"Yes Virginia, (or Henry in this case) There Is A Santa" And, boy did he come eary this year!!!

What An AMAZING Day!!!!!

I prayed for the following things for Saturday:
1. please let the day be beautiful
2. watch over everyone, and keep them safe
3. let the spirit of the day be filled with kindness, generosity and patience
4. give stamina & strength to all the workers & volunteers
5. let there be enough food & drink for everyone
6. no blow-outs with the electricity
7.no fights, arguments, or disagreements, and no negativity of any kind
You know what? God answered every single one of my prayers!!!!!
(the most important prayer answered, Henry's life & his recovery!!!)

Thank you, number one to God,
and to all who came out to support Henry & his family!!!
(I think over 1200 people came)

To all the volunteers who helped out,
(to many of you to name!!!)

to everyone who donated money, food, raffle & auction items,
( don't know if I should give the exact amount of the money raised, so I will just say, it was a lot!)
can you believe we had food, pop & water left over?

to the bands & DJ for the great entertainment...

you all sounded great & did a fantastic job!!!!
(and they all performed for free!!!!)
REFUGE
DANA WILLIAMS
BRIAN BUTLER & FRIEND (sorry friend, I didn't get your name)
JOYFUL NOISE
SOUNDWAVE- DJ TOM McCALL

And a big THANK YOU to the friends of Henry, who started this benefit!!!
(Brian, Jamie, Mike, Troy, Mark & Todd)
& their wives, who did all the work!!! ha,ha,haaa
(Carrie, Marcie, Chris, Paula, & Carrie)-yes, there are two Carrie's, i didn't mess that up LOL!
-here's how they go together:
Brian & Marcie
Jamie & Paula
Mike & Carrie
Troy & Carrie
Todd & Chris
Mark & his dog Joe (Joe cleaned up after everyone! ha,ha,haaa)

And for Henry himself...thanks for skyping in throughout the day... it gave us all the lift we needed, to see your smiling face!!!!!!!!


THANKS!!!!!
-Brenda

Over the river and through I90 to Bonnie and Hanks we go...

Dan and I are leaving this afternoon to help do whatever we can. We know everyone has worked their tailends off and as time gets closer it is getting very emotional for everyone.

We are expecting a very large number people, so if you get stuck in a little traffic sit back and enjoy the scenery. Hopefully that will not be bad but if we have some hectic times, which is bound to happen, just remember this is for a good cause.

I was able to view Henry and Barb just a minute ago on the news, wsee.tv home page top news. Boy was that emotional!! I have emailed the station and hopefully we will have and be able to post the news clips on the website soon. Keep your fingers crossed.

Again Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to everyone that has helped and contributed to make all these wonderful things come true for Henry and our family. We can not ever express the gratitude and the deep emotion we have for everyone!

See you soon Dan Mechelle and Conall

News Clip

If anyone gets a link to the news clip from Wed evening news with Henry and Barb PLEASE post it or send to Dan or I. We would love to see it!

"A Brothers Love"

They say every picture tells a story...

Do you see what I see?

A Hero shines in his eyes.
You sense his heart growing bigger & bigger with all the
love it holds for his big brother.
You feel the connection (deeper than blood), that ties
these two together.

When the accident first happened, Dan & Mechelle were by Henry's
side for a week.
It was hard for them to go back to Ohio,
to their home, their jobs, their normal routine...
Because, nothing was normal anymore!!
Henry was all they could think about...
Will he be okay, will he walk again,
will he be the same Henry we know & love?????
I believe, YES is the answer to all these questions!!!!!
Thank you Dan & Mechelle,
for sharing your photos, stories,
your laughter & tears!!!

Love,
-Brenda

BFF's

(Brothers & Friends...Forever)

News Interview

There will be an interview of Henry and Barb on WICU 12 @ 5PM and WSEE 35 @ 6PM on Wednesday Aug 25th.

Benefit Directions

Here is a my attempt at directions for those that have asked.

