Hi everyone! I miss you all more than I can say, and welcome to all the new members! My name is Jenny and I just graduated in May after spending four of the best years of my life in FOTO. In that time, I was lucky enough to be a family relations chair and develop a close bond with our THON families as well as represent FOTO by dancing in THON my junior year. When you join FOTO, you're joining the best organization in the entire world. Even though FOTO and THON may look a little different this year, I ask that you stick around and give it a chance, because I promise you won't regret it in the long run. Let me lay out a few things that you might do if you decide to join the best org ever. You might die your hair bright blue for THON. You might dance for 46 hours straight and not remember a third of it because you're so tired your brain shuts off. You might lose a dare and end up getting a FOTO lip tattoo (because I totally followed through with that...). You might even find romance with another member and still be dating them to this day! You might get to hangout with and talk to the three coolest THON families in the whole world where Megan will beat you in a race any day of the week, Logan will school you in a game of knockout, and Matty will soak you with a water gun and then smack you with a plastic sword for good measure. You might meet a group of the kindest, most compassionate, most loyal, weirdest, funniest, absolute best friends that you could ever imagine. If this all sounds like a good fit, then FOTO is the place for you!
FOTO is unlike anything else you'll ever be a part of. It makes you realize that this organization and what you make of it is bigger than you and me. By being a member, you will truly make a difference by helping families get one step closer to never hearing the words "your child had cancer" again. You get to see the resilience and courage of these kids first hand in our families, and they are the strongest kids you'll ever meet. When you join FOTO, you figure you’re just joining an organization that helps raise money for children with cancer, but that’s not the case. You get out of it what you put into it, so be sure to attend any meetings, events, and fundraisers you possibly can! Even though it may sound like a cheesy motto, the phrase “FOTO is Family” is something so real and easily felt within the organization. This group of people will love and support you whenever you need, and that’s why I consider many of them my best friends. We may all be unique in our own way and not always agree or get along, but at the end of the day we truly are a family and we have each other’s back no matter what. When I joined FOTO, I never knew how much I would fall in love with it and how much it would truly mean to me. It’s not just meetings, and bake sales, and fundraisers. FOTO is so much more than that. FOTO inspires me everyday and I sincerely believe that I have become a better person by just being a part of it these last few years. I'll miss it so much this year, but I know you guys are going to absolutely kill it with fundraising! I love and miss you guys, don't forget to reach out to this old lady alumni when you have a chance. I can't wait to meet the rest of you so soon!
Best of luck,
Jenny West
