Kristine Knudson
Software Tester, TD Williamson
Each year, I try donating some time to volunteer for T.D. Williamson’s United Way activities. I also donate money for this wonderful cause.
This year was a very special one!
In addition to our SLC efforts, our company headquarters in Tulsa conducted its own local United Way campaign by offering an online auction for supplier-donated items. One of the items was a package of four tickets to an August 8th Kansas City Royals baseball game, behind the dugout, with a parking pass. For some reason, I was drawn to those tickets. It really just didn’t make sense to me at all, but I felt that I had to have them. On the last day of the action, an email reminder went out to the company that those tickets were still available for the game. I couldn’t resist; I booked a flight and donated the $750 to get them!
Why am I doing this, I kept asking myself? I didn’t have anyone that could join me at such short notice. I had three extra tickets to the dugout box! For some strange reason, I didn’t even get online Friday night to advertise these available tickets for a sold out game. Again, why?
I had a direct flight from Salt Lake City into Kansas City. While at the tail end of the flight, I was telling the gentleman sitting next to me that I just didn’t have any idea why I was even doing this, and that I had three extra tickets for the dugout box and a reserved parking pass.
Right about that time, a young man peeked between the seats in front of me and asked if they could please purchase those tickets! The boy’s mother turned around and said that they had been trying to get seats for this game for a several weeks. She mentioned how desperate this situation was; they were both flying to Kansas City to see the boy’s father that is dying from cancer, and this would be their last baseball game together as a family. As the mother was telling me this, she had huge tears in her eyes!
The seats had to be comfortable enough to accommodate the very ill father, so the box seats would be perfect. I got tears in my eyes, and then it occurred to me why I was supposed to be doing all this — it was to safely deliver that family the three seats they so desperately needed! I gifted them to the family, along with the reserved parking pass, and had the best time watching that game with that family! They were the reason for the whole trip, and I didn’t even know it! It is wonderful how some things really go the way they should, and sometimes we just shouldn’t ask why — we should go with our heart and let the blessings unfold as they’re intended to. The Kansas City Royals beat the White Sox 7 to 6.
I’m so proud to be a TDW employee, and truly embrace the generosity of the Williamson Family! Because of this cause, a beautiful family got their wish, I was able to help through our United Way campaign, and everyone came out a winner! I cannot tell you how wonderful it felt to realize the purpose for this trip.
Thank you TDW, and the Williamson Family for
providing such a precious gift! I am proud to LIVE UNITED!
I would also like to thank Crown Packaging Corporation for their generosity in providing those 4 Dugout Box seat tickets, the reserved parking pass and the gorgeous room they provided for me at Harrah’s in Kansas City.