For those traveling from the North or Erie:

Take either PA Route 97 or 8 South.

Both will take you to Main St. in Union City

For those traveling from either East or West:

US Route 6 will take you to Main St. in Union City

In Union City:

Main St will take you through the center of town.

The intersection of West High St and Main St is located downtown. There is a Rite Aid at this intersection.

1st Ave is the first right off of West High St.

Hope this helps.

See you there!!

Hello Everyone!

Well everyone has been sooo busy getting everything together for the Benefit not a whole lot of posts have gone up.

First we are very appreciative of all the help, Dan and I can not wait to get there and see all the progress. For the Benefit and Henry.

For those of you who can not make the Benefit we will be taking pictures and posting them on the website. For those of you on Facebook he will probably be doing mobile updates and uploads during the Benefit so make sure you are checking A Benefit for Henry Rafferty or Dan's Wall. We will also give some detailed updates about Henry. We know he is getting stronger everyday but we will be sure to get more details to share.

We look forward to seeing everyone and having a great time...Although I am told we are being put to work!!!

Benefit News

Just so you know...

Admission to the benefit is $10 for adults
**(including All volunteers, & family)
"No Freebies Here"
Ok, that's not true...
Children, ages 15yrs & younger, "Your A Freebie"!
(does NOT include any adult with the mindset of a 15yr old,
I tried it already, it didn't work...ha,ha,haaaa)

If you plan on donating items to the Chinese auction,
we are asking, if it's possible, to have those items turned in by
the night of Wednesday the 25th!
Contact the following people for info:
Brian-814-440-1528
Mark- 814-572-3771
Mike- 814-438-3501

Here are some of the things we will be raffling off as:

"Big Ticket Items"

1. Thomas Kincaid Print/ signed & numbered- valued at $800-$1000
2. Two Steeler Tickets (Pittsburg vs Carolina- Thursday, September 2nd/ 7:30pm...
seats are in the end zone opposite the ketchup bottle)
3. Wooden Bench, Table & Chair set/ made by Hank Rafferty- valued at $500
4. Hand Carved Cedar Lighthouse/ made by Hank Rafferty
5. Dulcimer (musical instrument)/ made by Terry Pattison- valued at $400
6. Wooden Intarsia Duck Pictures- valued at $250
7. Sterling 14k Neck Piece/ made by Carrie Magee/ valued at $200 or more
8. Tanning Basket/ by Sunspot Tanning- valued at $255
9. Framed Michael Budden Duck Print/ signed & numbered

***We are still needing helpers to work the benefit,
especially in the areas of:
Parking
Kitchen
Selling Admission Tickets at the Front Gate
(please make contact if you would like to help, so we can
put you on the schedule!!!)

Also, we are still accepting food, drinks, buns,and side dishes (pasta salad,
potatoe salad etc...)
someone will be at the Little League Fields the evening of ;
Friday the 27th from 3pm-7pm if you would like to drop off any food items.

Thank You!!!
-Brenda

A Nice 1st Anniversary

Thank you to all that made everything possible for Henry and Barbs 1st Anniversary. I spoke with Barb last night and they had a wonderful, emotional and well needed romantic time together.

Happy 1st Anniversary Henry & Barb!

"AT LAST, MY LOVE HAS COME ALONG"
---------------------------------------------

It may be a song title, but when it comes

to Henry & Barb....

No words have held more truth!!!!!

(take a look)

Get your News Here!! Get Your News Here!!

There seems to be alot of information but I am going to attempt to put it in some kind of order...hope you can follow me!!

