Up for bid is the most amazing, hand made candy wreath! Did you say CANDY??? Program Alumni, Hunter Ellis and his mother Kari, constructed this beautiful candy wreath in an effort to give a child, or an adult, a wonderful taste of something special every day for a year! Complete with butterscotch, jolly ranchers and tootsie rolls, this wreath is made to hang on an office door, a playroom door or simply the door to the outside, so you can cut off a piece to munch on when you are leaving the house! We thank Hunter and Kari for their hard work as we know it will bring bids galore!

A Message from Hunter and Kari:

Hunter and I are super excited to virtually attend the Gala tonight! Last night I showed him the FB post with the candy wreath, and he immediately started talking about how much he enjoyed making it. He had it down to a rhythm. Pick up a piece of candy, tie the ribbon on to the candy, tie the candy to the wreath frame, curl the ribbon, slide over the candy to the last piece, so it's snug - and repeat (many, many times!). He would listen to music or watch a show while he was working on it. And our dog, Jazy, (a rescue, described as having a black belt in snuggling, but Hunter changed to a "pink belt, since she's a girl) would be next to him, keeping him company.

Once again, I am so, so thankful for being connected to Olivia's House. As most people in the area, I did not even know such an organization existed until a few months after Bert was diagnosed with cancer. The treatments were not fully eliminating the cancer and surgery was not an option. The oncologist told him to "get his affairs in order." Hunter was 10 years old. Now, any opportunity I get, I share about the amazing program at Olivia's House - from the symbolic rock that Hunter painted, to the inspiration to have our annual lasagna dinner on the anniversary of Bert's death, and the fact that the support continues years after going through the program.

Despite the pandemic and how it's affecting everyone, I truly hope that someone will be able to spend an enormous amount of money to purchase the candy wreath to help Olivia's House continue to do their remarkable work. Becoming a widow and a single parent at the age of 44 was truly the most difficult part of my life. But with the guidance and wisdom we learned during Hearts Can Heal, Hunter and I are able to face each day with grace, continue to remember Bert, and make good choices when moving forward in life.