To All,

  It is hard to express my gratitude in words to everyone involved in making Thomas' hunt of a lifetime a reality. This was truly a first class operation in every aspect. The professionalism, courtesy and genuine caring expressed towards my son was remarkable. The Hunt of a Lifetime support staff understood the importance of the simple joys in life that are associated with kind gestures in an unexpected nature that lift a persons spirits. Tom grew up with hunting all around him on a regular basis and it made sense to everyone when he became interested in a Hunt of a Lifetime. Only other outdoors-men can truly appreciate what was said through the selfless acts of compassion and love which were put in the form of hunting, tracking and guiding.

  The ability of the Hunt of a Lifetime support staff to transpose their compassion and love for my son into hunting, tracking and harvesting his elk was awe-inspiring. I was truly moved watching his pride and achievement during the hunt. I never thought a single gun shot could touch my heart so deeply but when Thomas' elk finally fell, there was an overwhelming feeling of joy in my heart. My emotions have ran high throughout Tom's illness and overflowed once Tom harvested his elk. As the song states "with a smile on my face and a tear in my eye" I admired with glowing pride my son's achievement.

  Thomas harvested his elk on November 29, 2007 at around 10:30 am. This date is forever etched in our minds because exactly one year earlier November 29, 2006 at 10:30 am, Thomas was lying in surgery having his first of two major brain surgeries to remove a tumor. Now, this date shall also be etched in our hearts. We could have never envisioned, only one year later, being in the Coconino National Forest harvesting a trophy elk. What an awesome accomplishment!

  Everyone involved in the Hunt of a Lifetime should take pride in everything they did to make this possible for Thomas. Without HOAL, Thomas would not have been able to experience this wonderful journey. This hunt educated Tom in so many ways, he has displayed caring and concern for the other HOAL hunter as he openly cheered for him to harvest an elk. That in itself also gave me pride to see that he truly understood why we were there. The guidance and friendship obtained while on this excursion not only broadened my son as an outdoors-men but enriched his entire life. He and I are both better people today by the genuine love and compassion from Hunt of a Lifetime. Although this may have been a small undertaking in the big picture it has made an immeasurable impact on my son's life and his journey with cancer.

  Once again be extremely proud of what you do for these kids because it transcends well past the Hunt of a Lifetime and brings a great enrichment to each child's Life. You have touched our hearts, enriched our lives, made us better people and enhanced our journey with Tom's battle with cancer. Take strong pride in your accomplishment as Tom harvested much more than a trophy elk on this HUNT OF A LIFETIME. Thank You.

With The Most Sincere Thanks,

Walter and Arlene Widenhofer