Fill a Boat

Nancy Corliss began this event in September of 2013. She says, "My inspiration was my daughter in law, Trish Corliss, who was diagnosed with a rare type of Ovarian cancer at the age of 34 around three weeks after her first child, Gracie was born in February of 2012. She spent the first year of Gracie’s life having an ovary removed and all the terrible treatments to help her survive cancer, something a young new mother should not have to endure.

After that Trish started trying to Pay it Forward by establishing Team Joyful Hope for Stand up to Cancer. I desperately was trying to help from afar (they live in Indiana). I was talking to my customer, Gary Fagan, who owns Acadia Nature Cruises, and we shared stories of dealing with cancer. He then looked at me, and said directly, “Fill a Boat!” I did not know what he meant, so he said it again, but this time it was “Fill My Boat.” He offered his boat for free, which holds a hundred or so people for a two hour cruise, and all the money people paid went to Team Joyful Hope and Stand up to Cancer. Over the last three years we have been able to raise over $10,000.

Trish is now cancer free, and with the help of one healthy ovary gave birth to my 4^th and youngest granddaughter, Ellie in November. They all are coming to Maine in September to cruise Frenchman Bay on September 18^th for the 4^th annual Fill A Boat. I could use help; from Rotarians mostly by attending and/or helping prepare small platters of finger foods. The time is 4-8 on a Sunday afternoon, and there is a requested donation of $25.   

This may be my last year of doing this, but it has been hugely fun and well supported. I am deeply grateful to everyone who can or has helped. The attached picture shows some of our Rotary members and the families…Martha Abbot, the Wrobel family, Scott and Debbie Hammond, and I believe Dean and Penny Read. The four offices that I am affiliated with all pay for their employees and spouses, which amounts to around 30+people. As I said  the boat holds 100, and it does not seem fair to Acadia Nature Cruises if I don’t get the boat filled! 

This year the cruise has even more meaning to me as I lost my younger to a very fast moving aggressive cancer in June.

I am also looking for donations of raffle items.