Fond memories of family fundraiser

Five years ago today, a group of special people and friends held a fundraiser for my family at the Batavia Moose Lodge. It was called "Hanrahan's Hearts and Hands." The money raised helped pay many medical bills for our children.

The people involved in the planning of this unbelievable event and the people who came out to lend a hand are too many to name. I feel even naming one person would be unfair without naming the other thousands who attended and supported us. We also are very grateful to the Batavia Moose Lodge and its members for allowing this event to be held at their facility.

I wanted this letter to be in some small way a sign of just how grateful and how much it helped my family, held my family together and gave us hope. Even though that spaghetti dinner fundraiser was 5 years ago, it still continues to touch our family every single day. In our darkest hours, we hold on to the memories of that cold November day when our town, our community, our friends and families came out to be there for us. Without your love, support and prayers, I can only imagine the worst for my wife and three beautiful children.

God never gave me the ability to be a rich man but he gave me something I will eternally be grateful for.....a wonderful wife.....a great wife, three of the most beautiful children to ever grace this earth and people both family and friends who continue to stand by us in the most trying of times. They continue to do so as we have been faced with even more medical issues for all three children.

I hope someday I can repay my debt to all of you in some small way! And I do hope you'll always remember and know how much help you gave us, not only financially, but emotionally.

May God hold all of you in his heart and hands like he has done for my family.

Michael Hanrahan

Batavia