Awesome Junk Prize BONANZA!

UPDATE: All winners have been notified. Thank you again for your generosity and earnest prayer!

Hey. Hey, guys. HEY, YOU GUYS.

YOU COULD WIN JUNK THAT IS FREE. And not junky junk, but AWESOME junk.

Have I got your attention yet?

Okay, good, now hold on to that thought of FREE AWESOME AND NOT JUNKY JUNK THAT COULD BE MINE, PLEASE TELL ME HOW IT CAN BE MINE. We’ll come back to it in a minute.

There are some people in this world who just make you have faith again. Faith in humanity, in the strength of spirit, in the good fight.

There’s a young man in my hometown who is doing that for many, many of us here in Knoxville, Tennessee, and he’s not even a month old yet. His name is Drew Ballinger, and he has us all captivated.

Mighty Drew

Drew was diagnosed while still in the womb with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia, which is just a complicated way to say not the way things are supposed to be. He currently has a 25% chance of survival, an ugly little number that he has carried with him throughout his development and into his birth and now, three weeks into his life.

Needless to say, he is a fighter.

And he belongs to a family of fighters, a family whose faith in God is inspiring, a family whose rawness and honesty in this whole messy, heart-breaking ordeal is a privilege to know.

If you know the Ballingers, then you know how easy it is to want to pour out your love and support and prayer toward them. If you don’t know them, then just take my word for it: they’re pretty rad.

As you can imagine, this is an expensive situation, both in the currency of faith and of finance. Our community has been unceasing in lifting up this beautiful family to God, and now we have been given the privilege of helping them financially as well.

This is where you and free awesome junk come in.

If you go to Drew’s site and donate $5.00 or more, you will get an entry into our AWESOME JUNK PRIZE BONANZA (seriously, I need to find more reasons to use the word “bonanza”). For every additional $5.00, you will get an additional entry. *Make sure to return here and leave me a comment so you can be entered.

What’s in the Awesome Junk Prize Bonanza? (Deep breath…)

+ Pair of TOMS shoes of your choice (up to $60)
+ Hello-Somebody watch of your choice ($25 value)
+ $25 gift card to Amazon.com
+ 8×10 scripture-based print from Jen Woodhouse (2 available)
+ Custom made item from The Dreaming Tree (up to $50)
+ Original print from m. swanger photography (up to $30)
+ Custom made handbag from DeepSouthEmbroidery ($45 value)
+ Handmade Cloth Doll from Jenny Cook ($30 value)
+ This Holiday Wreath courtesy of Julie Knoefel ($30 value)
+ $50 gift certificate to Ham ‘n Goodys
+ $25 gift card to Panera Bread

For local winners only (unless you want to drive to Knoxville to collect):
+ 2 Dinner Cruise Tickets on the Volunteer Princess (that’s like, an $80 value, you guys)
+ $10 gift certificate to Rankin Restaurant (2 available)
+ One dozen cupcakes or cake from Melissa Coram (unless I eat them on the way to delivering, then there might be less than a dozen)
+ One fudge pie from Rachel Duncan (this was the FIRST THING sold at our MOPS bake sale last month…at 8:30 in the morning)
+ One pot of gumbo from Joanna Bouldin (and if you’re extra lucky, at least one Bouldin to share it with)
+ A mini-recital courtesy of Knoxville Opera member and super talented Melissa Greene (which basically sounds like the PERFECT Friday night to me)

Honestly, you guys, this is a PRIZE BONANZA. The outpour of donations from our community just proves how loved the Ballingers are. So please consider giving $5.00, and then leave me a comment with the total amount you donated (and if you’re a local) so I will know how many entries you’ve earned. I will draw all winners after midnight EST on Wednesday, Dec. 12.

You can read more about Drew’s amazing story here (but you might want to grab the Kleenex), and please spread the word about this precious family.