Announcements/News

Dear FOA participants,

After three Light The Night seasons, I cannot say enough how much this group of women has impressed me. How amazing is it that an internet group of strangers throughout the entire country has done as well (and in some cases better!) than some major corporations. That is no small feat.

Many of you began this journey because of my beautiful blue-eyed little girl. I am sure that all of you stayed because of not just Allie, but the many children and families you have supported and learned about over the years. To me, Friends of Allie is not just about Allie Scott, but also about all the children and the need to find a cure to this terrible, deadly disease.

One thing that I think will be important in the future of this group is ultimately changing the name of FOA and removing Allie’s name. Please do not think I am saying this because I am pulling out my support. Here is my reasoning to saying this: in order to survive as a group and move forward in the future, you have to have new blood. You need new volunteers, new people inspired, and even new inspirations. That has started with the affiliate teams. Personally, if I was a parent with a sick child approached to be apart of a fundraising group called Friends of Allie and my child was Joey, I wouldn’t feel motivated to join. If the name was one that was general, I would feel more welcome, more a part of the venture and goal, and more likely to sign up as a volunteer. It will make team/affiliate team recruitment go smoother when the name reflects all children. When naming Heroes For Children, we went through this discussion. The history of HFC is always Allie and Taylor. They are our inspirations and always will be, but our name reflects all the children and families we serve. The history of FOA will always be that is was started because of that chubby blue-eyed angel. Nothing can change that.

The greatest thing we can do for Allie and for all the children we support is to continue with this mission. To have longevity and be a part of the CURE of this disease. This group will be apart of that if the right steps are in place, such as the right name for the group, I truly believe there is the potential for longevity.

It is difficult for me, given my current job and focus on HFC, to fundraise for LLS. Not because I do not feel they are worthy, but because I have to be careful of how much I ask the same people for money. I continue to feel that The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is extremely worthy of our support. Their mission and cause is important to me as I do hope that one day a cure will be found.

I am continuously honored to be apart of this group. Please do not take this as my “pulling out” of this group or pulling away Allie’s name from it. I feel it is the best decision for the group to thrive and continue and I fully support the decision.

With lots of love,
Jenny Scott

Team Name Change for 2007

We will be forever grateful to Jenny for sharing her sweet angel Allie with us and to Allie for inspiring us to make a difference. In an effort to honor the many children throughout the world battling blood cancers, Team Friends of Allie will be changing its name in 2007.

This is not an easy decision to come to because the FOA Team Leaders, like the entire team, are very attached to Allie and the Friends of Allie name. But with respect to the Scott family and Jenny’s encouragement and support, we realize it is necessary and will help cement and carry the team far into the future.

We would like your help in selecting the new name so that it adequately represents us. You are all part of the team so it is only fitting that you all have a voice in the new name. Your name ideas can be submitted to the team leaders at teamleaders@friendsofallie.org up until Monday, November 13.

At that point, the team leaders will review the suggested names taking into consideration things like exclusivity, domain name availability, etc. and select the top 5 names. These top 5 will be presented to the entire team to vote on. The name receiving the highest vote will be the name selected. There will still be a Friends of Allie affiliate team for anyone who feels strongly about keeping Allie’s name in your local team name.

Watch for more details as they become available. Thank you for your continued support and we look forward to seeing you all back in 2007!