Dear Mommy's Light Community,

Mommy's Light has just begun our yearlong 10th Anniversary Celebration - A Decade of Traditions! As part of this celebration, you will receive an email from us on the 10th of each month. You'll get to learn more about how each staff member, Volunteers of the Year and our Board Chairman became involved with Mommy's Light and what they love about working with the organization.

Ten years ago, my dear friend Mary Murphy was being treated for cervical cancer. When she finished her last round of chemotherapy, we celebrated at Bravo Bistro in Radnor. Unfortunately, Mary's cancer continued to spread. She, however, continued to celebrate all she could with her son, family and friends. On September 6, 1997, as Mary watched Princes William and Harry walk behind their mother's casket, she wondered who would help them keep her spirit alive. Mary turned to her son and asked him what they did together that he wanted to keep doing even if she died. In that moment, Mommy's Light was born.

A few days later, Mary and I sat at my dining room table with a $35 book entitled, "How to Start a Nonprofit." The ensuing months were challenging for Mary, her son and all who loved them, but Mary found the time and energy to preside over Mommy’s Light’s first board of director’s meeting as Chairman. Sadly, it would be her last.

Not a day goes by that I don't remember and thank Mary for her loving friendship and for founding and guiding Mommy's Light. The three moments that I have missed her most are:

• When her son came to our 1st Annual Golf Classic - looking so much like Mary and being so grown up.
• When The Hankin Group put the Mommy's Light logo outside of our new offices - Mary would have loved our angel logo and its new home.
• When I talked with Princes William and Harry's private secretary about how Mommy's Light got started - this was her story to tell.

My family and I have been incredibly blessed to be part of Mommy's Light's first 10 years. We are so very proud of the organization and everyone who has contributed to making Mommy's Light shine so brightly. My prayer for the next 10 years is that we find ways to make Mommy's Light’s services available to the more than 626,000 maternally bereaved children, teens and their families living in the United States.

I invite each of you to consider becoming, or inviting your friends/businesses to become, a 10th Anniversary Sponsor. These Sponsors will be recognized throughout the year. There are 3 ways to participate:

• Gold Pledge - $10,000 to be paid in full by May 31, 2008.
• Silver Pledge - $10,000 to be paid in two equal installments of $5,000 each (due dates: May 31, 2008 and May 31, 2009).
• Bronze Pledge - $10,000 to be paid in four equal installments of $2,500 each (due dates: May 31, 2008; May 31, 2009; May 31, 2010 and May 31, 2011).

Please contact me at 610-725-9790 or laura@mommyslight.org if you’d like to help celebrate our anniversary with one of these special gifts.

Thank you to our current Gold Sponsors:

· Mommy’s Light’s Board of Directors

· The Comcast Foundation

· The Philadelphia Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation

· AstraZeneca

· MC3

· The Hankin Group

· Main Line Today Magazine

· Michael and Lynn Doyle

· Fischer Cunnane & Associates Ltd.

· SmartPark – challenge match sponsorship

· In Memory of Mary Murphy by the Munts Family- challenge match sponsorship