'Tis the season… Father Time is calling on you!

The true reason of the season is giving back. Sign up today for Maggie's Mile and help Maggie's Mission fund research for cures and help families and children affected by pediatric cancers. It’s a great and healthy way to start off your New Year. They’ll be lots and lots of perks! See below…

Post-race awards ceremony, raffles, refreshments & food will be at the concession building near the finish area of the race. The first Male and Female finisher will each receive a $100 gift certificate to Runner’s Edge, $75 for second place, $50 for third place.

Free Maggie's Mission Beanies to in-person registrants while supplies last. Professional timing by ELITEFEATS. Runners (21 and over) can present bib on race day for one free beer at Napper Tandy’s in Northport and present race bib to Copenhagen Bakery in Northport during the month of January for a free large coffee or hot chocolate & danish or roll. Free Professional Photos by LIRP (Long Island Running Photos).

Don’t forget for our followers from afar, you can sign up and run/walk virtually!

Presented by The Northport Running Club. Sponsored by Bethpage Federal Credit Union, Runner’s Edge, Copenhagen Bakery, Napper Tandy’s, and Lessings.

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Congratuations Isidora!
You are the winner of Maggie’s Challenge 2021!

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Maggie’s Challenge 2021 asked students to pick from 15 feel good challenges and write an essay about it. Today, we’d like to announce our winning essay from Isidora, a Harborfield’s student. Isidora and her family will receive a $250 dollar gift certificate to Isadora’s favorite restaurant - Burgerology in Huntington. CONGRATULATIONS ISIDORA!

Thank you to all who participated. There were lots of beautiful and meaningful essays submitted and we are happy to see so many wonderful sentiments shared from students.

Isidora’s Essay…

Finding the Mindful Path on a Difficult Road.

In these paragraphs, I will be talking about why I chose the mindful option of Maggie’s Challenge, about my retinoblastoma, and how I was able to relate to Maggie Schmidt’s mission.

Choosing the mindful option made me happy and helped me reflect on everything that brings me joy. It is good to have joy in your life because it will make your life cheerful and not sad by reminding you of all the good when living through hardships. For example when I feel loneliness I remind myself about all the friends I have and the kind things they do for me.

When I was three years old I was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. Retinoblastoma is a rare childhood cancer that attacks the retina in the eye. Retinoblastoma destroyed my left eye and I now cannot see out of it. I have a disability and it makes me feel different. Feeling different does not make me feel bad, but good. Feeling different makes me feel good because I know that everyone is different and all of our differences and difficulties make us who we are. For me, overcoming my disability and knowing my family is with me makes me a stronger person.

Reading more about Maggie helped me realize that she lived a happy life surrounded by her loving family. When life becomes sad, you can still be happy, by being mindful of all the happy things surrounding you. 

We should always be hopeful in our life and hold on to happy memories.

MM Holiday Update!

Maggie Gives Back…

Holidays can be hard for families with children who are dealing with an illness like cancer. But we are working to make their lives easier. On Thanksgiving, Maggie’s Mission provided breakfast and lunch for families staying at Ronald McDonald House in New York City. Being able to provide a warm meal delivered straight to their door is one less thing these families have to worry about.

On Saturday, November 27th and again on Saturday, December 18th, we are providing two additional dinners to RMH-NY. Team Maggie’s Mission will also be delivering Holiday care packages. Stay tuned for an update.

MM has already committed to another 12 meals in 2022!

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Ways you can help…

Maggie’s Mile! In the spirit of giving, we are offering a special discount code for entrants of our fifth Annual New Year’s day event - Maggie’s Mile! Save $5 on your race entry using coupon code maggie5 from 11/26 - 11/28! This year, we are again offering a virtual option.

Maggie Gear! New inventory is up on our site just in time for holiday shopping! Show your support of MM and give the gift that truly gives back. Use coupon code MERRYMM and get $5 off your purchase of $25 and over from 11/26-11/28. Limit one per customer, no exclusions apply!

MM Happenings!

Maggie’s Mission is also excited to announce we will be at the Vanderbilt Museum’s Bright Light Event Magical Holiday Celebration. The evenings include holiday lights, themed light-up displays, festive foods, music, Santa Claus and friends. The Vanderbilt Mansion will be decorated for the season.

Come visit this beautiful historic museum, say hello, and shop for new Maggie Gear on the following evenings:

Saturday 11/27, which includes the Vanderbilt’s Tree Lighting Event, Friday 12/3, Saturday 12/4, Saturday 12/11, Sunday 12/12, Friday 12/17, Saturday 12/18, and Thursday 12/23.

Hours are from 5-9:00pm, except for Sunday which is 5-8:00pm. Visit their website for more details.

Wishing you all a beautiful, warm, holiday season and hope to see you soon!

Busy summer for MM!

We’ve been busy!

We kicked off our summer with a home office renovation courtesy of the crew of George to the Rescue here at our Maggie’s Mission headquarters. The show airs tomorrow, Saturday, October 9, 2021 at 9:30 am on NBC. If you miss it, you can always watch it on their YouTube Channel. We are thankful to the many hands and companies that came together to donate goods and services to help us organize our space.

“We can’t wait to watch it with you!”

Staten Island Yachts once again supported Maggie’s Mission as their charity of choice for the Annual Montauk Canyon Challenge honoring the Tournament’s founder - David O’Halloran. Dave passed suddenly about a week before Maggie in 2017. He is missed dearly, just like Maggie. The Challenge is held every July at Gurney’s Star Island Resort. This year the Tournament helped raise over $20,000 for MM! We are so excited for their continued support. It means we can fund more research, feed more families at Ronald McDonald House in NYC, and help families with children affected by the diagnosis of pediatric cancers more than ever.

We recently rolled out Maggie’s Meal Program at RMH-NY, solidifying our commitment to feed families at the Ronald McDonald House in NYC. We’ll be feeding families on a regular basis, in addition to special occasions such as Mother’s Day and this coming Thanksgiving.

Maggie’s Mission is excited to welcome three new Board Members - Sue Cammarota, Joan Motherway, and Chris Squeri from Atlantic Yacht Haven.

Save the Date!

Save the Date for the Fifth Annual Maggie’s Mission Angelversary Gala at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, NY on Friday, June 3, 2022. Stay tuned for details!

We did it for you Maggie!

Another epic journey completed from Maggie’S Bucket List!

We got home on Wednesday evening. It’s been an emotional and physically hard week. Steve is back at work getting his classroom ready for his third grade class this year. I tried writing this update immediately after getting to the top of the South Rim, but in truth, we were exhausted.

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Our route from our GPS SPOT Satellite device. We were able to provide followers with a link that tracked us, and also sent generic texts letting people know we were ok. We could have also used the device for emergency rescue should the need arise. Luckily, we didn’t. There are far too many rescues in the Canyon due to hikers becoming lost or hurt. We didn’t want to become part of that statistic.

The Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim is described by the All Trails app as a 51 mile heavily trafficked point-to-point trail located in the Grand Canyon, Arizona that features a river and is only recommended for very experienced adventurers. It also states its best used from September until May.

We realize the month of August isn’t ideal, due to extreme heat and the chance of monsoons but we had a window of time then, so got as prepared as we could to give it a go. The app goes on to claim that it is an “incredibly challenging route that should only be attempted by those in peak physical fitness and lots of experience.”

Maggie’s dad Steve, does have lots of backcountry hiking experience, having done many years of it. Including summiting Mt. Rainier, hiking even more remote sections of the Grand Canyon, hiking in Nepal in the Himalayas, on the Annapurna Trail, doing hundreds of miles on the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) alone, and more. I’ve also had the opportunity to have done numerous backcountry backpacking trips in various parts of the world and even in winter, here in the Northeast. In fact, it is is how Steve and I came to meet. I joined the Post One Explorers on the advice from a mountain biking friend, and met Steve at a party in 1995. Steve was giving a slide show from his trip around the world, and we soon realized we had been criss crossing paths unbeknownst to us… visiting the same countries, and even staying in the same youth hostels. We had also both been in Alaska separately in the summer of 1993. Destiny?