Henry News

• As you know Henry is at a new Hospital and doing very well, his Aunt Marsha works there and has spread the word. Also his first nurse went to school with him. God is keeping him surrounded with loving people.
• Sunday August 15th is Barb and Henry's 1st Wedding Anniversary ! Although they are quite gracious of all the friends and family keeping Henry company, we would like to ask everyone to please please leave the hospital before 3pm no matter what Barb or Henry says they need some alone time. Thank you in advance.
• A Donation Account has been set up at Northwest Henry Rafferty Recovery Fund. Donations can be made at any location. Going forward for the benefit and Donation account if you could let anyone know checks are to be made out to the Henry Rafferty Recovery Fund, they can also be sent to Henry Rafferty Benefit PO Box 505 Union City, PA 16438

Benefit News

• We need workers PLEASE PLEASE. We need volunteers to sell tickets serve food work the auction etc. We are trying to schedule people in 1 hour increments. We are now expecting 1000+ people throughout the day!Please contact Bonnie, any of the contacts on the Benefit flyer below or send a comment to post and we can get you in touch with the right people
• There will be a gun raffle at the Benefit. The winner gets to choose 1 of 3 different guns(only 1 winner and choice of 1 gun). Each ticket is $5.00 and can be purchased at the benefit or in advance at Johnston's Nursery wholesale office on Wales Rd. The winner will get to choose from a Henry Goldenboy 22 long Rifle or a Remington 770 camo, stainless with scope(30-06), 270 or a Stoeger P350 camo,12gauge, 3.5in pump. The drawing will be at 8pm at the Benefit but the winner need not be present to win. **If anyone is interested not in the area please contact Dan or I and we will ensure you can purchase tickets
• There is also going to be a signed and numbered Thomas Kinkade print "Winter Wonderland" the value on this print is currently $800 to $1000! Information about Raffle tickets to come.
• There will be the following bands playing at the Benefit; Refuge, Dana Williams Band, and Joyful Noise(the band Henry belongs to at the church). In between bands we will also have DJ Soundwave Tom McCall.

Now an awesome story. Bonnie had a lady come in the wholesale nursery today. The lady was bringing in a poster for a Golf Scramble Benefit for her husband Gary Kane who died last year. Bonnie told the lady she would speak to John about it and see if the Nursery could sponsor a hole and get back to her. The lady said she also wanted to let them know that all proceeds were going to 2 people in the area in need, one is a little 2 yr old girl with cancer and the other Hank Rafferty. Bonnie at this point began to cry and said do you mean Henry Rafferty and she said Yes. By this time Bonnie was sobbing and she looked at the lady and said "That is my son".

So if anyone golfs or would like to sponsor a hole please call

Scenic Heights Golf Course 1-814-739-9700.

Sept 4th Golf Scramble Benefit for Gary Kane

4 man scramble $220 per team

Sponsor a hole for $60 or 1/2 hole $30

7830 Knoyles Rd Wattsburg, PA 16442

Henry has left the building....

Great News! Henry has moved to a new facility, Select Specialty Hospital. Select Specialty is a smaller hospital where he will begin the next phase off his recovery. The hospital is located at 252 West 11th St in Erie. Henry is in room 208, please sign in at the front desk before going up.

Barb has been taking good care of Henry and has seen his leg wound where all th skin grafts were done and says it looks great. His pelvis still has 3 to 4 more weeks of healing. He is starting baby steps with physical therapy to help rebuild his muscles.

All in All this is just miraculous how Henry survived and healing so well. Thank you to everyone for the constant support love and prayers. I hope to meet you all at the Benefit on the 28th.

I just wanted to share something Brenda had posted on her Facebook page! Thanks for being such a good friend and great supporter of Henry his family and friends




Henry Rafferty, a friend of mine who I work with at Johnston's, was hit by a car last week.
He sustained major injuries, and has a long, hard road ahead of him!
Some of you may know him from Union City School, others may know him from work.
He is known as the "Tree Man", or the "Tree Doctor", and others call him "Poncho" (as in the chief)
He is a landscape designer, who taught classes in the past, which I had the pleasure of attending. (and it was for free, he wouldn't take money from any of us at work who took the class )
He mainly works in the Wholesale office, but also helps us out at the Garden Center.
I swear, Henry knows every plant there is (and of course, by the latin name)!

