In 2004, as a very young new executive at Maricopa Medical Center, I convinced my CEO and the VP of the Foundation to create a charity black tie event to fund the womens and children's unit at the County Hospital.
Behind his smirk, he said "good luck, go for it. And I'll make you the co-chair"
Not knowing what I didn't know I convinced the Foundation to call it the CopBall and embraced the daunting task that proved to be one of the greatest challenges in my career to that date. I engaged every friend and family member to volunteer (hence my sister Tami who dressed as Lola the showgirl and Kim Miers to be responsible for the silent auction). My co-chair convinced Governor Janet Napolitano to be the honorary chair.
Our goal was to get $100,000 in donations. While that sounds easy, man did I hustle to get vendors to donate, sell tables and brought my family to attend.
At the silent auction this artwork was donated. I sat looking at it for days before when it was stored at my house. My dad kept saying how much the baby looked like MJM when she was small.
At the auction he got into a bidding war and finally won the opportunity to buy it for $1200. That was more money than I could even fathom at that time in my life. This, and other items my friends bid on pushed our total to $115,000 in donations. (Side note, this ball continued until Covid-19, profiting over a million dollars on the last one held).
After dad acquired the artwork, he turned his generosity and gifted it to me. My first real artwork has followed me and has had a prominent place in my home ever since.
In California it is immediately to the right when you walk in the front door. I walk past it several times a day . Sometimes blind to it, sometimes reflective of its meaning.
Today I walked by and felt like I saw a ghost. While this was a resemblance of MJD, dad and I knew that. Today I saw what it is. It is the face of ABCD. The miracle kid picked out by his ancestors who has been staring at me for years.
I love growing up and seeing the circle of life.
(And MJD I hear-by bequeath this to you when I'm gone)
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