I believe at least part of our success in completing this hike was due to muscle memory. Along with a strong sense of the immense suffering our only daughter had been through in her battle against cancer. That girl had grit and a determination I’ve never witnessed in my life.

AS MAGGIE ONCE SAID “I GOT THIS!” AND WE DID. IF ONLY MAGGIE’S BATTLE WITH CANCER WERE AS SIMPLE AND EASY TO BEAT.

Steve and Maggie on our family hike into the Canyon on August 19, 2014, when life was beautiful, innocent, and full of hope. We miss you so much Maggie Schmidt.

The view from the South Rim at the start of our hike.

Our first foray down.

What a beautiful and seemingly desolate place.

The view heading down the South Kaibab.

Hiking down the South Kaibab, where I lost half a molar on some beef jerky.

On the Kaibab Trail Suspension Bridge where Maggie made her happy video on August 19th, 2014.

Another photo of the Kaibab Trail Suspension Bridge where Maggie took the video of herself and us. We cried alot when we came upon it. She wanted to watch the video again and revisit the Canyon.

A Steve selfie at Silver Bridge.

Up the North Kaibab, before things got really steep and hairy.

We made sure to write Maggie's name on the chalkboard at Manzanita Falls.

Heading down North Kaibab.

Coconino overlook near the tippy top of the North Kaibab.

Too many people don't heed the signs, hence there are many deaths every year in the Canyon.

It's hot in the Canyon in summer.

Finally at the top!

Maggie’s extremely adventurous bucket list was inspired in part, we believe, by our own tales of adventure and exploration told to her while she was growing up.

The Start.

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Maggie’s Bucket List.

We started our journey into the Canyon at about 1:00 Thursday, August 19th, 2021 - 7 years to the day we had hiked down the same trail as a very happy family of 4. The only difference was we started our hike in the heat of the day, not in the early morning hours like we had done with Maggie and Steven. Since we left from Las Vegas, it was the only time we could start in order to be down to Phantom Ranch in time for a stew dinner. It was important to us to hike down it on the same day, and we had only recently become aware of the date after reviewing a silly and fun survival video Maggie had made of herself at the bottom of the canyon in her tent. You can see the video by clicking HERE. Or watch her bridge video by clicking HERE.

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Maggie couldn’t make it back to the Grand Canyon like she dreamed, but she was there both spiritually and physically with us every step of the way. We released some of her ashes in the Colorado River. We love her so much and feel that in some small way, we get to honor her beautiful spirit with every family we help and every bucket list item we cross off.

Colleen, who accompanied us, became ill with heat exhaustion at the beginning of the Kaibab Trail Suspension Bridge, where Maggie filmed herself in 2014. It was decided by all that she stay at Phantom Ranch to keep us all safe while Steve and I continued on our journey and mission to complete Maggie’s Grand Canyon Bucket List Rim to Rim to Rim Challenge.

Steve and I had dinner, checked in on Colleen, then went to sleep as best as we could in our very hot tent under a bat filled, moonlit sky in the Bright Angel Campground at the bottom of the Canyon. We awoke early to start the grueling 14 mile leg onto our next destination - The North Rim.

The air was somewhat cooler by morning after some rain. We ate some breakfast, packed up our tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, water, and food, said goodbye to Colleen, and were on our way. The first portion of the trail through an area referred to as “the box”, was easily manageable with shade. Upon reaching Cottonwood campground, we stopped for a little lunch break and rested our legs and my feet, which were developing some pretty severe blisters by that point.

Despite intensifying heat and tiring legs, we pushed through any pain we felt and made it to the top of the North Rim sometime in the afternoon. My feet were so sore by then, I slipped into my flip-flops and sat on a log at the top of the trail and began to cry. The physical and mental pain felt acute. Steve went to see about securing a room for us at the North Rim Lodge. I calmed my pity party for myself and hobbled around talking to whoever I could find keeping myself busy until Steve returned telling me there were “no rooms at the Inn”. Oh well, we pitched our tent on a spectacular site which had an incredible sunset view. It was the only sunset we’ve seen this entire summer, which made it all the more special.

We were able to get cell service to make some phone calls back home to let family know all was ok.

Steve and I relaxing for an hour before eating our dinner of dehydrated camp food.

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A spectacular view from the North Rim. We feel so thankful to have made it this far.

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Our first sunset of the summer taken from the North Kaibab Campground. Maggie would have loved it here.

They recommend starting before sunrise when attempting hiking in the heat of summer, but the cold overnight temp of 39° and a pretty bad altitude headache kept me from leaving the security of our tent and my sleeping bag. Finally, the feeling went away and we packed up and were on our way back down. The first part of the journey is a path cut into cliffs with sheer drop offs on one side. I’m not a fan of heights, they make me feel a bit “off”. I hugged the inside and felt a whole lot better.

“We met a lone hiker on the way down the upper section of the North Kaibab, who very seriously said to us… “whatever you do, don’t attempt the Old Bright Angel Trail, that trail hasn’t been serviced in over 70 years!”

No worries, we intend to stick with the slightly more traveled corridor trails. But thanks for the chuckle and the warning!”

After making it safely back to Manzanita Falls, we stopped to cool off in the creek and rewrap my blisters which were getting bigger by the second. Other hikers lent us scissors and more moleskin, and a great tape called Leukotape, I highly recommend taking this on long treks.

The heat increased as we descended into the heart of the Canyon. At one point, while we were in “the box”, I said to Steve, it was the hottest I’ve ever felt, hotter than sauna hot. The temp was in the triple digits. We cooled off in the Bright Angel Creek which runs along the bottom half of the trail, the water felt amazing and helped bring our body temps down.

Unfortunately the water wreaked havoc on my already hurting feet. The pain became unbearable with wet socks and I was forced to switch back to flip flops, not ideal footwear on treacherous rocks, but it was better than the torture of the hiking boots. I was glad we had passed the multiple rockslides that blocked the trail which had to be scrambled over.

Upon our welcome return to Phantom Ranch, we found Colleen had rented a cabin. We stowed our gear in the cabin, chatted with the friendly strangers, drank some lemonade, showered, and ate a hearty dinner. We were thankful for all of it.

Even though the cabin felt nice and it would have been amazing to just rest and relax, we were on a mission and needed to get a very early start to beat the heat of the day. We got up at 3:00 am, readied ourselves and our gear and said goodbye to Phantom Ranch in the dark and quietude of the still morning.

Lucky for us, Steve had done a reconnaissance of the Bright Angel Trail the night before. Finding your way in the pitch black night with only headlamps and bats flying in and out of your path is disconcerting and spooky. I kept thinking to myself, are we are on the right trail? I didn’t remember hearing the Colorado River for that long on our hike back in 2014. Your mind starts to play tricks on you. The thought of going off course with how much my feet hurt was intimidating to say the least. Soon though, we passed by a group of other hikers and they assured us we were on the right trail. We found out that one person of the group did actually start her hike up the wrong trail, though she realized it before it was too late to backtrack.

Early morning light on the Bright Angel Trail.

Breakfast anyone?

Getting higher.

More morning light on the Bright Angel Trail.

Feet hurting but other than that, a-ok!

Hiking up Bright Angel Trail. Peace y'all…

Mules taking a rest with a view of the Canyon.

Almost at the top!

Steve, Dora, and I.

