Final Wishes for Katie

As I'm sure many of you already know, Katie Johnson ended her battle with cancer earlier this week. Some changes have been made to the ForKatie.org website due to her passing and now considerations for final arrangements need to be addressed. Staff at ForKatie.org have posted an update to 501st members and also at the CR forums here and have asked that we share them with anyone who may like to send condolences or donations, so here is a reposting.

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Hey everyone, we at ForKatie.org sent this email to the 501st group and thought it might be put to use here too. Please visit the site and check out these new updates to honor Katie....

To say we are saddened by this news is a tremendous understatement. Our hearts go out to Albin, Kathy, Allie, and the rest of the family.

In light of these events and in honor of Katie, we have made some changes to the site. Please take the time to look over them all.

DONATIONS TO FAMILY

With the loss of Katie, donations are now being accepted to help the family
elieviate expenses for final arangements. If you would like to make a donation to Katie's family go to the site and click the appropriate link.


SUBMIT PHOTOS & MESSAGES

The new guestbook will remain open until October 9th for you to share your condolences and memories with Katie's family. Entries in this special guestbook will be hardbound and presented to Katie's family as a reminder of the difference she made in all of our lives. Send any photo you like, with you or your family holding notes of love and support and anything else you deem appropriate. They will be kept private until released to the family in the book. The text guestbook text however will be available for all to read now.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

If you wish to donate and make a difference in another child's fight, we
strongly suggest making a memorial donation in Katie Johnson's name to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Make A Wish can send a card or e-mail on their behalf, to the family recognizing your gift. See details on our site.


Thank you all for your time,
Jay Thompson
Matt Myers

www.forkatie.org

www.heartofanempire.com

I think maybe we could chip in a little bit, even if it's 5 bucks each, and paypal it in the name of the Emerald City Empire Greenville Fan Force.

Sounds good to me.

Just to clarify, do you want to send a donation directly to the family or make a donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Katie's name? Either sounds good to me.

probabaly to the family, I'm not sure.

Kathy (Albin's wife and Katie's step-mom) has asked that donations be made to Make-A-Wish foundation. Also, they are looking into doing a park bench in Katie's honor at her favorite park.

I had the pleasure of seeing Katie again this past Saturday. I had met her the first time a couple of years ago at StellarCon and even though her appearance had changed, you could still see the fire in her eyes as all kids have, she was truely a fighter. Katie was and is very special, and will always be remembered. I was lucky to say my goodbyes and hug her neck this past Saturday, but we are all lucky in knowing that she is in a much better place.

Kiss someone you love, hug someone you care about, and just be there.

Kevin H.

If anybody would like to contribute to a group donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Katie's memory, PM or email me with the amount you would like to donate - no amount is too big or too small. At the end of the week (Aug. 20th), I'll send a check for the total amount along with the donation form from their website in honor of Katie from the ECE. Settling up with me can happen later at a meeting. I would just like to go ahead and get this done while it is fresh in our minds.

I cannot imagine dealing with the loss of a child. While Katie's personal fight was nothing less than miraculous, the joy that her parents continued to bring to her life despite the personal heartbreak they were likely dealing with, speaks volumes about their selflessness and their love for their children.