This year’s event will be held on Friday, April 20, 2012 at the beautiful Star Ranch Golf Club.

Scramble Format; Food, Golf Shirt and a Goodie Bag included.

For those of you who are not playing golf, but would like to help volunteer for this event ONLY, please click here for the Volunteer sign-up form.

If you would like to print out the registration and mail it in, please click here for a printable PDF.
If you would like assistance in filling out this form, please call Kim Lasco 281-940-8175.
Or click here to email me now.
You can register your team and pay online today by filling out the information below.

Tim, Mary, Timmy and Elaine

www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p-ZA4Qh7FI

Our goal is to help the children who are cancer patients, and their families who are right now fighting a similar battle at the new Dell Children’s Hospital here in Austin, Texas. The foundation currently does the following:

We provide and serve meals to the families on the cancer unit at the Dell Children’s Hospital on the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th Wednesday of each month. This has turned into something special for these families and for us too! We feed between 30 to 45 people each week.

Each year, we grant a “Make A Wish” for a local child that is battling cancer here in central Texas. Last year, we granted Yazmin’s wish to go to New York with her family to shop, and then on to a special treat to see the “Rockettes” perform.

We are the main sponsor for the teenage youth group “The Hungry Bunch”. They do great work at Dell’s Children’s Hospital that include monthly activities outside the hospital like their big camping trip each year. Jennifer loved “The Hungry Bunch” and we are proud to help these folks.

On Christmas Eve we serve a special Christmas meal (a wonderful steak, chicken, and shrimp dinner) for our ‘families’ on the oncology unit. Last year we served this Christmas meal for over 80.

Also on Christmas Eve, we give each patient and their siblings a stuffed stocking and $100 worth of presents. We have the parents filled out a form before Christmas, giving us ideas of what the children need or want for Christmas. Using this list, we go shopping. Last year we helped 54 children!

In 2009, our goals also included helping to support “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society” and “His Grace Foundation” (which we successfully did!)

We know that Jennifer is in heaven looking down on each of us and smiling in approval! Please join us in extending your helping hand as well.

– Tim and Mary Wilks for the “Jennifer Wilks Foundation” –

“The Mountain”
-When the task at hand is a mountain in front of you, it may seem hard to climb.
But you don’t have to climb it all at once-just one step at a time.
Take one small step…and one small step…then another…and you will find-
the task at hand, that was a mountain in front of you…
is a mountain you have climbed….

(a favorite poem of Jennifer’s she wished to share with all on her website)

Jennifer Wilks should have graduated from Vista Ridge High School last May and should be enjoying her freshman year of college. Those moments to be vanished when Jennifer lost her battle with cancer on Nov. 25, 2005.

Jennifer spent three years of her short life fighting Acute Myeloid Leukemia. She had three bone marrow transplants, endured several rounds of chemotherapy and spent over 400 days in the hospital.

During the time Jennifer spent battling leukemia, she and her family received much support from charities such as the “Make-A-Wish Foundation”, which granted Jennifer’s wish to take a Disney cruise.

After Jennifer’s passing, her family decide to find a way to give back to the charities that helped them so much. Tim Wilks, Jennifer’s father, said he wanted to help support and give back to the charities that helped bring a smile to Jennifer’s face.

Though Jennifer passed away over two years ago, her memory and her smile that inspired everyone around her still live on today through the work of the Jennifer Wilks Foundation.

So far, the Jennifer Wilks Foundation has granted a wish through Make-A-Wish for a child to go to Disney World, given money to Camp Discovery and Camp Grey Dove – camps for children with cancer and their siblings – and given financial support to families through the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

“The community has always supported us and we felt this was our way to give back”, said Wilks.

This next week will be a tough week for the Wilks family but it’s nice to have great friends and the support of kind words from YOU! We have the gravesite looking nice and we will be there often the next couple of weeks. Tim II is coming home for Thanksgiving and it will be great to see him and have the family together during this tough time. Mary and I are taking pies down to the PICU on Thursday to say thanks to the Doctors and Nurses for all their help last year and just say thanks for what they do each and everyday, helping kids.

