krmayer27

Kelly :-) · @krmayer27

17th Jul 2014 from TwitLonger

The power of a smile continues... My reasons for Ian Somerhalder's Awards!


2 years ago I watched my first episode of TVD and I have been hooked ever since! It was because of TVD I found Ian which led me to ISF which are the reasons for my generosity!

I met Ian for the first time last October at Eyecon in GA. That weekend was amazing. I ran into a few snags, but meeting Ian was defiantly a highlight of the trip! I actually got a Meet and Greet pass and had just a few seconds to say HI and give him a Star certificate. (I had bought a start/named it after him.... I'm a dork we know this by now!) Before I had walked into that room to meet him (and all the other actors) I had gotten a call from my doctor's office during Ian's Q&A session (which I missed ALL of it!). The call was to let me know my cancer cells had come back again. Needless to say that put a damper on my excitement! BUT, that all changed as soon as Ian pulled me into one of his "OMG I'M MELTING" hugs! In the 3 minutes we talked, he reassured me I would be fine and he just hugged me. I left that room no longer scared or sad... but empowered, smiling and determined!

Ever since that day I kept my self busy researching the issues that he would talk about. I started posting on a fan site to help spread the word on his missions! I learned of ISF and all the AMAZING things they were doing. After seeing how happy he made people by just smiling at them and reading about how people's lives were changed because of ISF and him.... I knew I wanted to be a part of that! I am a very compassionate and empathetic person... although most of my life I have been seen as having those traits as weaknesses. A LOT of people have taken my kindness for granted and I got nothing in return, BUT it hasn't and will NOT stop me from being me. Who am I?

I'm caring, I'm sensitive at times, I'm compassionate, I'm empathetic (not Pathetic), I'm motivated, I'm kind, I'm funny, I'm short, I'm "overly healthy", I'm clumsy, I'm generous, I'm considerate, I'm loyal, I'm honest, I'm shy, and most importantly .... I'M JUST ME! I'M NOT CHANGING who I am for anyone!

I enjoy seeing others smile. Knowing I'm the reason for that smile on their face at that moment, is what makes my heart happy. So, I wanted to thank people for donating to ISF by making them an afghan blanket! From November 2013 until May 2014 I made 15 blankets and sent them to 7 different countries! (That is why my wrist is now in a splint for a couple weeks... ended up tearing some tendons due to over use! Totally worth the pain seeing the smiles from people who got the blankets!) I sent 1 to Ian's brother, the AMAZINGLY talented Bob Somerhalder and his wife Dena. I even mailed a blanket to Ian's mom!

I also started an ISF Community Crew- ISF Be The Change! I started fundraising for them and have donated to other people's fundraisers for ISF as well! I wanted to thank all the Community Crews for starting one and for spreading the word through social media about ISF's mission but also for everything they do outside of social media! I wanted to make sure they all felt appreciated as I know 1st hand what it's like to feel unappreciated. I know the certificates didn't come from Ian himself, or ISF but from a fellow supporter/fan and person who wants change to happen in this world just like them.... I still hope it means something to them and makes them smile! I tweeted a message to each registered Community Crew and emailed a "Certificate of Appreciation" certificate to them from me and my crew!

My latest mission to make people smile was the ISF T-Shirt giveaway and the "A World of Thanks" project I posted on my fan site - Iansomerhalderfans.net (check it out!). There are a couple reasons why I wanted to do this. 1 is a tad selfish, I'll admit it. The first reason is, I wanted to gather some "Thank You" messages from Ian's fans from around the world and put them together into a book so Ian could have it and always look back as to how he is changing people's lives around the world. To go along with the book, I thought an award of some sort would be great! I decided on a globe award, as it fit the title to the project! This award is pretty cool... the base has 3 solar powered panels on it, so when in light the globe rotates! Totally up his alley!!

I was fortunate enough to go to TVDNJ this year (Thanks to a very good friend... like a sister to me.. @Tessa_1216). Due to time restraints I couldn't actually present him the awards (a good thing too.. I think I would have dropped it!). But I gave it to the AWESOME talent producer, Stephanie, who said she'd put it in the greenroom for him. Now, forgive me for sounding pessimistic, but I totally didn't think he would get it. I knew how busy he was and frankly didn't think he'd take the time to open it or even see it! I found out late Sunday afternoon he did see the award.. not sure where it is now due to the fact he had to fly to CA... but at least he saw it!

In addition to the awards for Ian, I wanted to do something for the fans! Being one myself, I know how much I love my T-Shirt I got from the Vanity Project. I also know they are not cheap. I read a lot of comments from Ian's fans about how they wish they could afford to get one or donate to ISF. So, I decided to help some fans to both with out them having to worry about spending any of their money! In order to help other people get donations for their ISF fundraisers, I offered to give an ISF T-shirt to anyone who donated as a personal Thank You from me for their support! It worked too! I think I gave out at least 8 or 9 (I've lost count) to fans around the world. Seeing the happy comments/pictures of them smiling with the shirts only added fuel to my desire to make more smiles happen! So, I worked out a weekly payment plan with Vanity Project, picked up extra hours at work and purchased 26 ISF T-Shirts! ( With the help from Tessa we got the total to 31 shirts!) My plan was to hand them out to fans Saturday when Ian was at TVDNJ, right before the photo ops/autographs. That way Ian would see them with the ISF shirts and know they are supporting him and ISF! Plan totally worked! Why did I do this you ask? 1 word...

