Beauty Temptations hosted the raffle drawing to benefit Unite for the Cure! The raffle raised $933 through generous donations of family, friends, and community members. I was told that one gentleman drove 45 minutes to buy raffle tickets! Katie let Nicholas pick a couple of winners…Then her son, Grant, picked one…and her daughter, Gwendolyn, picked a couple, too…All the excitement tuckered Nicholas out so he cuddled with Grant on the couch while Katie called the winners.

Thank you to everyone who participated in this fundraiser and a special thanks to Katie Lewis…you are an amazing friend! We love you so much and appreciate everything you’ve done for us!

And then for their final fundraiser, the Gustafson’s gathered friends and family for a fun night of poker.

We raised $600 total and couldn’t be happier! It was a fun night for everyone. Thank you to all of the people who came out to support this worthy cause and a special thanks to my parents who let us host the event at their home.

When: Saturday, November 21st. Burgers @ 5:00pm. Poker starts at 6:00pm. BYOB.

Where: Nicholas’s Grandparent’s House
1607 32nd Street
Washougal, WA 98671

Cost: $20 per player. Half of the money will go directly to Unite for the Cure, and half to the winner.

Game: Texas Hold ‘Em No Limit Tournament. You can buy back into the game if you go out early, and winner takes all.

RSVP: If you’re interested in playing, please either call and let Jeff know, comment to our blog http://www.familywithgusto.blogspot.com, or send me a message on facebook.

We hope to see you all there!

Nicholas Gustafson

My sister-in-law, Jami and her husband, Kris are throwing a Halloween party on Saturday, October 31st. They are charging $5.00 admission per adult which provides food and beverages for the evening to all party-goers. People are encouraged to dress in costumes and come ready to have some fun! All of the proceeds from the party are going directly to Unite for the Cure.

“We are raffling off donated baskets from now until mid November at my good friend, Katie’s, local beauty salon called Beauty Tempataions. There are a variety of baskets: 1) The Twilight books 2) Metal Malisha sweatshirt/earrings 3) Tutoring services (offered by me) 4) cooking basket 5) wine and catering basket 6) photography basket 7) Scentsy basket 8) a beauty basket with a gift certificate for a pedicure & manicure 9) a movie basket with movie tickets. Tickets for the raffle cost $1.00 each and I am putting up fliers around town and my friend is doing the same.”

Way to go Gustafsons!

Our first fundraiser for Unite for the Cure was a complete success! Jenifer Johnston of Polka Dot Photography donated her time and talent and took photographs for nine families today. With Jenifer’s help and each family’s generous donation we raised $1,585 toward our goal! Jeff and I are so grateful to each an every one of you who participated in this fantastic event! Another big thanks goes out to Brienne, who was Jenifer’s assistant for the day. The two of them made a great team!

It was so fun to see so many wonderful families today at the event and I was thrilled to meet another family who recently joined Unite for the Cure, the McClays, who live a short distance from us. They have the cutest little girl, Kylie, who is seven-years-old with SMA type 2.

Thank you Jenifer, Brienne, the Rogers family, the Lewis family, the McClay family, the Howard family, the Purdin family, the Valencia family, the Curtis family & the Watson sisters for helping us with our very first fundraiser!

We are so excited that our first fundraiser was so successful! We also loved meeting the McClay family who came to get their family photos taken. It was a great event and we’re getting ready to plan our next fundraiser.

What a great fundraiser idea for Unite For The Cure!

On Sunday, September 13, 2009, the Gustafson family has organized a family photography fundraiser in the Vancouver, Washington area. Their talented friend, Jenifer Johnston of polkadot photography, has been taking Nicholas’ photos every three months since he was in utero and she is volunteering her time and talent to help the Gustafsons raise money for Unite for the Cure!

There are several 20 minute sessions available for small families or children and the session includes at least 10 edited images on CD with print release. Typically, this package retails for $375. But, for the Gustafson family’s Unite For The Cure event you decide what amount you donate for this amazing photography session. Keep in mind that all proceeds are tax deductible and 100% of the proceeds go to support a very promising SMA research cause that has the real potential to cure SMA.

Space is limited so email Jenifer Johnston at Jenifer@polkadotphotography.net to reserve your spot TODAY!

Why are the Gustafsons uniting for the cure?

Jeff and Jessica Gustafson were overjoyed to find out they were expecting their first child in the Fall of 2007. Several months later at a routine ultrasound, when they found out they were expecting a boy, they started planning a future full of the things they love to do as a family: boating, camping trips, riding at the sand dunes, and Jeff couldn’t wait to teach his little boy to shoot hoops. However, their dreams for their adorable son, Nicholas, were shattered when he was diagnosed with SMA in April 2009 at 10-months-old. The Gustafsons were crushed at the severity of Nicholas’ diagnosis. They mourned the loss of a lifetime of moments they would never get to experience with him. Before Nicholas’ diagnosis, they had never heard of SMA and neither had the people closest to them. They started a blog to keep their family and friends up-to-date on Nicholas’ battle with SMA: FamilyWithGusto.blogspot.com. Nicholas was diagnosed with SMA Type II, which means that, fortunately, his health has not yet started to decline. He has limited movement, but is a very happy, social, and intelligent little boy. He is the light of their lives and they are committed to finding a cure for their son and all children impacted by SMA. The Gustafsons have faith that by participating in Unite For The Cure their child will receive the treatment he needs to live a full, healthy life and that all the dreams they had for him before his diagnosis, might just come true.

We are honored that the Gustafsons have decided to Unite For The Cure and we can’t wait to share their “uniting” stories over the next few months.