Pete Funicello
Imagine Guild member since 1999, Lynnwood, Washington
In 1999, I felt like my life was ending.
My first marriage had crumbled and I
left Montana (and the property I loved)
for Washington.
My buddy told me about a weeklong
motorcycle trip to raise money for
Seattle Children’s. I didn’t know
anything about the hospital, but I
knew I needed to blow off some
steam, so I signed up.
Never did I imagine that a tough
kid from Brooklyn would find new
beginnings on a charity ride.
But that’s exactly what happened.
I met and fell in love with the woman
who is now my wife, and I joined the
Imagine Guild.
I could have chosen to do that ride
and walk away; after all, I got the girl!
But I stayed because the other guild
members – all motorcyclists – gave me a sense of worth, a sense
of community and a sense of hope
that I could make a great place like
Children’s even better.
Once, on a tour of the hospital,
I saw a young girl on the cancer unit.
Big clumps of her beautiful black wavy
hair had fallen out of her head onto
the bed. I wondered how many degrees
separated me from someone who
loved her.
I always joke that being involved
with Children’s is my ticket to heaven.
The real truth is that the friends I’ve
made raising money for the hospital
have helped me break down my own
barriers to compassion. Because of
them, it’s my heart – and not my head – that's so much bigger.
Learn more about how to join a guild or start your own.
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