team on the make-up, JJ was ready with tattoos and the hair team got right to work. We had white t-shirts for the kids to paint their own design--that was a big hit. Outside a hula-hoop contest was going on and still going on as we left. One girl was going on an hour and a half and still counting! We also did nails. After the make over we gave the kids crowns and boa's with my sister taking pictures for them to keep. We spent time with 45 kids. Malys Beauty School sent t-shirts from Redken and hats for the boys and little piggies and bags for the girls. At the end of the day as we were packing up one of the camp leaders came to get us and brought us in front of the whole camp to thank us for coming. It was hard for me not to cry and say no, thank you, for letting us come. Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-August 4, 2008 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD/Heroes Detroit Founder August 4th, Queen/Hero for a Day visited the Pediatric Floor of Beaumont Hospital once again to bring our Royal Tuck-In Service. Eight volunteers (one from the Detroit Police Department) went room to room to visit around twenty children ages 6 months to 17. We treated each queen and hero with a new stuffed animal, and hand-made blanket and then read them a story which they got to keep. Everyone had a wonderful time. KAUTEX Donation-July 2008 By Beth Monicatti Blank We are so lucky that KAUTEX Headquarters in Troy chose QFAD/Heroes as a recipient of it's first in-house donation program. KAUTEX employees donated 37 books to the "Royal Tuck In" program and $20 cash. A special thanks to KAUTEX employees Karly Bialkowski and Hillary Brady that put in so much time and energy into the project! Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-July 13, 2008 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD/Heroes Detroit Founder Five QFAD/Heroes volunteers shared time with some very special children at Beaumont Hospital for our third "Royal Tuck In" program. Each child was tucked in with a new fleece or crocheted blanket and new stuffed animal friend. A story was read and donated to each child along with a glow bracelet to act as a kind of nightlight for the night. A special guest, Officer Candy joined us from the Detroit Police Dept. and she visited with the kids and presented them with their very own police badges. After noticing how tired and depleted the mothers were on our last visit, a box of goodies were donated so that we could create special pampering bags with makeup, brushes, etc. Each mom we saw received a goodie bag.* We saw fewer kids than normal, around 10 (ages 17 months - 16 ), but had a wonderful time, all the same. * The Child Life Coordinator, JoAnn Young is THRILLED with our organization and especially this program. We discussed the possibility of adding a element to it for the Moms, a 10 or 15 minute makeover/BREAK where we would visit with their child while they went to the "break room" for a mini massage, makeup, manicure, hair, OR something like that. We would serve cookies and coffee as well. The idea is that the moms need a break in order to remain healthy and strong minded for their kids and having us there while they are gone relieves the guilt factor of actually leaving them. This would mean more volunteerism on our end as we'd need lots more people but that wouldn't be a problem. Stay Tuned. QFAD Visit to Camp Quality, Camp Coneconic in Fenton, July 10, 2008 By Beth Monicatti Blank-QFAD Fenton Camp Quality Coordinator Camp Quality www.campqualitymi.org is a summer camping experience and year-round support program for children with cancer. "Round Up" western style was the theme. At the camp for the week were 58 kids ages 5-18. Participating were 29 girls and 29 boys--all in need of a camp experience. Queen for a Day/Heroes was asked to assist in the preparations before the big dance, held the last night. Thanks to all 31 volunteers. Congrats to Ruth and all the girls from Excel that had to use way too much colored hairspray on the boys, Dena and the "boys" for their creative insights into cookie decorating, Patty, Karen and Julia for their patience with the colored sand, and all the makeup and nail artists that had to get creative with color when asked by all the boys for makeup and nail polish (I hope this isn't a huge trend). Linda (and Candy) from Faces in the Air were so wonderful to volunteer their time for the air brush tattoos. We couldn't have done it without each other. Thanks for spending your valuable time with me! St. John Hospital Visit-June 17, 2008 By Jennifer Groomes-St. John Hospital Chairperson At St. John's we had 5 boys and 3 girls visit us