We stopped numerous times along this last leg of our trek to rest, and take in last of the beautiful scenery, while enjoying some much needed food, water, and to chat with strangers. Telling everyone we met that we were about to finish hiking 50 miles by doing R2R2R (Rim to Rim to Rim) in the heat of summer in the Grand Canyon for Maggie’s Bucket List. We told them to google MaggiesMission.org and Maggie’s Bucket List to learn more about Maggie and why we do what we do.

Steve carried the Dora rock Maggie’s teacher Dan Barrett had painted for us for approximately 47 miles of our hike. We finally left it at the rest house 1.5 miles from the top, we are hoping someone takes it with them on their journey and hashtag us so we can follow the rock’s exploration, which epitomizes Maggie and her favorite cartoon character when she was just a wee babe.

At the top, in flip flops. It’s almost a week later and I still can’t put on proper shoes.

Warning, graphic photo of some very ugly, hurting feet, after gaining almost 11,550 feet in elevation hiking over 50 miles in the Grand Canyon.

Even though the photo above depicts the small window of suffering I personally endured, it doesn’t compare to the pain and suffering Maggie and children and their families go through every single day after a cancer diagnosis. The treatments are outdated and painful. Chemo causes all kinds of terrible side effects, as does radiation. There is hair loss, sight loss, hearing loss, constant nausea, diarrhea, actual burning of the skin, neuropathy, painful surgery after surgery, and years upon years of life lost.

What we witnessed in our own daughter’s suffering compels us to make change in discovering better treatments options along with the scientists and doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering, while also easing the financial and emotional toll a sick child and their family faces.

Please help us help these children. It’s what Maggie asked us to do before she died. Consider a donation in any amount. Thank you as always for following Maggie’s journey and our journey and for your continued support.

We did it, we survived Maggie’s epic Grand Canyon Bucket List Rim to Rim to Rim Challenge. We wish we could say the same for the many children who die every day from cancer.

Leaving Las Vegas

On the road again. On our way to Grand Canyon National Park. Leaving the ugliness of Las Vegas behind. Driving through the dessert. It conjures up silly sound bites from National Lampoon’s Vacation. Chevy Chase heading off into the desert, muttering “Oh, there’s gotta be a phone or a gas station around here somewhere honey.” That movie and especially that line always made us laugh.

We were hoping to find the same beef jerky we bought for our trip with Maggie 7 years ago but alas couldn’t find it. Our memories are a bit foggy, and so much has changed in the world since then anyway.

Not gonna lie, we are facing the hike with some jitters and butterflies. But we believe we have safely broken up our trek into manageable sections, with two dinners at the Canteen at Phantom Ranch in the bottom of the Canyon - what a treat. Somewhere buried on an old phone is a selfie of our family of four eating there 7 years ago tonight. These fleeting moments in our life that mean so much, never fully grasping in the moment how important they are. “Be here now”… has been an inside joke in our family. But that statement makes so much sense. Enjoy where you are right now because tomorrow it can all be taken away.

Having said that, we should all take care when we can. For safety reasons, we are taking along a device called the SPOT Gen4 Satellite GPS messenger. It has a tracking system. Hopefully, it’ll occasionally catch our 10 minute locator checkins we have it set to. The Canyon can be tricky catching satellite with its high walls. If you feel like following us and getting updates on our journey, click the button below.

We’ll be in touch when internet allows.

We leave for Vegas tonight!

We are excited but filled with yearning and melancholy as we leave for another of Maggie’s Bucket List wishes.

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We can’t remember the exact date we flew to Vegas with Maggie and our family 7 years ago. But, because of videos she took herself, we now know the date of our actual trek down was August 19th, 2014.

Yesterday, we switched our plans and permits around to be able to stay in the same campground on the very same night, 7 long and very different years ago. We called the back country information center yesterday and spoke to Brian. He was very knowledgable, helpful, and rearranged our permits. He also knew a lot about the Canyon, having grown up there. His sister knew the author(s) of a book we bought called ‘Death in the Grand Canyon’, highlighting the many tragedies that have occurred over the Park’s existence. We all read the macabre book together, fascinated by the stories.

Who knew we’d be facing our own tragedy only 2 years later? If you listen to Maggie’s videos, you can hear her talking about rewatching them in a few years. She’ll never get that chance. Seeing her bucket list dreams come true isn’t an option for our adventurous girl. Because you know. Cancer.

It’s going to be an emotional and strenuous hike for us, but one we look forward to. We can realize her dreams, carrying her ashes down to the Colorado River, releasing some there, and keeping her in our thoughts and always in our hearts.

Maggie was full of such excitement for this trip. I guess touched by it in a larger way than we ever imagined, as it made it onto her bucket list.

Though our itinerary has changed somewhat, we are still hiking Rim to Rim to Rim, with some rests in between so we can cherish the natural beauty, magic, and awe that is the Grand Canyon. Even the scorpions, despite Maggie’s fear of them.

We will update when we can and hope to share a satellite link so you can track us on our journey. Stay tuned…

A photo of a scorpion taken by Maggie while on a walk with a Ranger and her dad looking for them under an ultraviolet light. She was fearful but fascinated.

Maggie’s Grand Canyon Bucket List Challenge

HIKE GRAND CANYON AGAIN!

We’re doing it! The second wish on
Maggie’s Bucket List.

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It’s hard to believe it’s been almost 7 years to the day we hiked the Grand Canyon as a family with our son Steven and our only daughter Maggie who was 14 at the time and still healthy. Our world and Maggie’s world changed drastically on August 10, 2016. She complained of major pain in her lower abdominal area, something she never did.

Since that day, nothing has ever been the same in our beautiful family of 4. We will always be 4. But one of us only lives on in our hearts and our memories.

Maggie had an adventurous spirit and active attitude in her life. Her bucket list exudes her hopes and dreams for the future. She made videos of herself from the bottom of the Grand Canyon from our trip. We watched them recently. She said “I can’t wait to watch this 10 years from now.” How can it be she won’t get to listen to it again. How did cancer steal her beautiful, active spirit?

Two years ago, we embarked on a cross country trip filled with connections that felt like Maggie was with us.

This year, we’ve decided to hike the Grand Canyon (again) to renew our pledge to live for her and honor her dying wishes. Hopes for adventure and wishes to help children suffering.

Our journey will take us from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to the North Rim and back again, tracing some of Maggie’s actual footsteps from 2014. We anticipate hiking over 50 miles over the course of two days.

Please help us by donating to our fundraiser or becoming a corporate sponsor of our trip. Follow us on social media for updates about our exciting adventure and stay tuned…

Send Sponsorship inquiries to maggiegivesback@gmail.com

An exciting matching grant opportunity

“Throughout this unprecedented 2020, Maggie’s Mission stands united and driven to finding a cure for pediatric cancer. 
And with an exciting matching grant opportunity, we are so close to raising $1 million for pediatric cancer research. ”

Every year, nearly 16,000 children, teens, and young adults in the United States are diagnosed with cancer. In 2016, our daughter, Maggie, became one of those affected. She passed away on June 1, 2017, from a rare and aggressive pediatric cancer called malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT). Through our foundation, Maggie’s Mission, she leaves behind a legacy of kindness, love, and generosity that is impossible to forget.

We know Maggie would share our tremendous pride in the foundation, which funds innovative pediatric cancer research at MSK Kids, the pediatric program at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Together with family and friends, we have raised nearly $1 million exclusively for pediatric cancer research since we lost Maggie.

Today we ask you to help us reach our goal of raising $1 million for MSK Kids by the end of this year.

