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We would like to take this time to thank you for your ongoing support of Dan's Gentle Soles. Many lives have been touched through your generosity over the past year. Some highlights follow.

Nikes were sent to young siblings from a family who lost their home and all belongings from the fires in Colorado in February 2022. The little boy had tears of happiness when he opened his new sneakers after losing everything. A lifelong moment of true joy for him and his sister!

Nikes were sent to a seven-year-old boy from Texas who lost his dad when he was just two years old. He was signed up for his first basketball team experience, and his new Nikes arrived just in time! This just might have been the confidence booster he needed. Dan was a friend of his dad, which made this donation very special.

The Oaklyn Cougars football organization is very close to the heart of Dan's Gentle Soles. Dan played four seasons for the Cougars, and was chosen as the coaches award recipient each of those years. The Oaklyn Cougars have established the Daniel J. Hogan Graduate Award—an annual award given to players that have completed the Cougar program. Dan's Gentle Soles was honored to purchase 12 helmets for the Cougars in 2022, as well as funded registration fees for young athletes, as needed, so that they could experience the great reward of playing youth football.

Our ability to impact lives continues. This past March, several towns in Mississippi were hit hard by tornadoes. Many families and businesses suffered great losses from these storms. Dan's Gentle Soles researched the area with the most devastation, and Rolling Fork, Mississippi was chosen as an area for us to assist. The superintendent of South Delta School District worked with us as a liaison to nominate recipients. Ten members of a high school girls track team were chosen. The perseverance that these girls demonstrated amid the traumatic experience is inspiring to so many—dedication to their track team, flexibility with practicing at the middle school since their practice field was damaged, peak athletic performance to make it to the state championship and winning the title for their school! Additionally, part of the criteria set forth by their superintendent was honor roll status, which each of these students achieved during that trying time. We at DGS are delighted to spread joy in a small way through the donation of the Nike sneakers the girls personally picked out. We are certain they are enjoying wearing them. This is all thanks to you. As always, we know Dan has a hand in these choices; we feel his presence.

A huge thank you to all who supported the June 2022 DGS event at Red White and Brew in Audubon, NJ. A great time was had by all who attended. The beer was flowing, and the special Blue Thunder Brew, created for the evening by Red White and Brew, sold out within the first hour! The love and support present at the brewery was indescribable. So many friends of DGS were gathered to honor Dan, and our family cannot express our gratitude.

We thank you for traveling near and far to be with us, and we also thank those for their support who could not attend. We would like to give shoutouts to a certain few:

• Chris and his crew at Red White and Brew
• Adam Reiss for the awesome music he provided
• A&A Soft Pretzels
• Desserts by Design
• as well as all of you for buying and selling 50/50s, supporting the sneaker auction, purchasing t-shirts and bandanas, helping with food, set up, clean up, photography, etc. Yes, it took a village! We are hoping to have another such event in 2024. Details to follow.

This year, DGS will again be working with the Oaklyn Cougars organization to help make it a great season for their teams. Contributions include new helmets, season player fees, and other needs the Cougars may have for the 2023 season.

Upcoming event!! Dan's Gentle Soles was chosen as the “Dine Out for Charity” recipient scheduled for all Mondays in September at Sedona Tap House in West Chester, PA. Proceeds from a special charity menu will go to Dan's Gentle Soles during September 2023. The charity menu is available all day on every Monday of the month. More info can be found on Sedona's website linked above. Our family will be present at Sedona Tap House each Monday night, so we hope some of you can stop in for a delicious dinner in support of Dan's Gentle Soles.

As you can tell, everything we do at DGS—from the selection of the recipients to the fundraising events—is done with Dan in mind. We know what his wishes would be as we navigate the choices we make. We are 100-percent certain he would give the thumbs up to hosting an event at Sedona Taphouse. It's his kind of place—just as Red White and Brew is!

Please continue to follow DGS on Instagram, and we will let you all know when the website is up and running.

Thank you again for all you do to make DGS possible. Your love, friendship and prayers help us so much. We couldn't do this without you. The young athletes, families, and teams appreciate your generosity. We come together in memory of our Dan, who we all loved and admired for his kind spirit, his humbleness, his loyal friendship, and his gentle soul. He lives forever in our hearts.