in the playroom. My volunteers Pearl Lamia, Oakland County Sheriff Deputy Yassir Zora and I were very busy, but had a great time! The Deputy had a blast visiting the rooms with the boys--Sandy and I were so impressed with the way he could get the boys to talk and really engage them in good conversation. Sandy and I visited the rooms of some of the really tiny babies and gave their parents stuffed animals as little presents from QFAD/Heroes. "Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-June 16, 2008 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD Detroit Founder On Monday, June 16th, five volunteers from Queen & Hero for a Day shared time with 25 special boys and girls at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak Michigan. This was the second date of our Royal Tuck-In Service which has received rave reviews from their Child Life Specialist. We tucked each child in with a new donated blankie, let them choose a new stuffed animal and read them a bedtime story which they got to keep. To keep them brave during the night we put a glow bracelet on each child. Children's Hospital Visit – June 16, 2008 By Nikki Follis-QFAD Children's Hospital of Michigan Coordinator We had a great time at Children's Hospital on Monday, June 16th. We were honored to welcome back Officers Angela Rudolph and Wendy Flanagan from the Detroit Police Department, as well as Carie Deaton. We also were honored with newcomer Lieutenant Gerod Funderburg from the Detroit Fire Department at this visit. Angela, Wendy, Gerod and Carie took care of the crafts with the children on Monday. Carie and Angela also helped a couple of the girls with tattoos, makeup, and nail painting. The kids were very outgoing and it seemed there was plenty of laughter throughout our visit. We had only 7 children attend our function this week and one room visit. Though this is a low number for our Children’s Hospital visits, we would like to think it is because we have many healthy children that simply were not in the hospital that day. The day started off slow, but before we knew it, we had a room full of children putting together crafts and having plenty of fun. This was a magnificent visit and it appeared that everyone enjoyed themselves. Thank you to those who helped this week – Angela, Carie, Gerod and Wendy! Your effort is genuinely appreciated. Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital- June 2008 Debbie Hormel, Queen For a Day/Heroes Beaumont Chairperson Summer arrived in the Garden Room as the Queen For a Day/Heroes event set-up. We had yummy summer cupcakes to decorate with marshmallow flower pedals and sprinkles that looked like sunshine. Our 4 little queens had no problem deciding how to decorate their "flowers" and even made a few more for their family and friends. We had 2 precious little ones who couldn't join us, so we filled goodie bags with toys, books, tiaras, and other treasures that were delivered to their room. We were surprised and thrilled to hear that Maddy, who was a previous Princess was "in house", but were disappointed that she wasn't able to join us. Just as we were planning a visit to her room, she was wheeled in. You would have thought that a rock star had entered the room. She presented us with a lovely thank you card that she had made for Queen For a Day/Heroes. Jeremy, from our Heroes program, had sent a package to her with building supplies and she proudly showed us pictures of the craft she had made! Thanks Jeremy for sending that kit and the lovely certificate you had made for her. A big thanks to Lauren, Diane and Catie who helped out with the crafts, photos, make-up and visits to the kids. These wonderful events wouldn't be possible without your sacrificial giving and love for these little ones! Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital- May 6, 2008 By Debbie Hormel, QFAD/Heroes Beaumont Chairperson With sun streaming thru the glass roof of the Garden Room, our QFAD event was bathed in sunshine! We had 4 lovely queens and 2 little heroes come to the party where we made Mothers Day cards, decorated door hangers and helped design some hallway decorations for an upcoming Beaumont celebration. Our Child Life specialist, Karen, provided us with foam flowers and letters so that the queens and heroes could write out a wish that would be posted around the hospital. We had wishes for a puppy, for never having surgery again, for sunshine everyday and one little brother wished for “1,000,000,000 wishes”. If you are visiting Royal Oak Beaumont over the next week, look for all of our beautiful “wish flowers”. We had several teen girls, one who had just celebrated her 16th birthday, enjoy