Maggie’s Mission supports MSK physician-researcher Alex Kentsis, MD, PhD whose groundbreaking scientific discoveries and developments are bringing hope to families everywhere whose children are diagnosed with MRT. Your support of Maggie’s Mission has helped Dr. Kentsis:

• Initiate a comprehensive research program to define the fundamental causes of MRT and develop life-changing therapies

• Investigate what drives rhabdoid tumor cell survival to reveal a new set of therapeutic targets

Dr. Kentsis studies genetic mutations, which can cause cancer, and epigenetics, which determines how genes express themselves. He has identified a mutation in a gene known as PGBD5 that plays an essential role in triggering rhabdoid tumors and therefore offers a therapeutic target. A drug that can disrupt this genetic malfunction may eliminate cancer. Maggie’s Mission is supporting Dr. Kentsis in his goals to develop therapies that outsmart PGBD5 as well as find additional drug targets in rhabdoid tumors. Since PGBD5 exists in most childhood, and some adult, solid tumors, his work promises far-reaching impact on families everywhere.

This year, our world was changed dramatically by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic forced us to stay home to protect ourselves and our loved ones, but the kids and families dealing with a cancer diagnosis did not have that luxury. They were still struggling getting to appointments, managing treatments, and the stress of having a deadly virus on top of a cancer diagnosis. We’ve thought a lot about how much harder things would have been for Maggie and for our family if she were diagnosed during these unprecedented times.

We miss you so much Maggie, and we will not stop until cures are found.

Cancer has not stopped for COVID-19 — and neither will we. Although we have had to cancel some of our fundraising events to keep our wonderful community safe during the pandemic, pediatric cancer research can't afford a drop in support because kids are still being diagnosed with cancer every day. We are relentless in this effort. And we will not slow our momentum to build a brighter future for kids with cancer. In fact, we have very exciting news to share. To accelerate advances at MSK Kids, friends and supporters of MSK will match Maggie’s Mission donations up to a total of $50,000 through December 14, 2020. In memory of Maggie, and in honor of our progress together, we ask you to renew your support for the foundation. 

Double your impact today — and help us reach our goal of $1 million raised for MSK Kids. 

Don’t forget me...

Today, Saturday, August 1st, marks three years and two months since Maggie left us. So much has happened since that day. Changes in our lives and changes in everyone’s lives. Time seemed unreal and dreamlike when Maggie was first diagnosed, during her treatments, and after she passed. But today, everything feels unreal and dreamlike and not just for us, but now for the entire world.

As we navigate and cope with this new normal, Maggie’s Mission, with the incredible support of friends and community, has been able to continue our foundation’s mission. This means holding true to Maggie’s dying wish to help children suffering. Maggie said to us before she died, “don’t forget me.” It was the song the Red Hot Chili Peppers dedicated to her the first night after meeting her. Through this foundation, Maggie leaves behind a legacy of kindness and love and generosity which is impossible to forget.

The tattoo shown below is Maggie’s cousin Kayla’s. Kayla writes…

“Maggie has been such an inspiration for me throughout my life. I got this tattoo to honor her. ”

Kayla and Maggie at the Jersey Shore a few years ago.

2020 continues to present challenges for all of us, including cancelling or postponing large fundraising events that help keep foundations like Maggie’s Mission going. We had rescheduled our Angelversary Gala for Friday, October 9th, 2020 which was to be held at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, Long Island. However, due to the ongoing situation with the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Maggie’s Mission has made the difficult decision to cancel our Angelversary Gala altogether for this year.

The current plan is to host the Gala next year on Friday, June 4th of 2021 at the Vanderbilt Museum. This is our biggest fundraising event. It’s difficult to predict what next year will hold, but we remain positive that things will take a turn for the better for all of us and that we will be able to move forward.

Despite not being able to host in-person fundraising events, there have been many who have helped us.

Ben and Diane Filingeri, shown below with their daughter Ally at our 2019 Angelversary Gala, recently donated an incredible $14,000 to Maggie’s Mission. We are happy to have people like the Filingeri family supporting Maggie’s Mission always. We can’t thank them enough.

Ben, their daughter Ally, and Diane from the 2019 Maggie’s Mission Angelversary Gala.

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We’re also extremely thankful to Staten Island Yachts for their continued support. With a portion of the proceeds raised from their annual Montauk Canyon Challenge, and the generosity of their participants, many from Gurney’s Star Island Resort & Marina, they raised over $10,000 for Maggie’s Mission!

Some of the team from Staten Island Yachts.

Scott Savage and Dave Yudelson fighting a fish in the Canyon from this year’s tournament.

Fishing during the tournament.

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The Cammarota family, specifically Jack & Ben, who have been longtime MM supporters, helped raise $472 dollars with their car wash.

With their support and your support, Maggie’s Mission has provided numerous meals for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House in NYC. Your generosity has also directly impacted children and their families, like little Avery Moy, diagnosed with stage 4 Rhabdomyosarcoma & currently undergoing chemo and radiation treatment.

And, of course, we continue to fund innovative research into finding cures for pediatric cancer. Stay tuned as we Go Gold in honor of pediatric cancer awareness month in September!

An adorable Avery Moy, who is battling cancer at 3 years old, sporting an MM hat, still smiling through her pain.

Thank you for being on the Maggie’s Mission Team.

And we won’t ever forget you Maggie!

We miss you.

We miss you more than ever Maggie Schmidt.

April 19, 2000 - June 1, 2017

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Today, Friday May 29th should be our third Angelversary gala honoring your life.

Rain is in the forecast, which always feels like a sign from you.

“Maggie - you always loved the rain.
Especially a good thunderstorm. You’d be the first to jump outside to dance in it. We’ll be thinking of you today as we do everyday. Send us a good thunderstorm.”

— Donna, Forever mom to Maggie Schmidt

Your foundation - Maggie’s Mission, was started because of your dying wish to help save other children. Together with Memorial Sloan Kettering, we have worked furiously to find cures using your actual tumors samples and others to find rational therapies which can help save lives.

Ironically, the cancer that killed you, strikes babies and children. It’s a strange twist of fate because everyone that knew you, knew how much you loved babies and children. In any family gathering, we knew where to find you - playing, guiding, holding, and laughing with children.

As a pediatric cancer organization, we’ve seen many innocent lives lost to this cancer. Families forever changed and heartbroken, like ours.

When the scary outbreak of a Covid-19 came crashing into our lives and changed the way we live, fundraising for our foundation had to be placed on temporary hold. Despite that, we will continue to dedicate ourselves towards finding cures. You and all of the other children affected will not have died in vain Maggie! That’s our promise to you.

This weekend we honor your fierce spirit. We love you Maggie and we will never forget you. Our bravest angel.

Happy Birthday Maggie

Today, April 19th, 2020 would be Maggie’s 20th birthday.

It’s hard to put into words how I felt as this milestone day approached and is now here. If you are grieving a loss – any loss, you understand what the “anniversaries” and what special days like birthdays and holidays feel like year round. They bring up memories of what still should be.

“Sometimes the pain is so deep, you feel physically ill, like I do today. My stomach is churning with anxiety and intense dread because of what today should be. It should be Maggie’s 20th birthday. And we should be celebrating.”

— Maggie's mom

Maggie’s dad and I sat eating homemade hummus for dinner last night and knew were she alive, and home, she’d be sitting down with us eating one of her favorite snacks. We wondered what she’d look like now and tried hard to picture her sitting with us. But the Maggie I see in my mind is not the woman she would be today, it’s an image of how I remember her. I imagine she’d be even more beautiful than she was. If that’s possible.

The isolation and current threat of more illness and death hangs like a dark cloud over everything. That cloud sits over us daily since she died, but now feels even darker and heavier. There’s no escaping it by getting out, meeting friends, meeting family, or traveling. There’s just a sad and lonely house. A house where Maggie no longer lives.

