Dear Heidi,
I first want to thank the Jack & Jill Late Stage cancer foundation for giving us a wonderful memory, that I would have never been able to give my son. What a wonderful organization! I want to thank you, Heidi, for all the time and effort you put into making all the arrangements for us. I don't have the words to tell you how fantastic the trip was! I want to thank the Ritz-Carlton for your gracious hospitality. I would like to especially thank the general manager, Greg Mendosa, the front office manager, Abdel Chahi and Ellie Restler of guest relations. You and your staff were so attentive to us. You made a poor, single mother with cancer feel like a movie star. I would never be able to afford to stay in such a luxurious hotel room. The fruit and chocolate, Status of Liberty was such a special touch, and very tasty too! It was so lovely to have the drivers to take us to all our events. Please thank Goldcrest transport for us. I have been telling all my friends how wonderful it was to have these busy executives greeting us every time we came through the door. I was so pleasantly surprised that Miss Ellie left us a lovely note, and the CD music tracks, when we came back from the Broadway shows. It was above and beyond! Having access to the Club was so neat! It made me feel like I was an executive! The food was so beautifully displayed and delicious! I was so touched, when Miss Ellie invited us to eat in the restaurant. I was so impressed, the managers went out of their way to speak to us again. I don't remember our waiters name, but he did an excellent job! I couldn't help thinking how lucky we were, getting to eat a top New York chefs food. It was fabulous! I ordered scallops and they just melted in my mouth. Compliments to the chef! Our whole experience of staying at the Ritz-Carlton will be unforgettable!
Thank you again! I want to thank the Kelly and Michael show. I think this was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We were sat in the front row. It was so neat to see a television set being prepared for taping and all that goes on. Kelly and Michael were so friendly to us. They spoke to us during the commercials and Michael gave me an awesome hug! Getting to go to the green room and speak to them was so cool! They made us feel so comfortable. They were so easy to talk to. I still can't get over Kelly doing the annual run up the Empire state building. And did I mention I loved Michael's hugs! Thank you for the gifts of the shirt, cups and hats! It was so fun to watch ourselves on TV too! I was so grateful to get to meet Michael, Kelly and Gelman! Thank you so much!
I would like to thank the Spiderman Broadway show for your donation of the tickets to a fantastic show. Thank you for taking us on a tour of the workings behind the scenes. It was so fascinating and I felt so privileged! I would also like to thank the Lion King Broadway show for the donation of the tickets. The costumes were amazing! I would like to thank the Circle Line Cruise for a very relaxing afternoon on the Hudson river. There were lots of great facts and sites of New York! I thank Jet Blue for our flight transportation to and from New York. Going to New York City was on my bucket list. I never thought I would get to see it in such a grand way. I thank God for the Jack & Jill foundation and giving us such a wonderful opportunity! Blessings to you all! Michelle Maples
PS: I apologize for the delay in getting this email out to you. It was just so hard to put into words how grateful I am for this experience.