awesome manicures and make-up. Tattoos were a hit with the boys and everyone loved having their official QFAD/Heroes photo taken. We presented tiaras, boas, fireman hats and badges to everyone who came. The biggest hit was the treasure boxes where the kids get to pick out several gifts to put into their goodie bags. Karen and Debbie were able to do a room visit with Maurice, who we’ve had the privilege of having at 3 previous events. He loved the hat, sunglasses and tattoos. Check out his pose! Pearl was able to do a bedside manicure with a darling 5 year old, Officer Alicia Smith brought her an “official” badge, and Debbie presented her with a tiara, boa and a beautiful Polaroid picture. A big thank you to Officers Valerie and Alicia both from the Detroit Police Department, and to Megan Lintner and Pearl Lamia also new to Beaumont. Volunteer Karen Blaszyk was Debbie’s right hand on this visit! "Royal Tuck-In" Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak-April 28, 2008 By Dena Raminick-Beaumont Hospital Royal Oak, Tuck-In Coordinator and QFAD Detroit Founder Tonight's Royal Tuck In program was a huge success. Kim (Detroit Police Officer!), Fay and a new volunteer Susan (did amazing!!!) joined me at Beaumont where we spent two hours visiting children in their rooms. We saw around twenty kids ages 8 mos to 20 yrs old. We tucked each child in with their own cozy blankets and let them pick out a stuffed animal. We then tucked our queen or hero in for the night and read them an age-appropriate story and gave them each a bookmark made by my son's school class. In some cases we spent time talking with the parents who were in desperate need of adult conversation. In all, everyone did a fantastic job. Starting this summer, Joann, the child-life specialist at Beaumont, would like us to come back on a monthly basis. St. John Hospital Visit-April 15, 2008 By Jennifer Groomes-St. John Hospital Chairperson Volunteers: Officer Flannagan Officer Greer Marianne Medish Sherry Duquet & her neighbor Amy Jennifer Groomes Our visit had many teens and only a few under 12. We had 3 girls in the playroom that we did makeup and crafts with. Only two boys were able to do crafts with us in the playroom. We did room visits for 5 girls and 4 boys – those kids were delighted that we were there!!! Everyone one of the kids were so happy to get badges from our Police Officers – that was really cool! We also walked around with our coordinator and passed out a beanie to all the little one’s who were to young to visit with us (about 11 infants/babies). Many, many thanks to the volunteers that helped that day – I appreciate everything that you do for us! I’d like to note that we have a true Hero in our group – Officer Jeremy James. With his help, he’s really taken our Chapter the next level with the Hero’s program. Thank you for continued dedication to Queen for a Day and Heroes! Ann Arbor Mott Hospital Visit-April 8, 2008 By Jeremy James-QFAD/HERO Mott Hospital Co-Chairperson Busy little bees flew around the room at Mott Hospital Pediatric Cancer Center! Queen for a Day’s Heroes hosted a party where dozens of children decorated door hangers, crowns, picture frames and foam scepters. One teen-queen, Taylor, was generous enough to decorate personalized door hangers for the volunteers. The gift was truly appreciated and touching…thank you, Taylor. Most of our little queens, heroes and their siblings, approximately 30 in all, were age six and under, which always brings about entertaining questions like “Can I play with your baton?” (I’m a Detroit Police Officer) Of course, the gear stayed on the Batman belt, but it’s amazing to see them approach us fearlessly and strike up casual conversation. We took several Polaroid pictures of the children as their personal keepsakes, usually accompanied by their decorated picture frame. The staff at Mott Hospital was amazing! Big kudos’ goes out to Jessica Doletzky, Child Care Specialist, who showed us around and assisted with crowd control! Due to the limited space at the Cancer Center, only two QFAD/Hero volunteers were allowed to participate in the event, which included Sgt. Jeremy James and Police Officer Stacy Cavin, both of the Detroit Police Department. QFAD/Heroes and Gilda’s Club Fashion Show-April 5, 2008 By Nikki Follis-Fashion Show Chairperson Fun was to be had by all at the First Annual Spring Fashion Show held at Gilda’s Club on April 5. QFAD had 25 amazing volunteers to assist with the event that day. What a fantastic job everyone did in keeping the event running smoothly and successfully. For 24 girls, the day began with time spent at either Excel Academies of Cosmetology or