I think back to three years ago this very day, when Maggie asked for a huge birthday bash realizing it would be her last. Here is a video from that day. It was probably one of the hardest days ever. Watching our beautiful and brave daughter try and make the best of the worst life can throw at you. There’s a lesson in that, though it’s admittedly hard to follow.

The Angelversary Gala that we have held in honor of Maggie’s dying wish to fund research to find cures for pediatric cancer and to help families has been rescheduled until October 9th. The event takes a year of planning and had to be postponed until the threat has been alleviated. But when will that be?

All of us have had to change course, at least temporarily. This foundation too. During a time that feels helpless, and to honor Maggie’s giving spirit, we implemented The Homebound Virtual Road Trip Challenge.

Maybe you’ll consider participating and supporting in honor of Maggie’s birthday? While we can’t shower Maggie with physical gifts, we can still remember her with gifts that help others.

The fundrasier will help fund food banks, families, and healthcare workers affected by COVID-19.

Steve and I did two videos of our own homebound virtual road trip destinations. We had lots of ideas swirling around that we should have implemented to help motivate but sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated and feel silly in grief. Grief sometimes paralyzes and is a soul crushing weight.

Maybe we will find the energy and strength to do another virtual road trip video today in honor of Mags, but if we don’t, perhaps our followers and supporters will? In the banner photo, Maggie was enjoying her own road and canoe trip in the beautiful Adirondack mountains. One of her favorite places.

Let’s do what we always do, come together in the face of adversity and feel good by doing good. Even if you don’t feel up to participating, please consider a donation of $20 in honor of her 20th.

“When it hurts real bad, don’t give up. When you feel there’s no hope, don’t give up.
”

— Don't Give Up by Southern Avenue

Arhaus - Giving Back on #GivingTuesday

“Furnishing a better world.”

— Arhaus

Arhaus is a United States retail chain that designs and sells home furnishings online and through its retail stores and catalogs. The company is headquartered in Boston Heights, Ohio. As a company, Arhaus believes in giving back.

One of their stores is located right here on Manhasset, Long Island. The location spans across two beautifully renovated buildings – totaling more than 20,000 sq. ft. Having recently visited the Manhasset location in our search to find a new couch, we found we loved the store and their furniture. We were retiring our old couch, the one Maggie grew up on. It had served us well as a family for the 11 years we had it. It’s tragic that Maggie only got to share 9 of those years on it with us. We miss her and her quest for the perfect back flip she would practice over and over again using the chaise to catch her.

On #GivingTuesday, we opened an email from Arhaus asking people to vote for their favorite charity on social media. Having known about Arhaus’ mission to give back, we got busy right away by asking friends, family, and supporters to tag Maggie’s Mission (@maggiegivesback) on Instagram.

Imagine our surprise when Arhaus selected Maggie’s Mission as the winner of their 2019 #GivingTuesday giveaway of $10,000!

Furnishing a home with appealing and functional furniture has always been important to us. We strove to make our house a cozy, warm, and inviting space. We called it being “Cozy Wozy”. To us, it is a home filled with love, a fire always going in our wood stove in the cold of winter, lots of food, and comfortable nooks and crannies to feel secure.

Sadly, cancer came knocking at our door and changed everything. And while our lives are drastically different, there is much that remains the same. There is still that desire to create a nest - a sanctuary away from our troubles and frantic schedules. A place where we can still honor our beautiful daughter, Maggie, and make new memories with our son, Steven and two pups, Cody and Max McCree. And perhaps, most importantly, serve as a place where we can be creative and brainstorm new ideas and visions to help our growing foundation.

After Maggie died, we realized an urgent need for change. It’s the reason our foundation exists. The expert physicians at MSK Kids, Memorial Sloan Kettering’s pediatric program, shared the shocking reality that less than 4% of the federal budget to find cures for cancers goes towards finding cures for pediatric cancers. We’re working to address this by funding pediatric cancer research, bringing awareness to communities across the world, and giving back to help children and families going through every parent’s worst nightmare.

“Thank you Arhaus for filling Maggie’s Mission holiday stocking and for your support which will provide hope to sick and suffering children. With your help, we believe cures can be found. We hope you will follow our journey as we grow.

We have big plans in store!”

— Maggie's Mission

Maggie checking out the contents of her own Christmas stocking.

Thank you!

“At Maggie’s Mission, we are devoted to raising awareness for pediatric cancers, funding cutting-edge research that will improve outcomes for children with cancer around the world, and providing assistance to families and children currently affected.”

Some highlights from 2019, and our year in review.

We held fundraising events to support our mission; hosted meals at the Ronald McDonald House serving families a warm meal and a smiling face; gained many supporters through our incredible, growing community; were honored as keynote speakers at MSK Kids in celebration of our efforts; and traveled cross country for 6,693 miles to honor Maggie’s bucket list. 

Read about a very popular Newsday article written about Maggie, her bucket list, our trip and our family.

In January 2019, Maggie’s Mission was awarded a $300,000 grant by the St. Giles Foundation to help support our research project at MSK Kids, Memorial Sloan Kettering’s pediatric program. St. Giles’ generous contribution will go directly to MSK Kids to further fund the MRT research done by Dr. Alex Kentsis and his team.

While we have always focused on our annual three key fundraising events - Maggie’s Challenge, Maggie’s Mile and the Angelversary Gala, we have been blessed with a band of supporters and volunteers who have created their own fundraising initiatives including, charity basketball games, High School concerts (Music for Maggie), High School plays, Gabby Cava’s Sweet Sixteen, Huntington Matters Charity Poll, Staten Island Yacht’s Fishing Tournament, Callie’s Cafe fundraiser, Jack & Ben’s Lemonade Stand, Bloomingdale’s Shopping Days, and most recently “The Sunshine Girls” who have been wrapping gifts at Walt Whitman Mall.

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Our supporters also organized many Facebook fundraisers! Here are just a few…

Larry Flowers dedicated his Houston Texas Ironman competition to Maggie’s Mission and exceeded his fundraising goal by raising over $5,000.

Greyson Mignone and his family raised $6,710 on his Facebook fundraiser for Maggie’s Challenge and even more via online donations which equaled almost $11,000!

Kelly Anne Brown raised $6,555 in honor of their son Lucas Brown, who was diagnosed with the same cancer Maggie had - Malignant Rhabdoid Tumors. Unfortunately Lucas, who loved his mom, dad and dinosaurs, passed away on August 10th, less than one month away from what should have been his first birthday.

We are so inspired by this community who continue to grow and re-envision what Maggie’s Mission means to them. With your support, we were so grateful to donate an additional $125,000 in November 2019 to MSK Kids for their ongoing MRT research that Dr. Alex Kentsis is spearheading.

And our efforts didn’t stop there and won’t stop there! Below is a breakdown of where other donations have gone to help us reach our Foundation’s goals. We hope you’ll continue to help us! Keep the momentum going strong - by sharing our story, volunteering and staying connected to our efforts. We couldn’t do what we do without all of you!

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Looking forward - mark your calendar!

As a member of the Maggie’s Mission family, save these dates for our upcoming 2020 events. 

Maggie’s Mile – Wed., Jan. 1, 2020 at 10am at Sunken Meadow State Park, Kings Park

Music for Maggie – Fri., May 1, 2020 at 6:30pm at Harborfields High School, Greenlawn

Maggie’s Mission Angelversary Gala – Fri., May 29, 2020, 6-10pm at The Vanderbilt Museum, Centerport

Maggie’s Challenge – Fall 2020

“Every day, we grow more grateful for our community, inspired by those still fighting, and determined to bring about an end to pediatric cancers. Thank you for all of your support, and all we will accomplish together.”

— Maggie's Mission

Gabby Cava’s Sweetest 16!

