I can't put into words the sadness I hold in my heart for some friends who recently went through something that none of us ever want to deal with ... they lost their precious baby in an accident in August. Tobi was 5 months old. i don't know how you begin to heal. They have courageously started a campaign called TLC To Earth to raise awareness of the environment to ensure a healthy earth for our kids & grandkids.
Aaron and Kelli Jo are great people. I mean really, sincerely, good people surrounded by good people. I think they are so incredibly brave and strong to be joining together to do something good and to make a place for Tobi's memory to live forever that involves little ones and the future of little ones, all the while, dealing with their own grief. They are amazing people, and I fully support everything that they are and stand for.
I am looking for donations from you guys to help support their wonderful mission to build a "green" playground at Caldwell Pioneer Acres, site of the Pioneer Engineers Steam Show, and also where baby Tobi lost her life. The playground will provide safe activities for many children now and in the years to come.
If you are interested in donating, please make checks payable to RUSH COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION and mail to me (please contact me for mailing address) As with any fundraiser, no donation is too small. Please help me in funding their efforts to build Tobi Land!
- Gina :)
(In their own words)
OUR STORY
Our lives were completed on March 4, 2008 when our beautiful baby girl was born. We named her Tobi Lynn Coon. Tobi means God is good and God is love. Although she had a very happy and healthy life, it was brief.
Our family was camping at Caldwell Acres, the Pioneer Engineer Steam Show grounds just south of Rushville, Indiana, one week after our local show. After our campfire cookout and enjoying our time together as a family, dusk was upon us and it was time for a hayride. Using a Rumley Oil Pull and an antique wagon we were having the most fun! It was a wonderful evening teaching Tobi, my brother, and his girlfriend about the history of steam engines. While touring the beautiful grounds, we started up an incline. Seconds into the climb the oil pull jumped out of gear and started rolling backwards. We had no choice but to jump off the wagon. Baby Tobi was strapped on her grandma and they were both tumbled under the wagon and engine. Tobis tiny body did not survive the accident. Our mother suffered a head injury and was taken by Air E-Vac to Indianapolis and is healing well.
Tobi changed our lives and many others with all the LOVE she had to share. As her parents, we are trying to keep her love alive by helping make our world a better place to live. We have decided to honor her life by starting the TLC to Earth campaign. The one way you can make a difference is to think global and start local. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to get started. You can make this a family project and be very proud that you have done your part.
We hope to reach as many people as possible with the important message of making our Earth better for our children. Also we are organizing several fundraisers to build a kid friendly playground at Caldwell Acres. This playground will provide hours and hours of fun and safe activities for lots of children now and in the future.
We sincerely thank each and every person that has or will contribute to our fundraisers and to those that will take the time and effort to recycle.
Love Always,
Aaron & Kelli Jo Coon
Grandpas & Grandmas
Brothers & Sisters
Uncles & Aunts
Special Friends
