I’d like to thank everyone who came to the benefit; who donated silent auction and raffle items; who sent donations to us; who bought bracelets and magnets; and who supported us in our planning. We’re already making lists for next year’s event.

We estimate we had over 350 attend. We raised a little over $10,000. Holy. Crap. At 6:45 we had a line down the sidewalk of people waiting to get in. We had to set up extra tables, but we didn’t run out of food. The Brooks and Dunn guitar went for $500.

It was a great party. Jessica and Kelli would have loved it. There was laughing, there was crying, there was dancing, there was fried chicken. The tables was covered with bright colored tablecloths. We used pineapples, big bright flowers, fish and pompons for the centerpieces.

Pics will be posted soon, I promise. I will update with the Flickr Link.

Saliba Photography generously donated their coverage of the event. Pics will be posted on their website soon, and I will update with the login information. All proceeds from purchased photos will go to Jessica and Kelli’s fund as well.

I am overwhelmed by the support that we have been shown. I cannot begin to express my thanks.

Just an update on the fundraiser being held this Sunday, July 13, 2008, at 7:00 pm at the KC Hall in Collinsville.

Tickets are still available - if you email me at jesskelli1123@yahoo.com with the number of tickets you need, I will make your reservation and you can pay at the door.

We have lots of donations for the silent auction and raffle prizes including Cardinals tickets, Muny tickets, Grizzlies tickets, Blues and Rams and Cardinals sports memorabilia, wine baskets, an overnight stay and dinner at the Casino Queen, and an autographed guitar from Brooks and Dunn.

Proceeds benefit the Jessica Uhl Memorial Scholarship Fund and the CMS/CHS Cheerleaders.

Hope to see you on Sunday!

Just an update on the fundraiser being held July 13, 2008.

If you plan to attend, please get your tickets soon. I’d like to get a head count for the food. You can send a check for your tickets, made payable to Kim Dorsey, to:

Kim Dorsey
SPLR
One Metropolitan Square, 16th Floor
St. Louis, MO 63102

You can also email me at jesskelli1123 at yahoo dot com with a number of tickets you’d like to reserve, and then pay at the door.

So far, we have some great items for the silent auction and raffle. A few of the items are:

Four box seats to the Cardinals game
Four tickets to a Grizzlies game, complete with t-shirts and a cooler
Muny tickets
A one hour massage
Overnight stay and two dinners at the Casino Queen
Various beauty baskets

We’ll also be having a 50/50 drawing and some other fun door prizes.

Thanks in advance for your support. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in July!

Happy Fathers Day. Three words that will never have the same meaning to me ever again. What it used to mean was that it was all about me. This was my day, a day where I could sleep in, have breakfast made for me, get some cool presents and basically be a lazy bum all day, because it was about me, a father. On Nov 23rd, 2007, the meaning changed drastically. I went from a father of three to a father of one in an instant. My girls, Jess and Kelli were gone.

Since that day, several significant events have occurred.

In mid-December, their grandfather (Po), had a stress related stroke that was brought on due to the deaths of the girls. Christmas arrived and yes, there was some happiness but I felt more sadness than anything because the girls were not there. Kelli’s birthday arrived, Jan 1st, and all this father could do was pray and cry. Happy New Year didn’t have the same meaning either. My birthday, Jan 10th, arrived. I got some cool presents from Tony and Wendy but I kept waiting for the back door to open and see the girls walk in and yell “Happy Birthday Dad!” It never happened. Mother’s Day arrived and I know that Kim and Wendy felt differently that day as well. Jessica’s birthday arrived, Jun 4th, and all this father could do was pray and cry.

It is now Jun 15th, Fathers Day. What does Happy Fathers Day mean to me now? It isn’t about me, the presents, sleeping in or being a lazy bum. It is about the joy of children, bringing them into the world, raising them, watching them go through their trials and tribulations, seeing the joy on their faces at Christmas time and their birthdays, being there when they need a shoulder to cry on. It is being thankful to have kids you can love.

It is now Jun 15th, Fathers Day. I will celebrate this day with Tony. We will laugh, play some ball, goof off, but I’ll still be waiting for the back door to open and see the girls walk in and yell “Happy Fathers Day!” I just wish it would happen.

God Bless all the fathers in this world. I love you Jess and Kelli.

Becky Loyet created these scrapbook pages for me. I wanted to share them with you.

My girls give me a hard time when I don’t recycle.  I remember Kelli digging a plastic six-pack holder out of the trash and lecturing me on the importance of cutting the rings.  She and Maddy sometimes would pull aluminium cans out of the recycle bin and take the pull tabs off, if I forgot.  I would go to throw something away and I’d get a “can you recycle that?” question.  Of course, these are the same children who think nothing of leaving their lights and TVs on in their rooms while they are downstairs on the computer. 

I called Kelli a tree-hugger once.  I had to explain to her what it meant.  I found out recently that Jessica actually emailed a friend a timeline showing how long it took to break down different types of litter after she threw something out the car window. 

So because they really were environmentally aware (electricity and three baths a day notwithstanding), it’s only fitting that some recent tributes to them involve planting trees.

My dad has planted two tall birch trees at his house at the Lake of the Ozarks.  Some of his friends got together and gave him the trees.  They are already over 10 foot tall, and beautiful.  He has planted a yellow rose bush under Jessica’s tree (as she was the Texas baby), and we’re looking for a lipstick rose bush to plant under Kelli’s. 

Becky Loyet has also planted two magnolia trees in her yard in memory of Jessica and Kelli.  These will have deep pink blossoms.  I’m sure they will be gorgeous next Spring.

Today I went to a ceremony at Kelli’s school.  Her class wanted to do something in her memory, so they decided to plant a tree for her.  The teacher who coordinated the effort, Mr. Holland, did an awesome job of coordinating the ceremony. 

A permanent plaque will be installed in a few weeks, which will have Kelli’s name and a quote I found which really spoke volumes to me:  “He who plants a tree, plants a hope.”

I hope these trees grow old, because they weren’t able to.  I hope these trees represent the strength we need to get through this tragedy.  I hope these trees bring a sense of peace to those of us struggling to understand.  I hope these trees become beautiful monuments to two young women who were also beautiful in so many ways.

Welcome to Jessica Uhl and Kelli’s Uhl website. 

Jessica and Kelli were killed on November 23, 2007 when an Illinois State Trooper, travelling 126 MPH, crossed the median and slammed into their car, killing them instantly. 

Jessica was a freshman at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville.  She was pursuing a career in marketing and public relations.

Kelli was in 8th grade at Collinsville Middle School.  She was a cheerleader and a member of the National Junior Honor Society.

They left behind their mother and father, step-mother and step-father, a sister and a brother, and many uncles, aunts, grandparents, cousins and friends.

To celebrate their lives, a fundraiser will be held on July 13, 2008 at the KC Hall in Collinsville, Illinois.  Tickets are $20 per person, which include dinner, dancing, a DJ, silent auction, raffles, door prizes, and much more. 

You can request tickets through here by leaving a comment, or by email at jesskelli1123@yahoo.com. 

All proceeds benefit the Jessica Uhl Scholarship Fund at SIUE, the CMS/CHS Cheerleaders, and other organizations. 

This website was created, not only as a source of information for their fundraiser, but also a place where friends, family, or perfect strangers can post stories, comments, thoughts, pictures, or memories about Jessica and Kelli. 

Although they were taken from us suddenly, we can remember them here.