We are frequently amazed and humbled by the enthusiasm that so many members of the Fragile X community demonstrate when they take a big idea and turn it into a successful reality. Two of these remarkable people are Missy and Mark Zolecki of Plainfield, Illinois. Missy and Mark, along with Gail Harris-Schmidt, lead the . The group’s goals include increasing awareness about Fragile X in SW Chicago, creating opportunities for families to connect with each other, and raising much needed dollars for the NFXF, the FX clinic at Rush University, and for educational seminars for local parents and professionals.
This past August, the group held its 3rd annual golf event. The day was an outstanding success in more ways than one. As Missy said, “I am struggling to accurately summarize the feelings we had that day, but as Mark and I sat on our porch that night, tears came to my eyes thinking of how awesome I felt. At that point, we had no idea what the “bottom line” was, but it didn’t really matter. The impact made that day far exceeded our expectations, and I guarantee everyone there left that day with a smile, and were fired a few times!” Matt’s (Missy and Mark’s son) favorite saying to everyone is “You’re fired!” and he was a hit with the golfers as he proceeded to give fist pumps and “fire” everybody on the course.
Well-deserved recognition and thanks go to sponsors Gail and Steve Schmidt, Tic Toc, Ann Harris, and ODM Tool and the incredible volunteers who made the day run seamlessly. Special thanks to Tracey Vogen who provided a delicious array of cupcakes, cookies and layered chocolate desserts for the evening dinner. And sweet thanks to Patti Depoe and her secret recipe X-shaped cookies that were enjoyed by the golfers.
Holly Usrey-Roos, who despite losing a dozen golf balls, had this glowing report on the event, “I’m so impressed with how well-organized the day was. Everywhere I went, people were smiling and enjoying themselves. Missy and Mark went above and beyond to make sure that everyone had a great time, and I can’t imagine they won’t be back again next year!”
Thank you Missy, Mark and the Fragile X LINKS Group of Chicago!
Membership Matters!
You may have received an email (or two!) or a giant postcard recently inviting you to become an official member of the NFXF. Why? Because membership really does matter to us! And we know it will matter to you, too, once you join! We count on our members to tell us what we need to know to keep doing a good job for the FX community. So please sign up today! Just go to: membership.fragilex.org
If you’re not sure about your membership status, please send an email to membership@fragilex.org and we’ll get right back to you!