Lin Crowley: Make-A-Wish private parade meant everything to our grandson

To The Daily Sun,

During the weekend of March 21, Make-A-Wish provided a magical respite for our family. Our grandson, Ollie, who has been battling cancer since January of 2019, rode with his parents and sister in Captain Chad’s fire engine with sirens wailing and lights flashing. The destination was a private parade, organized by Stephens Landscaping Professionals of police vehicles, fire engines, dump trucks, a front loader, and numerous cars and trucks. Many thanks to them for putting their own vehicles in the parade and organizing many of the others.

Thank you, Laconia Harley-Davidson in Meredith for the use of your store parking lot for this event. Our deep gratitude to the men and women who gave their days off to participate.

Make-A-Wish is an incredible organization that has filled our hearts with their overwhelming compassion, love, and generosity. There are no words to sufficiently express our gratitude to Julie, Chip, Nikki, and their team of volunteers. Lyons' Den Restaurant & Tavern, T-Bones, Fratello’s, and the Common Man filled our home with delicious meals — soup to nuts. The tulips, the toys, the Mickey Mouse and Peppa Pig decorations (created by Gator Designs), the Mickey Mouse cupcakes (thank you Kellie Klock) and sweet treats, the house cleaning, the ball pit, the photographer, the ride in the police car — the list goes on and on — thank you, thank you. Ollie loved seeing the display of flags planted on our lawn by community Veterans. Our appreciation to Atlas fireworks and to our neighbors for lining the parade route and for their gifts and well wishes. There are many names we don’t know but we thank you all.

We are amazed and grateful for the abundance of love and generosity of so many good people in this organization and community who buoyed our family’s spirits during this incredibly difficult time.

Lin Crowley

Meredith