By: Caroline Gill Rifold
Ahoy there from the Faithfully Fearless Flamingos of 2011! It’s hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since our Rainbow Cruise Across the Seas. From our sparkly red dresses to the Bon Voyage Bash the weekend was filled with so much love and happy memories. It was the perfect culmination of a year spent traveling and supporting service projects. We were blessed to have raised over $66,000 for Kristie’s Foundation, a non-profit supporting families navigating pediatric hospice and end-of-life transitions. In addition to the financial contributions, rainbow girls, alumni, and supported stepped up and donated over 100 units of blood in the 1st annual Kassie Lee Memorial Blood Drive.
Despite it only feeling like a short moment has passed since our incredible Rainbow Cruise, the 32 faithfully fearless flamingos have experienced much growth and change over the past 15 years. Many of us have found partners and have welcomed chicks (or baby-mingos as we like to call them). Some of us have moved away from our dear state, while others have purchased homes and set their roots in California. We have taken many of the leadership and life skills that we learned from our time in Rainbow and graduated with college degrees and certifications. We are strong women leading the world as lawyers, nurses, teachers, engineers, and mothers. Many of us are still involved in Rainbow, supporting the next generation of amazing Rainbow girls and some of us have gone on to find sisterhood and brotherhood in our adult masonic supporting organizations.
After a virtual 10-year reunion due to Covid-19 we are so excited to gather in Visalia to reminisce and catch-up. It will be sad to not receive love and hugs from our dear Mr. and Mrs. Martin but we will forever be thankful for the bond of sisterhood they helped create amongst our flock. We wish the Compassionate Lion Cubs and all of California Rainbow an incredible Grand Assembly!