SMILES!

The pure shocked look on people's faces when I came up to them (they didn't even know me!) and asked "Hey would you like a FREE ISF T-Shirt?" was priceless! 2 little girls almost cried when I gave 1 to them! That was the ONLY reward I needed to know what I was doing was the right thing. Not only did it bring happiness to others, but it totally made me feel AWESOME knowing that smile was because of me. So, that reason in a way is a selfish reason why I gave out those shirts. What happened that morning though before I gave out any shirts, was an act of kindness shown to me that I will NEVER EVER forget!

I'm at the ISF table talking to this lovely woman that I had never met before, about the T-Shirt giveaway I'm doing. She gets up and says she'll be back. So, a few mins. later she appears and says "Ok, so Ian said he wants to meet you". My response.. "Yeah right!" but she was dead serious. She had to go get me a chair to sit down! LOL!! Then, I followed her towards the room where the Meet/Greets were being held and when the door opened... right in front of me was IAN! He whipped his head around and said "Hey guys! Come on in!" Yeah... you know what I did? Looked at the freaking floor! I couldn't make eye contact or else I would have been lying ON the floor!!

I sat in the corner of the room, so I wouldn't disturb the special time others were having with him, and just listened to him talk about Mission 31. I could listen to him talk all day long. The passion he has for the earth, ocean, creatures, people and just LIFE is just amazing. After he went around and took "selfies" with everyone, the angel who I owe this encounter to (not mentioning her name in case she doesn't want me to) told Ian that I was the girl giving away all those ISF T-Shirts to people. He hugged me and thanked me for all I was doing. Then he took the bag of shirts from me! LOL.. I thought... ok... is he going to give them away to fans cuz that would be cool! He told me NOT to buy anymore shirts ... well that's good because I am broke anyways so I can't! :-) He asked about my hand (even though I tried to hide it) and I explained how I made all those blankets and gave them to people, etc... the smile that appeared on his face was just as big as his heart! THAT right there, that moment was all I could have ever asked for. To see him smile and know it was because of something I did.

Before I went to leave, I asked if we could get a picture together... so he takes my phone (at this point I didn't know what the hell was going on!) and stands next to me to take a selfie, but then he says "Hey wait.. where are you?" LOL... so I'm really short.. and he's really tall... he couldn't see me in the picture! So, being awesome like he is, he got in front of me and got down to my height for the picture. Now, imagine Ian Somerhalder's face touching yours... I don't know what came over me... before I could stop myself, I planted my lips on his cheek!

He took the 1st selfie and said he'll do another, but when he went to take the 2nd one (my phone is OLD) it didn't work! He asked how to get it to work, but I told him he could figure it out as I wasn't taking my lips off his face! HAHA!! Smart man that he is, he figured it out and the 2nd selfie was the best! I didn't know what they looked like until after I left the room! To make things even more crazy... before I left he asked for my email address! I'm sorry... what?! Ian Somerhalder asking me for my email address?? I couldn't think of it at first! I watched him type it into his cell phone contacts! I didn't think he actually saved it though, just thought he was being nice. I was proven wrong again though! During the autographs, when it was my turn I said to him "You probably don't remember me from this morning" Now it must have been the blue brace, but he said "Girl are you on CRACK? Of COURSE I remember you, I put your email address in my contacts .. remember?" LOL.. do I remember? I was lucky I still remembered my own name!! I told him no he didn't save it, he was just being nice! He stops what he was doing (Mid bite into his apple) pulls out his phone, scrolls through his contacts and reads my email address back to me! Thank goodness Tessa was there to confirm it was actually my email address!

Then when I thought it couldn't get any better.... we had the photo op together and he hugged me so tightly like he always does with all his fans... but during that moment when he's got you in his arms... you feel like you are the ONLY one he does this too and that dorky smile of mine appeared! He made me feel so incredibly appreciated and special that day! Those feelings, those memories and the photos I have will last a lifetime! It's not the reason I do all these nice things for others... it was pure luck that I got to meet him because of a very kind person who wanted Ian to know what I was doing for others. The smile you see in my pictures is STILL on my face today.

All the pain and crap I went through to buy those shirts, make those blankets, afford those awards and donate as much as I have... totally worth every ounce of pain and every cent I've spent. Why? Not because I met Ian and got a selfie with him, but because I believe in him, I believe in ISF and their mission, I believe in the ISF Family and supporters, I believe in seeing a world with more compassion, love and a world with more smiles! I do these things because I know how it feels to feel special, to feel thought of, to feel loved and appreciated... Ian made me feel that way within seconds of meeting him last October. I want to make as many people as I can feel the same way! Compassion has to be shown more in this world, so even though I'm just 1 person from a small town in NH, I know with every smile I cause .. it's a step closer to a better world!

I owe so much to Ian Somerhalder and all ISF Family members and the whole Somerhalder family as without them... I wouldn't be sitting here with this smile on my face and hopefully as you read this... one has appeared on yours!

:-)




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