Frankie Poulos Annivrsary Column by Kelly Poulos

From Kelly, Today, 01/11/2014:   Today is the anniversary of Frankie's death and the final day of our annual Frankie Poulos Foundation campaign. Here is the link to my annual column Remember Frankie:
http://www.marinij.com/marinnews/ci_24888983/marin-voice-remembering-frankie-is-helping-others-today?source=nav"

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"Someday I hope to make a major positive difference and share all the love I have received with others" – Frankie Poulos, Dec. 24, 1992. 

Frankie

Frankie Poulos Night, held a few days ago in Novato, did not disappoint. The magic was alive and the house rocked! I was fascinated, once again, by how such a small place — a private home — could pack in so much love, laughter, energy, music and talent! But then again, Frankie, his loved ones and his guardian angels would not have it any other way. Frankie would forever live in our hearts whether our physical paths crossed or not.    

Years after Frankie's death in early 1993, our paths did cross. Frankie’s fiercely loving mother, Kelly, is determined to keep her son’s memory alive and his dream real after living through one of the most unimaginable pain a mother should never have to endure. The memories remain alive also through Frankie’s father, Jim, his godmother Emily Gates, other family members and friends who stood alongside Frankie’s family, before, during and after that fateful day. 

Frankie, through his loved ones, is able to make a positive difference and to share all the love he had received with others ever since.

Kelly

I will always remember the first time I met Kelly, Frankie’s mom.  It was after my son’s Jazz Combo performance at San Marin High. This petite, beautiful, gracious and classy lady sought me out, congratulated me and told me how much she enjoyed my son’s performance.  I wondered who this kind lady was. 

Later, I would learn about this amazing woman and the story one would never wish on anybody. Kelly said at the 2010 Frankie’s Night that somehow she had a premonition something was wrong, and when the call came that her son had been killed on Highway 37, she just knew the worst day of her life had begun.

After living through a year of this intense pain, Kelly decided to instead, tirelessly and faithfully telling her beloved son’s story each November until the anniversary of her son’s death the following year.  All to keep alive the memory of her son, a young man with a great heart and a champion of the underdogs, and to spread good deeds as he would have done would he be here today.  

As Frankie’s mother tells it: 

When Frankie was 5 he believed in Santa with all his heart. Thirteen years later ... he still believed in Santa with all his heart. Santa was as real as the anticipation Frankie felt as Christmas drew near. As real as the satisfaction he felt taking one of those names off the giving tree and finding something special for a little boy who wasn't as lucky as he. As real as the excitement he and his brother Jimmy felt as they charged into the living room together on Christmas morning. Frankie had come to know that what made Santa real was his "belief," and that was all the proof he needed.

Frankie was one of the lucky ones; he was surrounded with a loving family that made his belief real every year. On Christmas night 1992 he said, "Mom, every kid should have a Christmas like ours." Later that evening he would write a note to be opened the following year: "Someday I hope to have a major positive influence on people and share all the love I have received with others." Seventeen days later,  Frankie's life ended.

Jim

Behind many loving mothers, there is a loving father who makes a child whole.   

Frankie’s father, Jim, who always seemed to be quietly standing and supporting in the background, was not willing to let his son’s death became in vain.  Instead of mourning his great loss, Jim campaigned hard to have a barrier erected on the more than 10 miles of Highway 37 infamously known as Blood Alley.  

Although picturesque, the drive on the narrow Highway 37 can often be deadly.   Instead of the 27 lives lost between 1966 and 1970 or the 31 lost between 1990 and 1996, there were no longer any crossover accidents as of 2005 after the barriers were built — in part by the loving effort of a father.    

I thought of Frankie and his parents often and always thank them and say a prayer for Frankie and his family when I pass through Highway 37.

Kelly, Jim, Frankie’s Godfamily, Frankie’s Angels and the Community

In order to make a lasting difference, the Frankie Poulos Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was established in Novato in 1994 by Frankie's family and friends. 

The actions of the Frankie Poulos Foundation bear the unmistakable mark of Frankie’s  life: to bring laughter, love, and opportunity into the lives of kids and to teach kids to believe in themselves and their dreams. The foundation conducts an annual holiday project during which money and gifts are collected and distributed to local youth organizations.

To date, the Frankie Poulos Foundation has collected over $175,000 for youth performing arts and charitable organizations in Novato. 

For the younger ones, Sinaloa Middle School’s Teddy Bear team, in partnership with the foundation, has collected and donated more than 10,000 teddy bears for local youths (the organization stopped counting at 10,000 teddy bears). More than 500 teddy bears were delivered to the Novato Human Needs Center this Christmas season. The bears were distributed to young shoppers at the annual "kids shopping day," part of the nonprofit's Holiday Share program.  

As Frankie’s God Sister, Jenny Gates Fitzgerald, would sing at every Frankie’s Night:

“I'm glad we'll be together
On this evening this December
We'll watch the falling snow
And hold each other close
I'm so glad we'll be together
For an evening to remember
On this night, on this December night.”

And on this December night, once again we celebrated Frankie’s life through this strong bond and conviction built by his love and his loved ones.    

To be a Frankie’s Angel and make a tax deductible donation to Frankie Poulos Foundation from the website. Just click the "Donate Now" button to get started!