We are very proud of Tim and Elaine, Tim is doing well in college and has a part-time internship with ESPN radio in Lufkin TX. He’s playing rugby and is looking forward to getting into a good internship at the end of the school year. He also has a very nice girlfriend and her name is Tiffany. She will be going to Kansas City with us over the Christmas holiday. Elaine is working 2 jobs and doing well in school. She is taking some classes next semester that will count as college credits. She has not decided on what college yet (she still has time) but with the classes she’s taking she will have 12 college credit hours before she starts college. She’s still thinking of becoming a nurse and helping kids! She has been volunteering with a Miracle League baseball team for children with special needs.

Mary and I just want to help make it a little easier for families and with the new children’s hospital opening next year we are going to find a way to help cancer kids while they’re in the hospital. Again, I would like to thank everyone that helped out in the golf tournament back in May. We raised just over $16,000 for the charities that are helping children and their families while they are battling their fight with cancer. I hope that you are ready for a bigger and better tournament next April.

Well, from Mary and I we would like to wish you and your family a great Thanksgiving and thanks for all you thoughts and prayers.

God bless
Tim

Because of YOU we raised just over $16,500….. WOW!!!! This money will go straight to the 5 charities that helped put a smile on Jennifer face during her battle with leukemia. Those charities are: His Grace Foundation, Make a Wish, American Cancer Society, Candlelighters (Any Baby Can) and Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

We had 88 golfers that played and we had a clear and beautiful weather all day. We will soon have pictures on this site of all the golfers and the fun that they had.

We would like to thank Advance Auto Parts, FLOOR KING, RG TATE & Associates, and AT&T for being the main sponsors of the event. THANKS!

We also had 15 hole sponsors that help make the event a special day. THANKS AGAIN!

We are looking forward to next year and it will be BIGGER and BETTER. So get READY everyone and tell your friends.

Here’s an update on the family. Mary is back to work part time and is doing OK. Timmy is out of school and home for the summer. He is going to take some summer classes at ACC and work full time. Elaine is working 2 part time jobs (just like her Dad growing up) and is driving. School is out this week and she is looking forward to summer and working at camp. That’s 3 jobs!!!! That’s my girl! We all have our good day and bad days. We just have to think of the great times that we all had together as a family.

Thanks and God Bless
Tim

note: the above entry is a copy originally posted on our ‘Caring Bridge’ website.

Wednesday night following the rosary service, people took turns talking about Jennifer and sharing memories of her. People talked about her quiet grace, her beautiful smile, and her amazing courage facing her illness. They spoke of her natural ability with children and of her sweet and playful spirit. The pictures, video, and quilt were displayed and people were able to spend some time just talking with the family and supporting each other.
[See post to watch Flash video]
The mass on Thursday morning was also beautiful. The songs and readings were poignant and emitted a spirit of peace and hope. At the graveside service, what struck me most was the peacefulness in the air. There was a nice crisp breeze, warm sunshine, and not a cloud in the sky. The coolness was countered by the warmth of the people gathering around the Wilks family. Afterwards, friends from the church provided lunch for all who wanted to attend.

The Wilks would like to express their sincere thanks for all the people that worked so hard on these services, for those that travelled so far, and for all of the love and support that they have received throughout this most trying time.

They would like to continue to encourage people to donate to the charities listed below that were so helpful to them. Also, Caringbridge is a non-profit organization that hosts web pages at no charge to families and is funded primarily through donations.

Please continue to check up on the Wilks and offer words of encouragment and support to them in the guestbook. Even though there may not be new updates in the journal, be assured that they will be reading the guestbook.

Please share your memories of Jennifer in the guestbook and help the Wilks to rest assured knowing that even though Jennifer’s physical presence is no longer with us, the light of her spirit shines in each of us that were fortunate enough to experience it.

