Ac-CEN-tu-ate the positive

OK, I just re-read my last two entries and I say enough of the somber. Of course I miss Maggie and I will for the rest of my life, but even when the sadness overflows as it has been lately, I remain filled with great memories of an amazing young woman.

And her memory lives on! A few weeks ago I shared the "Remembering Maggie McDonald" team page for the UCSF Hardhat walk on September 6. Lots of folks have signed up to walk with us or just to donate in Maggie's memory. That means so much to us!

I have ordered these hats for anyone on Maggie's team who shows up to the walk and will adorn them with Maggie's picture (if I actually get that together).

If anyone wants to jump into the fun, here is the link  Maggie's hardhat walk team. Please feel free to join in. I can always order more hats. (they're plastic, so don't start planning your construction career around them)

In addition to the hard hat walk, so many people made donations after Maggie passed away that she is now on the list of donors who support the Family Resource Room at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. This room is for families of hospitalized children and they can just sit and have a cup of coffee, or use computers, fax and phone or get things they need that they may have forgotten from home. It was a great comfort to me throughout Maggie's hundreds of hospitalizations  The little plaque was just installed the other day and it made me cry just a little bit - in a good way - when I saw it. 

And just as I was finishing this post, I received a message from a former neighbor who reads this blog all the time. Seems her nine yer old daughter is ready for her first foray into the mall and wants to go to Stonestown, just like Maggie did. I'm not really sure Maggie can take credit for a young lady wanting to hit the mall, because it seems to be a developmental milestone, but I know Maggie was instrumental in that particular girl's choice, and that makes me happy. 

So despite my ongoing sadness, which will always be there, I have so many reasons to smile knowing Maggie is still working her magic and improving people's lives. 

She was something else. 

Give NOW before the 49ers eliminate the Seahawks!!!

The 49ers and the Seahawks have quite an intense rivalry on the football field. It's fairly new as rivalries go. Frankly we snotty San Francisco fans didn't really have the Seahawks on our radar but they have really come into their own in recent years. In fact, they actually had the nerve to beat the Niners early in the season. The 49ers responded with a win later in the season. This rivalry will be settled for this season on Sunday Afternoon then the two teams meet in the NFC Championship game.

Good natured rivalries are good things. People a little more pumped up and participants work just a little bit harder. Because of the good nature, everyone has fun too. Too often rivalries turn kind of nasty and then no one has fun. Sports fans assaulting those rooting for another team has become a real black eye for some sports rivalries. The 49er/Seahawks could have easily become that sort of thing, but because of a couple of decent and rabid football fans it is going in the opposite direction. It is a rivalry for good instead of evil.

The story starts with the Seahawks fan hiring an airplane to fly their 12th man banner over Candlestick Park during a game. It didn't sit right with some fans, but instead of getting nasty, they got creative. A 49er fan named Aasheesh Shravah decided to raise money to put up a billboard near the Seattle stadium showing all the Superbowl trophies. He needed to raise money to do that and received overwhelming support. He raised more than he needed and Shravah decided (with input from those 49er fans who made the donations) to donate the extra money to Seattle Children's Hospital. Win!

A Seattle fan named Christopher Hart responded in kind. He put up a website that will raise money for both Seattle Children's and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. Win win!  Now both an anonymous donor AND the San Francisco 49ers will match those donations to UCSF up to $100,000.  Win win win.

UCSF Benioff Childrens' hospital has a opportunity to raise three times the amount folks donate. That means  $300,000 if the overall donations reach the $100,000 mark. I don't have to tell you that $300K can buy a lot of medicine.

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital is Maggie's home turf. She has spent far too much time in that place, but I know that because of the care she has received there, Maggie is here today living life to the fullest. If I could match the funds as well, I would. But I can't. We just don't have that kind of money. Still I know If I donate $20 it becomes $60 and if I get 100 friends to do the same is becomes $6000. That's something. I hope some of you will come through.

This is where the problem comes in for 49er fans. We plan to win this weekend and to win big. The website  http://www.gofundme.com/12thspirit will stay up and raise money only as long as the Seahawks are in the playoffs. That means the time to donate is NOW because they should be out by Sunday afternoon!

Root for your team. Support a rivalry that is doing some good in the world. Let these guys know this is the type of sports rivalry where everyone wins. Help kids in two cities.

Don't wait until we eliminate the Seahawks. That will be too late Go to the site now and give a donation of whatever you can. If you want to do it in honor of Maggie, she would love it. 

http://www.gofundme.com/12thspirit

And, by the way Go Niners!

Also Kaepernicking is very difficult when you have cerebral palsy, but Maggie gave it her best. 

She will leave it to Colin. He knows what he's doing.