Fundraiser Event for Marianne McLelland Hudson

On January 31, 2003 Marianne, 33, a life-long area resident and well-loved Coweta County young mother, was diagnosed with leukemia. Since then, she and her family did everything to ensure she had the best care possible. With the initial treatments done at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Marianne traveled to Houston TX, where she underwent what appeared to be successful bone marrow transplant surgery. The story of Marianne and her progress has captured the hearts of many. The e-mail list to update concerned friends and family about her progress has grown by leaps and bounds in just a few short months. In fact, this fundraiser has grown far beyond original expectations, simply because so many people are willing and eager to help and make it happen!

Marianne and her husband, Lee, have a 3-year-old daughter, Sydney, and live in Sharpsburg GA. Marianne was a 1988 graduate of Fayette County High School in Fayetteville GA and a graduate of Georgia Southern University in Statesboro GA. Before her illness, Marianne was a part-time reading teacher at White Water Middle School in Fayetteville GA.

While insurance will take care of many of Marianne’s expenses, it does not and cannot cover everything. The family has incurred travel and related expenses, missed days at work, loss of income, hefty insurance deductibles and other expenses insurance will not cover, and more, all of which have placed a strain on their financial and emotional resources.

Sadly, Marianne’s fight for her life came to an end in the early morning hours of February 1^st 2004, a year and a day after her initial diagnoses. Lee and Sydney, along with the McLelland’s and Fuller’s need our love and support now more than ever. The family still has many bills to pay, as this difficult year has been a strain both emotionally as well as financially. The fundraisers were a positive and uplifting tribute to Marianne’s life!

Arrangements for Marianne M. Hudson

December 3, 1970 - February 1, 2004

…Forever in our hearts!

Visitation

Wednesday, February 4^th

from 6:00 - 8:00 PM

Carl J Mowell & Son Funeral Home

200 Robinson Road

Peachtree City, Georgia 30269

770-487-3959

Funeral

Thursday, February 5th @12:00 Noon

Community Christian Church

(located at the intersection of Lower Fayetteville Road and Highway 154)

1717 Highway 154

Sharpsburg, Georgia 30277-3127

Burial

Westminster Memorial Gardens

Highway 54

Peachtree City, Georgia

770-487-9386

Click here to read articles from the Atlanta Journal Constitution and other local papers about Marianne.

A Letter from Marianne.

Updates about Marianne.

Sign Marianne’s Guestbook!

A letter from the McLelland family

Make a difference! Make a donation to Marianne!

(All Pay Pal proceeds go to the fund for Marianne and her family)

Thank you for joining us for this fundraiser event in tribute to Marianne and in honor of her family!

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Photos from the Buckhead fundraiser here.

On behalf of the fundraiser committee we would like to thank everyone who came out to the fundraisers at the Purple Possum in Newnan and at the Park Bench in Buckhead! We hope everyone had a great evening! The Purple Possum, Park Bench in Buckhead, the musicians, donors, sponsors, attendees and the volunteers really came through to make each of the events a night to remember. None of what we accomplished could have been done without each and everyone of you!

The numbers are showing that we raised just under $30,000 total from both the Buckhead and Newnan events! We will have a more precise number as the credit card payments for the auction items go through.

We are hoping to get some numbers as far as people, but we would not be surprised if we find out we had 500-1,000 attending the Newnan event total! The place is very big and it was packed! You could hardly move throughout most of the night.

In Buckhead we had an easy 200 and it was packed as well.

The left over auction items have been donated to the family, who in turn donated the items to another fundraiser.

We have put together an online photo album of the events for posterity (see link above). If anyone has pictures from the events, please send copies or negatives to the address at the bottom of the page or digital photos via

e-mail to Lisa.

The whole planning and doing and the final outcome of the events for Marianne and her family have been bittersweet. We are so happy we had such great results and that it went over so well. When we started this we had no idea that it would grow to the degree that it did. We are so proud of what we have accomplished and it warms my heart to see so many people jumping in to help. Some people told me it was like a high school reunion. It wasn’t exactly intended to be, we just wanted to help a truly wonderful person and her family, but I have to say, it turned out to be better than a high school reunion because we brought so many people together from all over the country and we did a lot of good for a wonderful family. People actually flew in from out of town to be there for all of this! How amazing!

My only wish after all is said and done is that we could take away the tears, the sadness and the pain. Unfortunately we can’t, but I hope our efforts at least helped the family to begin the path of healing. The love and support shown to the Hudson’s, McLelland’s and Fuller’s is truly incredible and has been an inspiration to all of those involved in the fundraising. Just one more way Marianne’s life touched us.

If everyone pulled together everyday for each other like we did for them, imagine what a great world it would be!

After talking with the family and the committee members, combined with a lot of positive responses to the fundraisers, we are planning to hold an event every year around the time Marianne passed in memory of Marianne with funds going to her daughter, and/or sponsoring another local family in need. Not only would something like that do some good, it would be a great reason to get together every year! J

Thanks!

Lisa and Merritt Smith and the rest of the fundraiser committee

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Learn more about services that help cancer patients and their families

Leukemia Society

Locks of Love

American Red Cross

National Marrow Donor Program

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The Events

2 days of Music for Marianne the events featured local musicians from genres such as acoustic, rock and blues. Read more about the details of the events we held for Marianne and her family by following the links below.

Sunday January 18, 2004 at The Park Bench Buckhead from 2-8 PM

Saturday February 21, 2004 at The Purple Possum, Newnan from 7-midnight

Silent auctions were held at both events, with all proceeds going to Marianne’s family.

A Compilation CD Local musicians have donated songs that have been put on a great benefit CD for Marianne.

All proceeds from CD sales go to Marianne’s family.

Buy a CD! A small number of CD’s are still available for purchase!