An Open Letter to All: Thank You!

On behalf of "Bill Gonillo's Team of the Week," I want to thank everyone who came out to walk, sponsored us, or had the late Bill Gonillo in their thoughts Sunday, as we participated in the American Diabetes Association's walk yesterday in Fairfield.

Together, with the help of some very generous donors and team members who pounded the pavement, we raised more than $5,000 for the ADA in Bill's honor. Not all the amounts have been entered on the team's Web site, but thousands more came in on the morning of the walk.

(EDIT: Wendy Younge of the ADA just e-mailed to inform me that $5,646 came in from Bill Gonillo's team of the Week yesterday!)

As teammate and News 12 personality Paul Piorek and New Haven Register sportswriter Jim Fuller both said yesterday, "Once [I] said it was for Bill,, it was easy to collect."

Bill's parents and several members of his family came out for the walk, too, and were very thankful for what the team had done. And as I let his parents know, setting up a team to honor Bill is nothing no one else wouldn't have done. In fact, a second team that walked and raised funds in his honor brought in at least $1,500.

Even though the walk is over, it's not too late to help make a difference. You can still make a post-race donation in Bill's honor through our team, "Bill Gonillo's Team of the Week."

There are so many people to thank. From the FCIAC football teams and local businessmen who opened their purse strings, to the media and teams who plugged the cause on their Web sites and blogs, to the people we met along the way who had their Bill Gonillo stories and memories to share, you are all heroes.

Thank you all again for your time and support.

Sincerely,

Tim Parry