Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Zumba fundraiser to benefit PA family of crash victims


Kate will attend a fundraiser tonight at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pottsville, PA to benefit the family of the two children who died in March as the result of a car crash. The event will feature Zumba, a popular dance fitness program, from 6 to 7 p.m. upstairs at the church. Doors open at 5 p.m. It is $5 to attend.


Carianna Kroh, 6, and Catrina Williams, 3, both of Minersville, were passengers in a 19
96 Plymouth Breeze driven by their mother, Victoria Place, 27, of Minersville, that was hit broadside by another vehicle on Route 61 at the entrance to Faith Church in West Brunswick Township on March 24.

Kroh died later that day at the Lehigh County trauma center while her younger sister died March 25 at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest after she was taken off life support. Place survived the crash.

From the Facebook invitation: 
We are doing a Special class to help defray expenses.
The Cost is $5 to do ZUMBA or just show up and MEET KATE GOSSELIN (REALITY TV MOM AND AUTHOR) **NOTE: KATE WILL SIGN ANY BOOKS OF HERS SO PLEASE BRING THEM WITH YOU.
ALSO, IF SHE HAS A "STASH" SHE IS GOING TO BRING SOME TO SELL AND PROCEEDS BENEFIT THE CAUSE !!


https://www.facebook.com/events/146852718819562/


Look who showed up.

Was Kate accepting personal gifts for herself at this charity
fundraiser that were not part of the auction? According to one 
person on Facebook, yes.

632 sediments (sic) from readers:

«Oldest   ‹Older   201 – 400 of 632   Newer›   Newest»
NJGal51 said...

njay - how do you know Robert was a guest? This event was organized by one of Kate's fans and I don't think she'd invite Robert. Did I miss something?

AuntieAnn said...

Robert was there? The plot thickens.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

I'm sad for the family that they might be fighting over the money, the arrangements, and other things. It must be difficult. I really wonder if at this point well meaning locals are just adding to their problems. $20,000 has to be more money than most of them have probably ever even seen and it's natural there might be conflict over how to manage it.

That should be enough to cover the funeral expenses, they were in the hospital for less than 24 hours, perhaps at this point to avoid conflict a scholarship run by an independent trustee would be best, and leave the family with less unassigned money to bicker over and decisions to make.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

I don't see any evidence Robert was there. I really don't think he would do that. I don't see him in any of the photos and he didn't mention it on his blog.

Anonymous said...

On the facebook page, there is a message on a phone that states for everyone to put all the hatred & bashing aside for the night. And also to put their differences and nonsense aside. Do you think this is a reference to Kate?

Admin. made mention that Kate didn't have dead eyes tonight. I think the only reason was the camera because all the photos taken had all eyes just glaring away.

And Kate flirts back all the time with that Irish guy on tweeter. So she is asking for him to be "a part of her life" per say. She could easily just ignore him and he would stop tweeting her.

And Steve being there is a huge joke especially with police there. More waste of the kids' money. Kate needs to darken her hair, cut some length off, get side bangs, and use super large hot rollers to get a little volume in her hair. It looks terrible on her. And her high heels are so ugly. The color clashed with her blouse. Her blouse was fine, but I bet when she bent over to write something on her books, her boobs were on display.

Does everyone think that phone message was referring to Kate or the girls' family?
Leslie

Anonymous said...

The real cop also posed for a photo with Kate. Was he shirking his duties, too?

Cassie

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Another thing I notice was how many pics of this lady and Kate there were posed together.

At what point does it become embarrassing to ask hey let's pose for a pic together? Again. And again. And once again.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Not if there were other cops there! :)

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Or perhaps he sweeped the room, saw nothing but some nice locals just there to help out their neighbor, and determined there was no risk whatsoever to this D-list has been and he could pause for a second to pose for a pic.

Anonymous said...

http://wnep.com/2013/04/24/reality-star-helps-family-who-lost-young-girls/
This is the link for the tv coverage. Kate said 4 sentences with 6 umm's in it. Wow! Leslie

Anonymous said...