With love,
L. Randel

(Click on the charity name to be directed to their website.)

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church – (512) 259-3126
This is the Wilks’ home parish and they have supported Jennifer and her family throughout her illness.

His Grace Foundation – (281) 620-4511
P.O.Box 722
Tomball, Texas 77377-0722
Att: Val

This foundation supported the Wilks during their time in Houston. They paid for parking at Texas Children’s, provided dinner to the families in the hospital every other week, and each week would buy for Jennifer whatever she wanted up to $25.

American Cancer Society – (800) ACS-2345
Jennifer enjoyed attending Camp Discoveries, run by ACS, each summer that she could. The American Cancer Society also organizes information seminars helpful to patients and their caregivers.

Candlelighters / Any Baby Can – (512) 454-3743 or (800) 672-0238
Candlelighters provided counseling for the Wilks while in Austin and runs a camp for siblings that Elaine was able to attend for 3 years.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – (512) 491-6610 or (866) 814-8113 (Toll Free) (When requested, please specify Central Texas Chapter.)
The LLS supported the Wilks financially and through information and education. Also the LLS funds research and clinical trials for the treatment of AML. Team in Training is an extra outlet for fundraising for LLS, which Mary and Tim were involved in and they both walk a half marathon to raise money for the cure. Jennifer was the honor patient for many of the cycling and running events in the past 2 years.

Please give what you can to help other children that are going through this and their families and to help find a cure so that no one has to endure what Jennifer went through.

Thurs. Dec 1, 2005
Funeral at 10:00 AM

St. Margaret Mary Church
1101 W. New Hope Drive
Cedar Park, Tx

Procession to Bagdad Cemetery to follow funeral service
Reception at St. Margaret mary Church following graveside service.

The Wilks Family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the following five charities in Jennifer’s name:

(Click on the charity name to be directed to their website.)

St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church – (512) 259-3126
This is the Wilks’ home parish and they have supported Jennifer and her family throughout her illness.

His Grace Foundation – (281) 620-4511
This foundation supported the Wilks during their time in Houston. They paid for parking at Texas Children’s, provided dinner to the families in the hospital every other week, and each week would buy for Jennifer whatever she wanted up to $25.

American Cancer Society – (800) ACS-2345
Jennifer enjoyed attending Camp Discoveries, run by ACS, each summer that she could. The American Cancer Society also organizes information seminars helpful to patients and their caregivers.

Candlelighters / Any Baby Can – (512) 454-3743 or (800) 672-0238
Candlelighters provided counseling for the Wilks while in Austin and runs a camp for siblings that Elaine was able to attend for 3 years.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society - (512) 491-6610 or (866) 814-8113 (Toll Free) (When requested, please specify Central Texas Chapter.)
The LLS supported the Wilks financially and through information and education. Also the LLS funds research and clinical trials for the treatment of AML. Team in Training is an extra outlet for fundraising for LLS, which Mary and Tim were involved in and they both walk a half marathon to raise money for the cure. Jennifer was the honor patient for many of the cycling and running events in the past 2 years.

Please give what you can to help other children that are going through this and their families and to help find a cure so that no one has to endure what Jennifer went through.

So, with the progressive failure of Jennifer’s lungs, liver, and kidneys, the very difficult decision has been made to take her off the respirator. This will happen today, within the next hour.

While the strength that this kind, quiet young lady displayed could not overcome her illness, the strength of her spirit and her story will continue to strengthen and inspire those whom she touched.

Our hearts go out to the Wilks today and in the difficult days to come.

Update (2:00 P.M.): Jennifer passed away peacefully just a few moments ago, surrounded by her loving family, friends, nurses and doctors. Jennifer definitely fought the good fight. She can rest in peace now, with no pain, no worry, no tears. Godspeed, Jennifer – we are all better for having known you.

T.Randel

note: the above entry is a copy originally posted on our ‘Caring Bridge’ website.