Gilda’s Club’s personal salon made possible by Excel as well as Ruth Bellamo. The Excel students took the time to provide hair, makeup, and nail services to all of the girls involved ensuring that they would look their absolute best for the event. The next step was to the dressing room where they were able to change into both their casual and formal outfits provided by Macy’s. Macy’s provided personal shoppers for each of the girls giving the girls a celebrity shopping experience. Each girl had two outfits that fit their personality to a tee. There were some fantastic spring colors….yellow, orange, green, etc. Onto the photographers next for the girls. We had five photographers on hand for the event. Cristine’s Camera, Aly Darin Photography, McConnell Photography, Jody Andrews and Jenny Elliott were all there documenting the event taking glamour shots of the girls (which will be provided to each girl free of charge) and getting an overall aspect of the events that occurred that day. 24 girls made their way down the runway modeling both their casual and formal attire. They were absolutely stunning. Each one of these girls looked as if they had been modeling their entire life! Smiles, tears and cheers filled the room. It is amazing to look into the audience and see each person sitting there with a colossal smile on their face. This event was not only for the girls, but for their friends families as well! We had an amazing turnout with over 150 people in attendance. A large number of the girls have already been in contact asking when the next fashion show event will be! They are looking forward to being a part of our Second Annual Spring Fashion Show in 2009! Royal Oak Beaumont Visit-March 2008 By Debbie Hormel-QFAD Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson Spring is in the air…well at least it was during our visit to the Garden Room at Beaumont! We celebrated spring with our little queens and heroes by decorating homemade cupcakes with spring colors and decorating door hangers with spring colored jewels and stickers. We always encourage our guests and volunteers to use this time to make new friends and we certainly had fun doing that around our craft tables. Picture time was especially fun as our heroes all decided to be pirates and to strike a pirate pose---Arrrrr matey! Thank you Catie, Carmen, Karen and Patty for making this such a memorable time for our 4 heroes & 4 queens in the Garden Room, and for the great bedside visit to our little 5 year old princess. St John Hospital Visit-January 21, 2008 By Jennifer Groomes-QFAD St John Hospital Chairperson On January 21, the volunteers of Queen for a Day & Heroes visited the children at St. John Hospital We saw 5 girls and 6 boys. We did lots of make-up in the playroom and all of our room visits were to boys, including a special visit with Devon by Detroit Police Sgt. Jeremy James, who is our new chairperson for the Hero program.Our crafters enjoyed decorating picture frames, door hangers, which were very popular, and small foam crowns that the girls loved. Our little ladies had beautiful makeup and nails when our volunteers were done. Our next visit will be March 17 and will feature special St. Patrick's Day crafts. Daisy Scouts Donation-February 2008 By Esther Skiba, QFAD Director I was recently invited to a meeting of the Daisy Girl Scouts from South River Elementary school in Harrison Township. This group of 19 kindergarten scouts choose Queen for a Day as their community service project in December. The girls were given our "Wish List" and they purchased items from the list to donate for our program. This project earned them their: Considerate & Kind petal for their smock. A great big thank you to the girls and their troop leader, Kristen Osiwala Royal Oak Beaumont Visit-February 5, 2008 By Debbie Hormel-QFAD Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson Valentines Day came early in the Garden Room at Beaumont! Queen for a Day hosted a “tea party” where the children/teens made Valentine cards, frosted and decorated heart shaped cookies and enjoyed a little pampering. We had 5 queens enjoy the make-up application, manicures, tiaras and a pink boa, and 3 heroes who picked out tattoos, fireman hats and badges. The kids were really creative with the cards and one teen made her mother a beautiful keepsake card, complete with a Polaroid picture from QFAD. Of course the cookies were a hit with the kids, and the parents who came as well! We were really happy to see our friend Madison come back to join us for our party. And can she ever multi-task: she was decorating cookies while chatting on her cell phone. Go Madison! Debbie Hormel was joined by volunteers Diane Bowles, Karen Blaszyk, and Catie Hormel who helped make this such a wonderful event. Private QFAD Visit-January 4, 2008 By Kelli and Elizabeth Yager We celebrated Christine Wall's day 100, post-BMT with a party fit for a QUEEN! Christine, her two sisters and 10 of their closest friends enjoyed a night of food, crafts and QFAD makeovers. The girls had so much fun getting made-up and having their hair done. The highlight of the evening was gathering all of the Queens with their boas and tiaras for a group picture. Thank you to Mary and Carol for helping to make this evening go so smoothly. Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Wall for allowing us to help celebrate Christine's special day. Royal Oak Beaumont Visit-January 15, 2008 By Debbie Hormel-QFAD Royal Oak Beaumont Chairperson We had a wonderful visit at the pediatric oncology unit not only making friends with new volunteers, but meeting new queens and heroes that came to our “tea party”. Diane Bowles, a student at Oakland University, joined our group today to learn more about our fabulous Detroit Queen For a Day chapter and to start volunteering with us as part of her communications internship. Catie Hormel, who is also participating in this internship program and has been a very active volunteer with QFAD, spoke to her O.U. class about QFAD and what we do for the children at Beaumont. Go Catie! Shannon Debono was also new to our group today. We had the privilege of meeting several young ladies who were treated to the works! Make-up, nails, photos, tiara’s, boas, crafts, and lots of laughing were part of today’s wonderful event. In addition, goodie bags were made up and delivered to 4 little queens. We get to meet such wonderful queens and heroes on each visit we can’t wait to go back again! Thanks to my wonderful volunteers who made this party so much fun: Catie Hormel, Diane Bowles, Cindi Shahly, Shannon Debono. Brownie Girl Scouts Help QFAD-January 2008 By Esther Skiba, QFAD Director Just before Christmas I was contacted by Laura Kettlehut, a Brownie Scout leader, and she told me her troop of 25 girls, from South River Elementary School, in Harrison Township, had chosen our Queen for a Day chapter as their community service project. They had a giving tree, where the girls and their families could choose an item from our wish list and purchase it. The items were collected during their Christmas party in December. I was invited to attend the January 8, troop meeting where the 2 large boxes of items where presented to me for our girls. This project was part of 4 separate activities that the girls had to do to earn one of their badges. How wonderful that they picked our kids to benefit from their hard work and compassion. I presented each of the girls and their leaders with a small rhinestone tiara pin to remind them of the girls they helped. Thank you to each of these special young ladies for the donations and to the leaders for teaching the importance of giving to their communities. QFAD Visit with Breanna Strange-January 2008 By Dena Raminick, QFAD Detroit Chapter Founder December 30th, Dena Raminick and Tina Gallardo met up with Miss Michigan 2008 (Elisabeth Crawford) and Miss Teen Michigan 2008 (Liz Hawthorne) at Motts Childrens Hospital to visit a very special litle girl, Breanna Strange. Breanna, who is 6, suffers a debilitating disease called Dystonia in which her nervous system is literally attacked leaving her body in painful spasms. She is unable to walk and has limited use of her hands. She was in the hospital to have her body literally broken and realigned to alleviate the constant pain she was in. We were certain we would find a sad and very sick little girl but what we found was a true princess. While she lay in her hospital bed in a full body cast, you would never have known the pain she suffered. She had huge smiles for all of us and was completely overwhelmed by the fun we brought and the real-live princesses we brought to her room (Elisabeth & Liz). We had a pretend tea party, painted her na ils, put a butterfly tattoo on her hand, decorated her room in boas, read her a Snoopy story,gave her many gifts and of course, crowned her Queen for a Day, which she really loved. We transformed her into a princess bringing her outside of her illness for just a few hours -- it truly personified the message of Queen for a Day! What amazed me most about little Breanna was how thankful she was. With all she has been through in her young age, she was so grateful for our visit and thanked us over and over in her tiny little voice. I know none of us will ever forget her and feel so lucky to have met her.