What I don't understand is what does Kate do for protection when she goes on her runs that are miles and miles long. If she fears for her safety at events such as these, then why doesn't she fear when she is running the country roads for miles at a time. Especially when she has earphones on that would prevent her from hearing a car or footsteps approaching her. Leslie

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...


On the facebook page, there is a message on a phone that states for everyone to put all the hatred & bashing aside for the night. And also to put their differences and nonsense aside. Do you think this is a reference to Kate?

&&&

I don't think so. The way it was worded I tend to agree with other posters it's about the family. She said "everyone grieves differently." Kate's not grieving, her fans and "haters" aren't grieving. That makes me think it must be some kind of dispute about those intimately involved, the grieving parties--perhaps some people don't like how the money is being spent, perhaps others express grief through anger or lashing out. There may be differences because the children had different fathers. Hence everyone grieves differently. Plus, she tells everyone coming to please be civil. Sounds like some kind of real disagreement among those who are trying to help out. We also know that the family requested they not disclose the amount of money being given to them--which to me is a huge red flag that maybe they don't want other family members to know the numbers and perhaps cause problems. Huge red flag there are problems. I feel so bad for them.

That text makes it seem MUCH broader than just Kate, she made it seem like a really big feud that had been going on for a long time. There can't have been that much of a feud over Kate, I can't imagine that.

My money is on this being about money....and that's the problem with little independent operations like this. When they work out they are fantastic. But when they don't, it's disastrous. They may be run without any overhead to speak of which allows more money to go directly to the cause, however without the expertise of those experienced in running a charity this can quickly become something in which they are in WAY over their head. New and ever changing tax laws, disputes over money, etc.

It is NOT easy running a charity, it would be very difficult for a layman to handle such large sums and big events without some hitches.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

THink about this. We know there are three families involved here, mom's and the two dad's. We know somebody asked that the actual money raised not be disclosed. What if family C or B gets mad at family A and suddenly starts going after Kate's fan demanding that she disclose how much money she made for them? Or heck even suing HER for not handing the distribution properly, not giving their third to them, or who knows what.

This is when you can quickly get in WAY over your head. I know charities have overhead and you have to be aware of those numbers, but I tend to prefer charities that at least have a bit of a support staff behind them and experience handling such hiccups. Surely there are already established charities for helping with funeral or medical expenses that maybe could have handled this dicey situation. If I were the fan and I knew the family was feuding I would want to steer wide clear of that lest I'm next on the chopping block. Kudos to her for powering through all the drama and holding the event anyway despite what that text made clear was NOt a good situation.

Anonymous said...

From T.

Under the Facebook picture of her unwrapping the gift(s), there is a comment asking if the gift was for Kate, and another comment replied yes.

Anonymous said...

From T.

P.S. What has she done to her face? In the video clip her face looks completely frozen. Is that from too much Botox or fillers? I never understood why people think that it makes them look younger, it doesn't- it just makes him look like they had Botox. So unnatural for someone so fixated on organic food & health.

AuntieAnn said...

http://wnep.com/2013/04/24/reality-star-helps-family-who-lost-young-girls/
This is the link for the tv coverage. Kate said 4 sentences with 6 umm's in it. Wow! Leslie
====

Kate's no speaker that's for sure but at least she sounded sincere.

Steve looks bored.

OrangeCrusher1 said...

Oh please,Skeeve is not her boyfriend, and he is not a bodyguard, he is her effing handler. The woman who can tool around in one of 3 cars and jog by herself in the dark on country roads needs a personal assistant to negotiate situations where other people are gathered, be it a book signing or an airport. Whether this is a real phobia or her newer idea of her self-importance, who knows. But her insistance that she needs this guy for her personal safety is a joke, and considering what his per diem billable hours must be, it's even more of a travesty what she is willing to spend on her vanity. If Skeeve had not been free tonight, she probably would not have even gone. Goodness of her heart, puhleeze.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...


Brenda Schuettler
5 hours ago via mobile
near Pottsville, PA
Like · · Follow Post · Share

Debbie Tracey-Young I wonder if those are gifts for her when she was there for help raise money?
2 hours ago · Like · 1

Justine Ellinger Yeah it was
about an hour ago via mobile · Like

Kasi Donald Why weren't those gifts DONATED to the dead girl's mother/family?


