To kick off the month of March I have many ‘M’s to mention.
Today, March 3, would have been my mother’s 97th birthday. Mom, God bless her, enjoyed her life until she was one week shy of her 94th birthday.
Philomena Vilello Herr was quite a lady. To this day, my wife and our daughters still speak fondly of her. ‘Phillie,’ as my Dad would loving refer to her, could always make us laugh. I believe I got my positive attitude and humor from her. These are two key elements I believe can get you through even the toughest curve balls that life may throw at you. Throughout the years, my Mom taught us so much about life and how to live it. She showed me how to be thankful for the littlest moments in my everyday life and to be be even more gracious when bigger moments happen by living a loving and hopeful life.
Now, on to the marathon. Again, THON did not disappoint. All though the money raised is unbelievable, all who participated in one capacity or another in the 46-hour event are to be commended. Thank you for your help contributing to miracles.
Mail Call this year was, well, wild (it was a safari theme)! The committee sorted and delivered 16,000 letters and 2,600 packages at 2:30 a.m. Sunday. Each year, as I’m escorted from the entrance of the BJC to backstage in the practice gym where all of the mail is waiting to be distributed, the amazing Mail Call committee starts to cheer. Well, Mail Call committee, I applaud you all for being a part of what I feel is one of the most memorable parts of THON.
After all the mail has been given out my posse (which this year included Jimmy, Johnny and, as almost every year to date, my daughter Marykate) was able to mingle and dance with the dancers for a couple of hours until we called it a night around 4:30 a.m.
During our time on the floor I was fortunate to speak to one dancer, Greg, who had a picture of whom he was dancing for, this girl Andrea, on his T-shirt. Andrea is actually a Penn State student who over this year’s winter break found out that she had liver cancer. The first week of January, Andrea had an operation to remove 3/4 of her liver.
She spent three weeks in the hospital, and when she found out that Greg was dancing for her, Andrea asked her sister drive her to THON from Pittsburgh. Greg was so happy to see her. Andrea told him hello and thank you, and then left to go back home to Pittsburgh as she is still recovering. Three hours up and three hours back for 10 minutes at THON to express a lifetime of gratitude.
Greg said he could’ve danced for 100 hours after he saw Andrea. This is one of the many usually untold stories behind what makes this unprecedented weekend unforgettable.
March Madness is in the air and for all of you who participate in your office pools — of course, for amusement only — I’d like to pass along a few tips. I happened to win my office pool one year — of course, for amusement only — back in 1979!
Three words can sum up my take on this year’s tournament: Big 12 Conference. All of the teams from this conference are going to go far, so I would select them to go far in your brackets. March would be the month to wish you much luck (St. Patty’s day is coming up) for your office pool — again, of course for your amusement only!
Happy birthday, Mom, I miss you. Thank you 7.8 million times, marathoners. And let the March madness begin.
Mailman, out.
