Hello California Rainbow Girls, adults and alumni,

I wanted to take a moment to share a few thoughts after #CAIORG’s takeover of Disneyland.  In gathering my thoughts I’m reminded that sometimes it is better to start at the beginning.

In 2015, our Leadership Team hosted our first Leadership Summits.  They came up with the idea of having the girls share their dreams for California Rainbow through a Dream Board.  Our members shared their ideas, and yes, their dreams and they saw that there was a real interest for CAIORG to go to Disneyland.  The idea gathered support from that team and their alumni and our first Disneyland takeover in 2016 was created, executed and supported by this amazing group of young women and adults.  It was a huge success and immediately the call came for when we would go again.  The Leadership Team listened and incorporated the request into their strategic plan and Disneyland 2.0 was born.  I share this with you to show the amount of time and dedication that goes into planning an event like this but also to show that there is always an on-going effort to expand our engagement of our members, increase their opportunities for leadership development and to just have fun.  #serviceleadershipsisterhood

The opportunity then became how do we make this a day of providing more opportunities for our members and alumni with a goal of learning, sisterhood, and fun.  Many hours have been spent, many forms completed and emails answered to make Disneyland 2.0 happen.  While I know that those, I am about to recognize, invest in CAIORG because they love it and know the impact it can have and do not seek any acknowledgment, it is important for all of us to take a moment and reflect on the efforts that were taken to make it happen.

To our members – your investment of time, laughter and learning provide your adults and alumni with so much joy. My hope is that you gained new insight into what a leader is and how to market your own personal brand, that you have memories that will last a lifetime and above all that you know that the investment of time, love and dedication is for each of you

To our alumni – your continued investment in CAIORG through the sharing of your gifts and talents helps us to provide a unique and engaging opportunity for our girls to build lifelong friendships and understand the meaning of giving and leading.  My hope is that you gained joy from the investment of your time and resources in our girls, that you spent time with the lifelong friends that you made during your time as an active member in Rainbow and experienced the fun of being with young ladies who are following in your footsteps.

To our chaperones – your investment of the care of our girls elevates you to the unsung hero status of those I need to thank.  The hours of driving, coordinating, completing forms and coordination of girls and adults are sometimes taken for granted … please know that today I know that without each of you Disneyland 2.0 could not happen.  My hope for you is that once again you saw that your investment into our girls is one of your greatest gifts. The magic of Rainbow happens because of you and your investment of heartbeats each and every day.

To our PR Team – your investment in capturing our adventure adds to the magic of the day.  It provides us with moments to remember, reflections of friendships and endless opportunities to share our experience with others.  My hope is that you realize the impact your investment makes in those moments when no one seems to see the effort and time you put into creating a visual history of CAIORG …. And YOU GOT THE GROUP PICTURE!!!!!

To our Training Team – your investment of time and support of the program enabled us to provide this opportunity.  I know it was a hot day, to say the least, but your gift of time and enthusiasm helped us create a learning environment for our members.  My hope for you is that you not only saw our girls for the leaders that they are but through the process, you gained knowledge and inspiration that you can take with you.

To our Lost Boy Leaders – your investment in the safety and care of our girls did not go unnoticed.  Your gift of time provided me with the reassurance that our attendees would have a safe place to go if the need arose.  My hope is that you enjoyed being able to sit down (again it was a hot day) and spend time with others and possibly make a new friend.

To husbands, partners and family members – your investment of missed weekends, financial concessions and time away from family is deeply appreciated.  You are the support that helps each of us invest in Rainbow… and yes that means you Mr. Regier and all those like you.

To the one, the only California’s Leadership Team – your investment is what makes this day possible.   You continue to amaze me with your vision, leadership, and execution of your goals.  The attention to details and commitment to #finishingstrong are examples of a team that works together to reach the goal.  The logistics of coordinating almost 500 attendees, over 200 girls in training, registration, paperwork, emails, conference calls, newsletters, problem-solving and day-of coordination to meet the needs of those who came is only a small sample of the effort it took to make the day a reality.  So, the shout out goes to you: Dejah, Caroline, Jessica, Laura, Nicole, Kathy and to our youth members Ellie, Joy, Katie and Megan. My hope is that you understand that you make a difference in the story of California Rainbow and your investment of heartbeats brings opportunities to the many that you seek to serve.

In closing, my heart is once again humbled and grateful for all who helped to make Disneyland 2.0 a day to remember.  I once heard it said that you shouldn’t let a frame of mind frame you in … you each invested in what was once a dream, shared on a board, written by a young lady who was willing to risk someone saying, “No we can’t do that!” and you walked through the doubt and worked through many obstacles and YOU truly did make dreams come true…

Sealed investing heartbeats,

Mrs. Regier

Just a few pictures to share in addition to the many each of you shared … My memories start here!