Henry is, first & formost, a family man.
He has a lovely wife, (first year anniversary coming up!) and two beautiful children.
He is active in his church and the community, and is a very important part of the family buisness, you might have heard of it... Johnston's Evergreen Nursery.
He is also a talented guitar player, who has a wonderful singing voice.
He is a poet, an artist', and an all around good guy!
I have grown quite fond of this man, and his family, over the years!

Henry was at Sarah Reeds retirement home looking at a tree for a customer.
A woman lost control of her car, jumped a curb, and hit the tree, pinning Henry, and it to the building.
He will have to undergo many surgeries, and a long, and extensive recovery period.
As you can imagine, his family and friends are exhausted with worry!
Please keep the Rafferty's & Johnston's in your thoughts!
Please pray for Henry!

And also, this may sound absurd, but please pray for the woman who hit him.
From what I understand, the accident was caused by her being angry.
I don't think she did it on purpose, most likely she never even saw Henry. Her anger took over, she lost control, and devastation followed!
I guess if there is anything to be learned from this, it is:
It's ok to be angry, just don't let rage take over!!!!
It can ruin your life, and the lives of many others, a ripple effect of consequences.....

If you don't have is address, and you want to send cards of encouragement to Henry, mail them to the nursery.
His family will make sure he gets them.

Johnston't Evergreen Nursery
9865 Wales Rd.
Erie, Pa. 16510-5427

Love,
-Brenda

..........................................
"UPDATE" August 4th 2010

Henry playing guitar at a work picnic

I look forward to hearing you play again Henry!!!


Henry has had over 12 surgeries now,
on Monday, they took out the wound vacs from his leg & elbow.
(I think those were the tubes they had in for drainage)
His left leg & right elbow were the areas where his skin was de-gloved.
The skin grafts are all done, they took them from his right leg, and hopefully they all take!
He has a stablizing bar connected to his pelvis in the front, so he still can't sit up very much.
(I think his pelvis was broke in four places, and they had to screw plates in the back)
(can you imagine, not just the pain, but having to lay in one position for over a month?)

He still has room on his walls for more cards!!!! So, keep them coming please!
(he says he is not worthy of all the attention, but we know better!!)

His family & friends are having a benefit in his honor;

"Save The Date, August 28th"
go to this website for more details & ticket information.

Henry's Recovery: Benefit
landscaperrecovery.blogspot.com

Henry's brother Dan started this blog site to keep everyone updated on his progress.

Thank you all for your prayers, kindness & support!!
Love,
-Brenda

A Father's Love

The love of a father can be...

quiet, strong, determined and soft.

When his child is hurt, helpless and in pain...

the protector (like that of a bear) comes out to fight. Watch Out!!

Quiet no longer, his strength will carry you with an unyielding determination,

and the soft touch of his big heart will leave you shivering...

Love emerges & shines for all to see!

Let me show you what I mean with just two pictures:

Hank, carving at the Garden Center

This is the Angel Hank carved for his son.

She sits in Henry's room, watching over him.

2 Aug

Henry had another cleaning today that went great and they have removed all the wound vacs from his wounds. They also put his in a special chair and let his sit and look out the window for a while. I know he liked that.

The Benefit

I just wanted to take a minute and thank Brian, Mark, Mike, Troy, Todd, Jamie and their families for all the hard work they are doing for the benefit. They came up with the idea to host this benefit and are scrambling to make it happen.
I'm just the web advertiser and my wife Mechelle does most of that. Anyway, thanks to all of you and thanks for taking such good care of Henry.

1 August

Henry had a good weekend. It was really nice to be there for his best weekend yet. He looks so much better now and his mind is a lot sharper. Henry has never been much of a computer person but Mark and I have asked him to start thinking about using a computer more while he is recovering. We showed him all that has been posted and he is very thankful for all the support.
I look forward to seeing him again in a month, this weekend was too short.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry