I received a great e-mail today from my friend Joanne. She was the one who told me all about Shannon and Matt and their kids Oliver and Waverly and San Filippo Syndrome. I am so happy that this wonderful family is closer to helping other families who are dealing with this syndrome.
Hi Drew, I just wanted to thank you for posting the Pepsi Refresh voting for Team Sanfilippo idea your blog. It seems to have made a difference! Thanks to your readers who voted! The grant idea was the #1 voted idea on the site for a $250,000 health prize. Pepsi now checks the validity of the grant, then announces the official recipients on Feb 23. It was very close towards the end, but we managed to pull it through.
My friends Matt and Shannon are on a Make A Wish trip in Disneyworld right now with Waverly and Oliver, and Shannon has campaigned non stop the whole time they’ve been there. Now she can relax and enjoy her time there with her family knowing that money is going to important research to one day help others with children with San Filippo Syndrome.
http://www.refresheverything.com/finalists
Thanks again!
Joanne
It’s a small world… my sister knows Waverly and Oliver (she went to their church), and due to the daily prompting of another facebook friend I too was able to vote for that project every. single. day. It feels good to know a company like that will be able to share their wealth to make a difference in the lives of those children and others with the same syndrome.
Alli,
It certainly is a small world, wow to say the least. I’m so glad that they are in that level of the running. That is amazing.