&&&

UGH! You know what, we shoulda known better--you try to give this person credit for one little thing and she SPITS IT BACK IN YOUR FACE.

This is what narcissists DO. They lure you in thinking everything is fine then they slam you back down to reality again. I of all people should know this, silly me.

She goes to a charity event for the family of two girls who died horrifically and tragically, makes an impressive showing of warmth and sincerity, yet next thing we know her vanity body guard who bills over 600 bucks a day is spotted there while she COLLECTS GIFTS FOR HERSELF, shoes no less! And proudly poses for pictures with it! My god, at least she could whisper to the gift giver listen I so appreciate this but let's tuck this under the table for now and I promise to open it later in private, this event isn't really about giving me things, it's for charity. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from.

really? said...

but I'd feel much more comfortable if a man went with me to that event

The year is 2013, not 1960.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

The comment "yeah it was" sounds a little passive aggressive. Sort of like yeeeeahhhh I know right?

Sounds like not everyone is all that pleased in local land. At least have the decency to take your personal presents outside for the exchange not in front of everyone else donating to charity.

Here' a bright idea, how about Kate could offer to match whatever is raised?

Y'all who said don't believe it a leopard doesn't change their spots--kudos to you. You were right, I was wrong.

Shelby said...

I wish I wasn't right. *sigh* I've completely given up with Kate. She's just a giant waste of a woman.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Shelby, I understand.

I'm not sure I'll ever give up hope these kids have a prayer with this person as their mother, however every time I see a glimmer of hope I get burned. Perhaps I've reached my limit too.

Collecting personal gifts for herself at a charity event and proudly smiling for photos. Assuming that's indeed what happened, it's outrageous.

Loves to Read said...

The woman who answered "yeah, it was" is a good fried of the mother. She's the one who held the first fundraiser and declined to disclose the amount raised. She said it was at the request of the family.

She is also the cousin of Brenda who organized tonight's event.

There was bad blood, but I don't know the extent. For one of the events, on the Facebook page of a DJ or singer there were posts about how someone had called the restaurant to cancel the event. Some people posted on his Facebook page about the feud.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Loves to Read, wow.

While I do NOT blame Kate whatsoever for the feud, clearly this started among family and friends way before Kate ever came on the scene, why is it that EVERYTHING she is involved with somehow is one big ole terrible mess?

So some people seem to be upset that charity events are happening at all (I'm guessing because they don't like who the money is being given to or how it's distributed) and now seeing Kate collecting personal gifts is just adding fuel to the fire.

Loves to Read said...

Admin, that comment by Justine saying, "yeah it was (a gift for Kate)" has already been deleted.

Perhaps there's bad blood because some in the family know that the mother won't have to pay any hospital bills and the funerals have already been covered. The younger girl was in a Head Start program, so the family must be low income, possibly on Medicaid or whatever PA has for the insurance for kids, CHIP. Highly doubtful she'd be sued for any outstanding balances which the hospital could write off as charity care. Also, there are two fathers, so maybe one or both of them covered their daughter's medical insurance. Auto insurance would cover the car.

Loves to Read said...

Btw, the one who "broke the rules" and took that pic with Steve is Brenda's sister.

Feuds 'r Us said...

The family feud might be over the fact that her car was hit by another driver and she's looking at a lawsuit settlement down the road. For the wrongful death of two young girls, it could be quite substantial.

MJ said...

Good heavens. ummm, ummm, ummm, ummm. Kate certainly hasn't spent her off-time working on her public speaking skills! And, Steve? What a joke. I certainly hope he donated his fees for the cause, too.

http://wnep.com/2013/04/24/reality-star-helps-family-who-lost-young-girls/

And the hair? Oh dear.

Loves to Read said...

Let me just preface this by stating that this has nothing to do with feeling extremely sympathetic for this mother and the families involved over the horror of losing their young girls in this terrible accident.

No one is contacting her or the families, we are merely discussing issues that have arisen in regard to the various fundraisers. I'm only posting this in response to the specific, and separate, issue of fundraisers.