Gabby Cava is a beautiful, graceful, young Harborfields student who was diagnosed with Signet Ring Cell Carcinoma in 2017.

We have been following Gabby’s journey and getting to know her and her amazing family over the past year and a half. We’ve been able to offer Gabby and her family support through Maggie’s Mission, while also building a close, personal connection with the entire Cava family.

Gabby is also one of Maggie’s Mission’s biggest fans. She follows us on social media and has posted selfies sporting “Maggie Gear” online, complete with the peace sign - a Challenge activity from our Maggie’s Challenge fundraiser. To have Gabby follow us is truly a blessing. Part of why we are here is to offer hope and healing to children, young adults and their families. We’re glad and filled with joy to be able to do that.

Gabby’s cancer is very rare and aggressive. If you would like to learn more about Gabby and follow her journey with cancer, click here: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/gabbycavabeatscancer

Gabby’s doctors weren’t sure if Gabby would make it to celebrate her special, milestone birthday. Through her family’s tireless dedication to finding the best doctors and treatment options and Gabby’s own personal strength, Gabby celebrated her 16th birthday on Friday, August 9th.

In lieu of presents, Gabby selflessly asked that donations be made to Maggie’s Mission. Gabby and her parents - Dave and Audra, invited us to attend. We felt grateful and fortunate to be included. It was a spectacular, gorgeous day and evening. Gabby looked radiant and glowing in her lovely pink gown and tiara. It was magical to not only witness but also feel Gabby, her family and ourselves surrounded by people filled with hope, love and kindness.

Friends and family came from far and wide to enjoy this very special young woman’s birthday. About 200 people filled the Cava family’s yard and much fun was had. Guests brought donations and purchased some “Maggie Gear” (Merchandise) too. Well over $6,000 was raised! Amazingly, the donations are still rolling in!

Thank you Gabby for being you! We love you and have a huge respect for your family and for your kind and generous soul.

Gabby’s family left on Sunday for a delayed and much anticipated trip to Rome, Italy, sponsored by Make-A-Wish. Gabby’s dad Dave shared this wonderful update on his Facebook page. We share it here because it illustrates the beauty and grace that is this family.

“We’re pretty tired, but it’s been a great start to our trip! Rome is incredible - so much history here that you can’t help but feel very connected to humanity.

But maybe the best part was at dinner. A man was eating behind us by himself and when he finished he came up to us and said “I am from Australia, and I have worked in the hospitality industry for 20 years. Never have I seen so much love at a table. You give me hope.” All we were doing was eating dinner. I didn’t know what to say and still don’t. But to anyone reading this I would say don’t feel too sorry for us. We may be poor with health but we are rich with love... and that is better.
We are blessed.”

We wish you and your family the very best on your trip to Italy. Enjoy every minute, your family deserves that and so much more. Prayers for good news on your upcoming scan in Germany. God Bless.

6693 Miles for Maggie - we are home.

Our 17 day journey covering 6,693 miles cross country to honor Maggie’s bucket list was bittersweet. We cried on our way out, cried in between and cried going home. We’ve come to accept that this is our new norm.

Pulling into our driveway was a reminder of Maggie’s absence. Her closed curtains on her bedroom window. The bedroom where Maggie should still be. It’s the one on the right in the photo above.

Some may find this strange, but we had considered printing a life size structured photo of Maggie to put in her bedroom window. It might freak some people out, but it might also bring smiles and if she can see it, to her too. Maggie enjoyed and embraced her sense of silliness, with a tragic dose of some serious reality thrown in towards the end of her life.

This town and our home is also a reminder of her presence, as Steve pointed out shortly before we arrived home. It’s that feeling that will most likely keep us cemented here in Greenlawn, despite there being a few towns in our travels we felt we could have settled into.

During the trip, we both tried to honor and embrace her sense of fun, as some of you may have seen if you were following our posts. On our last day of driving, we recorded the intimidating trucks all around us to the tune of an old song called ‘Convoy’ and did some video editing on the fly to make the clip look vintage. We laughed. It was a wonderful distraction to what felt like an endless drive.

We arrived home late Tuesday evening, our son Steven was happy to see us and so were our dogs - Cody and Lorie. Steven did a great job of holding down the fort while we were gone. We had invited him to come along for the trip too but he declined, saying that it might remind him of he and his dad’s fateful camping trip out west to visit some of the national parks in August, 2016. That was when Maggie first got sick and almost died from blood loss from what they thought was a burst cyst that hemorrhaged. Their trip was cut short abruptly.

There are so many triggers and emotional fallouts from her illness and death - most of them almost impossible to recover from. Memories of better times haunt us too, especially those that closely preceded her cancer.

Today is one of those days. It’s Donna’s 53rd birthday. She was born in 1966, so many years ago. Maggie’s dying words which we’ve mentioned before ring in our heads - “Mom, you got to do so much in your life”.

It’s hard to grasp the concept that Maggie died just after her 17th birthday. If you do the math, 53 is more than three times the age Maggie was when she died. That simple math hurts.

The photo of her above was taken three years ago today on Donna’s 50th birthday while staying in an old Victorian B&B, called Tumblin Falls in the Catskill Mountains. The falls sit on the owners private property and are closed to the public. Maggie and her cousin Delia did an impromptu photo shoot there. Even though you don’t see her face, it has become one of our favorite photos. To us, it demonstrates her strength, eternal beauty, and poise.

Her boyfriend at the time didn’t appreciate the photos that she shared on her social media but that didn’t stop her. Her independence shone through always.

It’s easy to feel sorry for ourselves as we navigate life without our only daughter, but this simple sign, seen on a stop during our trip sends a positive message that no matter how sad we are, we have a purpose in this life. To fulfill not only Maggie’s bucket list but to honor her dying wish to help other children.

“So far. So good. ”

In a little while, we will head to the post office and send another hurting family a donation. One that we hope helps them at least a little bit in their difficult journey against the awful monster of a disease that is pediatric cancer.

#MaggieGivesBack

5000+ Miles for Maggie - homeward bound.

Today marks the 16th day of our journey honoring Maggie’s bucket list road trip. We are currently driving through Indiana, just south of Chicago. Funny to be thinking we are almost home. If you have been following our trip, you’d know our first day of driving took us quite far - from New York to Wisconsin. Can we do the same today? Make it home? We hope so. We are both tired and weary of driving.

On Saturday night, July 14th, we stopped in Salt Lake City and spent a nice evening having dinner with Jason, his wife Brooke, and their children Eli and Lucy. Eli is below, eager to get closer to the peacocks which occupy the gardens surrounding the remote restaurant. Taggart’s Grill is nestled in a picturesque high desert canyon in scenic Morgan, Utah, along the Weber River. While waiting for our table, we skipped rocks and watched a hummingbird flitting over the river catching bugs.

If you can read the sign next to Eli, it states that the area is closed due to the high presence of rattlesnakes. Yikes!

The Lynch family are Mormons, and Sunday is Temple day, so we got an early start and hit the road again - driving through the Rocky Mountains, then onto the flat landscape that is Nebraska.

There were ominous clouds on the horizon while driving through parts of Nebraska, which although scary, were exciting to see from a distance. These formations didn’t appear to turn into anything more than rain. While it would have been kind of cool to see a tornado, we realize the dangers they represent.

On Sunday night, we stayed in another Airbnb in Omaha, Nebraska. It was in a dicey area but we stayed safe and considered it just a bed for the night. In the morning, we went for a quick run around the somewhat rundown neighborhood and headed out on the road once more.

Steve took this interesting photo of the expansive and somewhat monotonous landscape we drove through.

