Helping Fred Schane Fulfill a Dream

Hi Friends-of-Fred!  This is Fred's sister, Cathy.

As you may know, Fred was diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer early this year, and we're  thinking about bucketlist actions. Both he and I are descended from the Maoris in New Zealand via our grandfather. One of the things that he would like to do is return a Maori "talking stick" to its homeland. It is our feeling that it shouldn't be a conversation piece, hanging on the wall, but posessed by its rightful owners. And, to complicate matters, it is only supposed to be handled by the eldest male in the family.  So, he and I want to travel to New Zealand to return it, and meet some distant (and perhaps not so distant) relatives. 

Trick is, he's too sick to be able to handle a plane trip of that length, so we are going to book a cruise from California to New Zealand (and back).  That way, when he gets tired, he can simply go back to the cabin.  The time changes won't be as drastic, and any medical issues that arise can be more easily handled.

This campaign is one of several fundraisers I'd like to spearhead to enable him to fulfill this wish. I'm going to also coordinate music performances (because, as you can imagine, he has some musician friends!)  However, if you are not in the area, and still want to help out, this is the way to do it. 

And, if for any reason, we cannot fulfill this trip, I want you to know that I will make sure your money is returned to you (less the 8% go-fund-me service fees).  No one knows what the future will bring, so I want to bring some reassurance that if we accept the money, we will travel to New Zealand with it.

Thanks for your help!  And please feel free to share.