The very first fundraiser was held by "Warrior Bootcamp" on March 30th and over $7,100 was raised. They even posted a photo of the bank receipt for the deposit they made into the special fund set up for the mother. Scroll down to the April 1st post:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Warrior-Bootcamp/251471038256157


Then, there was the second fundraiser on April 6th, the one organized by the mom's good friend, Brenda's cousin, Justine Ellinger:

http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-berks/Victoria-Place-mother-of-2-children-killed-in-crash-on-Route-61-quiet-friend-says/-/121418/19483380/-/wetbds/-/index.html

The Facebook page for that fundraiser:

https://www.facebook.com/events/434549436640040/

Three days after that event, when someone asked about the amount raised, the mom's friend, Justine, posted her reply:


Justine Ellinger
ALTHOUGH EVERY DONATION & ALL OF THE SUPPORT IS EXTREMELY APPRECIATED, AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAMILIES I WILL NOT BE DISCLOSING THE EXACT AMOUNT THAT WAS RAISED AT THE BENEFIT. I WILL SAY THERE WAS AN AMAZING RESPONSE & THE COLLECTION EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS, HOWEVER I WAS ASKED BY THE FAMILIES TO NOT POST AN EXACT AMOUNT BUT PLS KNOW THEY R VERY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING...AS AM I!
Like • • Follow Post • April 9 at 3:27pm near South Lebanon, PA


According to the event Facebook page, 622 people attended, and there was a $10 cover charge, as well as donation jars and an auction, so they probably raised an amount similar to the first fundraiser. Tee-shirts and bracelets were also sold at the event and since then up to now.


Then, there was a third fundraiser, a dinner dance on April 13th:

http://pahomepage.com/community-news-details/?nxd_id=330112


As far as I know, tonight's event was the fourth fundraiser in four weeks.

MJ said...

The fund being held by the bank (the one from the article that talked about the $20,000) is called "The Victoria Place Children's Memorial Fund". Victoria is the mom.

With the 2 girls having different fathers and the fund using the mom's name, I can easily understand where the friction might be coming from.

Why does Kate never fail to disappoint? I'm among many here who gave her props for giving of herself to help with the benefit, but then she turns around and accepts gifts for appearing and poses with them! This is so wrong on so many levels. I think most here would have asked that they be put into the raffle or made a personal donation to reimburse the coordinators, but not Kate. Just shaking my head.

You said it best Admin:

UGH! You know what, we shoulda known better--you try to give this person credit for one little thing and she SPITS IT BACK IN YOUR FACE.

This is what narcissists DO. They lure you in thinking everything is fine then they slam you back down to reality again. I of all people should know this, silly me.

She goes to a charity event for the family of two girls who died horrifically and tragically, makes an impressive showing of warmth and sincerity, yet next thing we know her vanity body guard who bills over 600 bucks a day is spotted there while she COLLECTS GIFTS FOR HERSELF, shoes no less! And proudly poses for pictures with it! My god, at least she could whisper to the gift giver listen I so appreciate this but let's tuck this under the table for now and I promise to open it later in private, this event isn't really about giving me things, it's for charity. I hope you can understand where I'm coming from.


Dmasy said...

Is she trying to make another asymmetrical hairstyle her signature "look"?

LB said...

Aww, the uggs sandals was not gift wrapped. But it's hard to miss her 'the Joker' smile as she held up the shoe for a picture. Clearly she was thrilled. Who in the world would spend nearly $100 to purchase shoes for her? It being uggs makes me think she specifically asked for uggs and probably gave them her shoe size. Perhaps a barter deal? Still sad she still cannot give back without asking for gifts!

Vanessa said...

Why the f$#@% are people even bringing her gifts, wrapped and all for HER??!!!! SMFH!!

Vanessa said...

Jumping In said "With her "bodyguard" there, she sets herself apart from her community. The message seems to be that her presence is special and should be acknowledged as such.,"
********************************************
And there you have it, DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR

Vanessa said...

But there she is, signing autographs/shaking hands with absolutely NO visible burns at all!
*************************************************

Praise the Lord, it's a miracle!!!

gotyournumberKate said...



