Paying it Forward

This was the letter that we included with the boys' birthday party invitations in December 2011. Thanks to the generosity of family and friends, the boys raised $1090 for Camp Southern Ground! We are SO very proud of them, and so grateful to everyone who made a donation in their honor!
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Dear Family and Friends,

Andy and I wanted to take a moment to thank each and every one of you for all of the love and support that we have received these last few months. It has been an extremely challenging, but completely worthwhile time for our family, and we could NOT have done it alone. Aidan’s progress in the Brain Balance Program has been nothing short of a miracle for our entire family, and we are so very grateful.

So many people have helped us in so many ways, and we would like to do something as a family to pay it forward. Have you heard about Camp Southern Ground? The camp is the passion project of Zac Brown, and when it is completed, will be a fantastic (and totally “green”) summer camp for both children with special needs and their typical peers, located right here in Georgia.

“Camp Southern Ground will be a place for children to come to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and, of course, to have fun. But first and foremost, it will be a place for them to grow into better health through an advanced program involving superior nutrition, physical exercise, and the latest practices in therapy—all administered by a knowledgeable and attentive staff.” ~ CSG Website


Between birthdays and Christmas, the month of December brings our boys lots of gifts, which we appreciate very much. But we would like to do something a little bit different this year. In lieu of birthday gifts for Aidan and Aeson, we would like to ask each of you to consider making a small donation to Camp Southern Ground, in the boys’ names. We talked this over with the boys, and they really liked the idea (and they know they will still get presents from their parents and grandparents, of course!) Andy and I thought that it was never too early to teach our children the importance of charity and helping others, especially in light of all of the help that we have received recently. We have planned a very special party to celebrate our boys, and we would love to see everyone there. We also hope that each of you will join us in support of Camp Southern Ground.

Donations can be made online at Camp Southern Ground's website. Click on the green “donate” button on the top right. Please add the boys’ names or ‘Pence Family’ to the comment line on the donation form, or the memo line of a check. We will also have an envelope at the party to collect checks, if you prefer to make a donation that way. Camp Southern Ground is a non-profit organization, so your deductions are tax-deductible. Thank you in advance for your support, and we hope to see everyone at the birthday party!

Much love,
Allie & Andy
12/01/11
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We did this again in 2012, this time with a Pirate-themed shindig for Aidan & Aeson! We had great fun making homemade "treasure map" invitations, and the boys asked their friends to bring a bag of change (in lieu of gifts) to help fill our Dream Jar for Camp Southern Ground! Aidan & Aeson, together with friends and family, raised over $500 for Camp Southern Ground...:)



A great time was had by all! AAARRGGHHH!!


Much love,
Allie & Andy
12/01/12

Please check out the video below, visit their website, and join us in support of Camp Southern Ground.