Monday’s drive was short to Frankfort, Illinois, with a plan to spend the night in yet another Airbnb. Part of Frankfort included a pretty, historic, and charming downtown. We stopped into a really nice guitar shop - Down Home Guitars, looking at their expansive collection of eclectic instruments. After talking with Steve, co-owner of the shop, we found we had just missed the town’s annual Bluegrass Festival. Too bad.

We shared our story with Steve about our loss of Maggie, the foundation we started, the instruments he sells, and Maggie’s and our connection with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Afterwards, we ate at a nice Mexican Restaurant and then headed to our digs for the night, which consisted of a private bedroom in a pretty, suburban neighborhood a few blocks from the historic district in Frankfort, IL.

Staying in an Airbnb can be strange in that you are, at times, literally occupying space in a stranger’s house. When your host is home, it can be uncomfortable. Luckily, our hosts were hospitable and friendly. Their place was beautiful and our stay was more luxurious than any hotel we could afford.

The views were dreamy too. Maggie would have approved. While Maggie could rough it with the best, she also appreciated luxury. Don’t we all?

It was raining when we awoke and despite our talk of fitting in a run, we decided against it and hit the road by 8:00 am.

The GPS is telling us we will be home by 10:10 pm tonight. Hoping that’s accurate and the rest of our drive is smooth and our bladders behave.

We realize though that the road can be unpredictable, much like our lives.

5000 Miles for Maggie - Atlantic to the Pacific!

For the record, with our reroute to head further west to the Pacific, it looks like our trip might be closer to 6,000 miles or more for Maggie.

After meeting with our friend Jessica, her son Beau and their friend Ian in Spokane, we headed to Snoqualmie Pass - a rather quiet town sandwiched in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State and not unlike a rather bizarre TV show we’ve watched called Twin Peaks. There were real life characters and plots that would have fit right in with that show.

The scenery was spectacular despite the eery fog and dense clouds that surrounded the mountain tops. We slept at an Airbnb we happened upon and spent two interesting evenings there. The first night in a very cozy bed on an outside deck. Surprisingly, the sleep was restorative. Sleep doesn’t always come easy, but it did that night.

Rufous hummingbirds were buzzing all around when we awoke. Donna has always held these birds in high regard, so it was special seeing them in such large numbers, sipping home-made fresh nectar from the multiple feeders that hung around the deck. Below is a male Rufous, with another bird in the background coming in for a feed, and possibly a fight, because hummingbirds are highly territorial.

While staying there, we learned very serendipitously that a town - Roslyn, Washington, where the show Northern Exposure was filmed was just a 1/2 hour drive away. Our Maggie was named after the strong, independent, and capable female bush pilot from the TV series. The name certainly fit, as Maggie held all of those qualities. How odd that we would happen upon this area? The location of the series was really supposed to be in a small Alaskan Town called Cicely. Maggie also had ‘See the Northern lights’ on her bucket list, as well as ‘experiencing a full day of night’. Alaska was her chosen location to experience both. We were told that the Airbnb we stayed in was also known to catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights from time to time.

The Pacific Crest Trail cuts through Snoqualmie Pass. We did a short 5 mile hike on the trail and met some thru hikers at a local eatery named the Aardvark Café - basically a trailer and tent outside to sit down and eat, alongside route 906. We chatted with them about their travels and were interested to hear their trail names which all thru hikers seem to acquire. I copy and paste a bit of information about the “PCT” as it is called here. The trail is 2,650 miles and it generally takes the entire snow-free season to walk. That's about 5 months. Elite athletes who are experienced on the PCT have finished the trail in as little as two months. Steve hiked a large section, approximately 500 or 600 miles of the trail, in 1993 - way before starting our family.

This trip, with very little planning, apart from seeing the Peak to Sky music festival in Big Sky, Montana, has held lots of coincidences and interesting connections to Maggie, our family and our past.

The PCT hikers above have an arduous journey ahead of them. Our bucket list road trip for Maggie seems easy comparatively speaking. But, living the rest of our lives without our only daughter Maggie is an entirely different arduous journey and for us, feels like a harder one.

Yesterday, we finally arrived at the Pacific Ocean. It wasn’t easy making it there, adding on a huge loop of driving on slow roads. We know nothing about the coastline of the West, but knew we wanted to release some of Maggie’s ashes there. Finally, in the late afternoon, we found an expansive beach that felt fitting for Maggie.

After leaving the coastline, we turned around and started to head back East. We contemplated stopping in Portland but other forces compelled us to drive further west to Hood River in Oregon. Hood River is filled with adventure seeking people and multiple opportunities for outdoor activities. Today, we did a 30 mile bike ride along the Columbia River Gorge. It was challenging but just enough to work out the kinks from so many hours of driving.

Tomorrows miles should lead us to Salt Lake City in Utah, where we will meet up with Jason Lynch and his family. Jason is an elite runner who we have hosted twice in our home for the Cow Harbor 10k in Northport, NY. We wish he had gotten to meet Maggie, but she died before we ever met him. Jason has been following our story and Maggie’s Mission, including this bucket list road trip. He reached out to us and we are excited to see him and meet his family.

5000 Miles for Maggie - Montana’s Big Sky and everything Maggie is missing.

This was Maggie a few weeks before she died. She had just gotten out of Stony Brook Hospital to help manage the dehydration and severe pain she was experiencing. As soon as we arrived at the Stony Brook ER, the nurses used a pain medication to spray up her nose. That seemed to help her greatly. They also upped the meds she had been getting via her double lumen port and bag she carried around for the last few months of life. One bag held fluids, one held pain meds. She came home calm and wanting to have company for the first time in a long time. We suppose she felt her time here was coming to an end.

In this photo which some of you have seen before, she is holding baby Alexa, born just 12 days earlier. Alexa brought Maggie a peace none of us could provide. These images are haunting. As her parents, we can almost see into her thoughts. It feels as if she was contemplating her own death and everything she would never get to do, like having children and so much more. Maggie loved babies and children. Despite watching our only daughter slowly die, it’s hard imagining what she must have felt like.

You have all read Maggie’s bucket list by now, this trip is meant to honor her list. After she died, family and friends got together and did a clothing drive for a local homeless shelter. Maggie would have been proud. This road trip across the US was one we felt we could do now.

The Peak to Sky Music Festival was always our ultimate goal. Some members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers were there, amongst many other talented and well known musicians. Josh Klinghoffer and the band met Maggie during their Get Away tour in Madison Square Garden in NYC. The band invited her to any concert she could attend on the tour and sought to connect with her after the meeting, inviting her back the next night. We couldn’t go as we had other plans to ‘get away’. The song “Don’t Forget Me” was sung by Anthony Kiedis and dedicated to Maggie. Maggie got to see the band two more times in Florida while she was very sick. In fact, she had already been told she wouldn’t survive long. But Maggie was strong! She exhibited incredible determination making it to these two shows.

Josh Klinghoffer visited our home on Long Island. We shared dinner. He also took Maggie out for ice cream after dinner. Maggie explained to Josh that she was dying and told him she worried about us all after she was gone. She was right to worry. Living without her has proven to be something akin to a living nightmare - one from which you never awake.

When Maggie died, Josh was present for the wake and funeral. He has been like a guardian angel to our family. In fact, the entire band has been extraordinary.

On the way to Big Sky, we stopped along the Gallatin River to release some of Maggie’s ashes. We cried and prayed. Praying that she is somehow with us and that we will see her again. Maggie Schmidt forever…

Josh, always the gentleman and friend, had some time before the concert to reach out and spend some quality time with us. It is healing to be with friends and family who knew her and to share our love of Maggie. Those connections are like a lifeline for us.

The concert and evening in Big Sky was a blast! Legendary artists gathered to perform classic covers.

Music is healing. Nature too.

