Lily E. Hotmire Memorial Fund

September 18, 2008

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, since Lily died last year, we have intended to coordinate an effort to commemorate her precious life. Over the past year, we have had the heartbreaking privilege of befriending other families who have lost children to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). While movements like the "Back to Sleep Campaign" have been apparently successful in reducing the number of unexplained infant deaths, SIDS continues to be the leading cause of death among infants between one month and one year old. There is still so much mystery behind the cause(s) of SIDS.

We recognize there are aspects to life that only God understands. However, experiencing the tragic loss of our child to SIDS has compelled us to conclude that SIDS should not remain one of those mysteries.

We have established the Lily E. Hotmire Memorial Fund through the CJ Foundation for SIDS. The CJ Foundation is "a national nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the special needs of the SIDS community through funding SIDS research, support services and public awareness programs." (www.cjsids.com)

The CJ Foundation funds groundbreaking SIDS research. All contributions to the Lily E. Hotmire Memorial Fund will be invested in their recent endeavor, the CJ SIDS Research Initiative.

This year, Lily’s memorial fund will be inaugurated with a fundraiser. On Sunday, October 26th, the Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) will sponsor a 10K (6.2 miles), concurrent with its marathon in DC. I (Erica) intend to run in the 10K and I invite you to join me as a member of Tiger Lily's Team. We will not be an official team for MCM10K; we can only sign up as individuals. However, on race day, Tiger Lily's Team will meet up beforehand and start the race together.

Thus far, there are more than 40 runners on Tiger Lily's Team and we could not be more touched by this outpouring of support! Online registration ($50 fee) for the race will remain open until September 30th. ( http://www.marinemarathon.com/weekend_events/10k.htm ) If you are interested in joining Tiger Lily's Team, please register and let us know!

Each runner will commit to raising at least $100 for the Lily E. Hotmire Memorial Fund. If you would like to help with fundraising, but do not wish to run, you can still be a member of our team. Runners and Non-runners can raise or donate:

- $100 to be a "Team Member"

- $250 to be a "Team Captain"

- $500 to be a "Champion"

Anyone who raises or donates at least $100 will be invited to our home for a casual dinner the night of the race. The dinner will be an opportunity to thank our runners and fundraisers, share our vision for the Lily E. Hotmire Memorial Fund, and remember our sweet Lily.

To contribute, visit www.cjsids.com and click on “Make a Donation.” Then, select Lily E. Hotmire Memorial Fund under Donation Category. In order to track the amount of money you have raised, please ask your donors to make their donation “in honor of” you.

Thank you for honoring Lily by supporting SIDS research. For more info rmation or if you have decided to run with us, please contact Erica at LilysMemorialFund@yahoo.com.

With gratitude,

Erica & Erik Hotmire