The day after the concert, we took a day trip from Bozeman, MT (where we have been staying in the Airbnb RV affectionately named “Harvey” to Yellowstone National Park. The park was crowded on what must have been one of the busiest summer weekends. Thankfully, we found a knowledgable young Ranger in the visitor center who directed us off the beaten path to a quiet trail that led to a spectacular waterfall. We ran 3 miles in on what was a mostly flat trail, then descended down into a gorge to the waterfall.

Altogether the hike was over 9 miles. It was challenging but breath taking. We hadn’t planned ahead and brought very little water and nothing to eat. However, the weather was kind to us and we arrived back to our car tired and contented.

Today, we are heading out to extend our trip. Technically, Maggie’s bucket list included “to drive cross country in a car.” We’ve come to feel it wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Pacific Ocean.

Our trip has been financed with the money Steve earns as a teacher, as well as Donna’s savings from the money she earns as a freelance graphic designer.

We have met old friends and some new on this trip. Donna belongs to Facebook Bereavement groups online. It helps her to connect with others. Jessica Breeze is one of those moms. She lives in Spokane, WA. Jessica’s daughter, Caitlin, was killed by a boater who had been drinking all day and lied about being the driver that day on Lake Coeur d’Alene in 2016. Two of Caitlin’s friends Justin Honken and Justin Luhr were also killed. It is an awful story and hard to comprehend truly unless you have been through it. Tonight, we arrive in Spokane where we will meet Jessica and share memories and stories of our beautiful daughters and journeys.

There will be tears. How can there not be? We’ve lost something so precious to all of us. Our child.

5000 Miles for Maggie - we made it!

Badlands National Park and Mt. Rushmore National Monument was our ultimate goal for this segment of the trip.

Driving on I90, we stopped at a unique and welcoming rest stop between exits 263 and 265. Complete with an interpretive center, featuring displays and information about the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1803 - 1806, which took the explorers through what is now South Dakota. We have always been interested and intrigued by their story and history since Steve read the book “Undaunted Courage“ by Stephen Ambrose. The rest stop is situated on a bluff, overlooking the Missouri River. Lewis & Clark and their dog Seaman (a Newfoundland) camped here on their long journey. According to the journal entries, the dog was overheated and Lewis brought Seaman down to the river to cool off. Miraculously, the dog accompanied them on their entire journey, and was the only animal to complete the trip. You can read more about Seaman’s incredible story here. And of course, check out the book to read of the entire expedition.

Above is a 50 foot steel statue of a Native American woman located at the interpretive center, sculpted by Dale Lamphere. It was built to honor the cultures of the Lakota and Dakota people. Her name is Dignity of Earth and Sky.

We intended to drive into and through the Badlands National Park. Unfortunately, there were severe thunderstorms which forced us to change our plans. But not before we got a glimpse into the rugged, natural beauty of the area.

To our surprise, just outside the entrance to the park, there was an original Prairie homestead belonging to Mr. and Mrs. Ed Brown, consisting of 160 acres. It was another historic reminder of the prairies past. Period clothes were available to borrow for photo ops. Since we had our Laura Ingalls dress and bonnet already, Steve borrowed some overalls and hat and together we had fun pretending to be homesteaders. Here are some shots from that day.

Prairie dogs covered the property with their burrows and were barking at us to stay away from their pups which were everywhere. This sweet little guy appeared to have a problem with his paw.

Mt. Rushmore National monument, located near Rapid City, South Dakota was socked in with rain and storms, so we had to skip seeing it. Our night in Rapid City wasn’t as pleasant a stay and we decided to get an early start and head out on the road again with our sights set on Montana.

The drive was beautiful, with expansive skies filled with storms and cloud formations unlike anything we see on Long Island.

Our original intention was to sleep in our car but thus far, that hasn’t happened. We are new to Airbnb and are thankful we found the service. It’s easy to book a stay and the hosts have been wonderful. Airbnbs are generally less expensive than hotels. “Harvey” the RV has been our home away from home for the last two nights. Mitch, our host, has been kind, excellent and accommodating. We spent July 4th (one of Maggie’s favorite holidays and usually spent at the Jersey Shore) in downtown Bozeman Montana with him. Live country music played and Mitch, Steve and I danced and had a fun time. Exhausted from our travels, we settled down early, completely missing even a single firework.

Bozeman is beautiful! Big sky vistas, wilderness and nature abound, with endless nature trails to take it all in. Steve and I went for a run in the morning on some of these trails, which literally start from the property we are staying on, followed by a 15 mile mountain bike ride courtesy of Mitch, our host and guide of Bozeman. It was spectacular.

We ended last night with a beautiful sunset on top of “Pete’s Hill” accessible via the trail from the RV. The picture above doesn’t do the sunset justice. It’s been a long time since I picked up my camera. I just haven’t had the heart to use it since Maggie got sick and died. I brought it on this trip. I had to. What’s a trip like this without photographic memories? I aim to fine tune my sunset and sunrise photography skills after last night’s failed attempt to capture what was one of the most beautiful sunsets we have seen. Maggie would have loved being here.

Today, we will be off to see the Peak to Sky music festival in Big Sky, Montana. Looking forward to a great lineup of musicians and to see Josh Klinghoffer and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Josh and the band are generous, compassionate people who have supported Maggie, our family and our foundation.

5000 Miles for Maggie - it’s a beautiful country.

Maggie’s bucket list.

We found her list after she died. We believe it was written before she got sick. We wish she was here to ask her that question for so many obvious reasons but she isn’t. When we found it, we felt inspired to cross off at least some or all of her bucket list items.

This is her road trip...

After getting a late start on Sunday, June 30th, leaving at 9:30 from our home in Greenlawn, NY, we had a loose goal of making it somewhere near the area of Chicago. However, when a friend reached out via social media from Wisconsin offering us a place to stay, we pushed on through 1,100 miles of driving to end up near Marshfield, Wisconsin at around 2:15 a.m. central time. A tiring journey but nothing akin to Maggie’s journey with cancer.

We stayed two nights and are thankful for their friendship. It was nice to stay with people who had actually known Maggie and whom Maggie liked.

Despite not having a solid plan, things seem to be falling into place, perhaps Maggie is guiding us in some way. We’d like to believe she is. We visited the birthplace of Laura Ingalls in Pepin, Wisconsin. As a family, we would watch ‘Little House’ together. Maggie was enchanted with the show and the glimpse into the lives of another family living life so differently in a bygone era.

On our way to Laura’s birth place, we travelled a beautiful and remote backcountry road. We came across the majestic bald eagle shown above.

When Maggie was younger, probably the same age as Laura Ingalls in the early days of the TV show, she asked me for a time period dress. We got one on Etsy in time for Christmas. In that dress, Maggie volunteered with the local Historical Association at Gardiner’s Farm in Greenlawn. Gardiner’s Farm was built in the 1750s, over 100 years before Laura Ingalls was even born! Born in 1867, Laura lived to the ripe old age of 90.

Maggie and her mom hosted local school trips to Gardiner’s Farm. Maggie taught the children about what farm life was like, what children back then used as toys, and what they did for entertainment.

At the museum, we purchased a historical dress and bonnet. Donna modeled it today on our trip for fun, as well as to honor and embrace Maggie’s spirit.

Our stop for the night was in Renner, South Dakota in an adorable Airbnb cabin hosted by Pamela Hoffman. We are 15 minutes from Sioux Falls, SD. The view here is beautiful, with farmland as far as the eye can see.

We’ve logged around 1700 miles driving so far. Today, we set off for the Badlands National Park and Mt. Rushmore National Monument. Stay tuned for updates and more photos! Thanks for supporting us on this bittersweet road trip and our difficult journey without her. We miss you Maggie Schmidt.