This was posted on the fundraiser FB page before the event. It makes me think Kate had a whole list of rules and wasn't going to be there very long. Why the hurry, Kate?


Brenda Schuettler
Please note. If you want to do Zumba @ 6 and meet Kate. I suggest. Doing the Kate thing first please :) and early. At 5 :) then do chances. Thanks Renee Faust Amos

Vanessa said...

Maybe mayyyyybeeee she was the highest bidder for those charity items? She "paid" for the UGGS? See? I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt :)

Improbable Dreams said...

Are the pictures of Kate with her love offerings (Uggs & angel) gone from the FB page? I don't see them.

ALeopardDoesn'tChange ItsSpots... said...

Awww...reading through these posts, Kate went from "a spark of hope for her" right back to "A Complete Dumb Ass" within a span of 10 minutes.

TLC stinks said...

WTF! Steve was there. Well there's no doubt, absolutely, that they are a couple. Bodyguard my a**. There was a cop there for heaven's sake. No need for Steve. She could have hired a driver to take her to the event if she was scared of driving by herself. Geez. She hasn't changed, not one bit. And just where did Stevie spend the night, people?

Just when you think she is doing something unselfish, she makes it about herself AGAIN: getting gifts and prancing around with her "bodyguard" in a little PA town church hall. Really? No wonder she was beaming. Purseboy is back.

I agree with previous poster he went to LA with her for filming of CWS. Makes perfect sense now that we know he is still in the picture. What a slimeball.

Anonymous said...

Haha, they deleted the pics of her opening the gifts.

Kira

TLC stinks said...

Damn. I just got another email from Amazon hawking Kate's cookbook. Coincidence? Yeah, right.

TLC stinks said...

BTW, someone mentioned about Steve's billable hours. Remember, he was employed by TLC then. He showed up for free here. Kate claims he is a "family friend". I bet he is the friend who does her honey-do repairs.

Gosselin8ComeFirst said...

foxy said... 175
There must be a great deal of fighting in the families of those little girls who died. Everyone had a different last name. I have seen this type of problem first hand, where families did not want the children buried next to each other because there were different fathers. I also know of one family where a 16 year old child was killed in a car accident and the mother won $250,000 from insurance. The dead beat dad came out of nowhere, never supported this child in her life, hadn't seen her since age 2, and he went to court and won half of the insurance money. So sh*t happens, and it is a darned shame if this is what is going on.
-----
Shaking head in utter disgust. And obviously not at you.

Gosselin8ComeFirst said...

April 24, 2013 at 8:56 PM

Jumping In said... 176
By having Steve there with her, Kate did make the evening more about herself than the cause she was there to support. With her "bodyguard" there, she sets herself apart from her community. The message seems to be that her presence is special and should be acknowledged as such. This was her chance to be Kate, a supportive neighbour, not Kate, clinging to the idea of being seen as a celebrity first and foremost. If her presence brought in moe money, then good, but she remains a spectacle.
---------
Shaking head once again.

Winsomeone said...

I certainly hope she didn't bill the charity event for Steve's wages for the night.

readerlady said...

Admin -- I got this second hand, from someone who checked the list of attendees on the facebook page. RH was listed. Whether he was invited and didn't show up, whether he showed up and there were no fireworks, or whether he was invited and declined IDK. I find it hard to believe KK wouldn't create a big fuss over him being invited or attending, but who knows. Maybe she really was on her best behavior last night, aside from the grifting.

chefsummer #Leh said...

Steve is in the news video as well @ 1:33 he's standing behind the lady.

http://wnep.com/2013/04/24/reality-star-helps-family-who-lost-young-girls/

Gosselin8ComeFirst said...

Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 186
https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/1279_4022058289190_790469541_n.jpg
_____
Shaking my head once again. There is a cop there, but she still needs Steve to attend? There is something really wrong with her. Sorry, but this way too over the top.

chefsummer #Leh said...

So Steve is around again big surprise there.

So Kate who's protecting the eight kids the baby sitter.

God this woman.

Tucker's Mom said...

Wow, so Steve was there. I hope he donated his services, but I'm thinking probably not.
I agree that this does explain the sparkle in Kate's eyes. I guess absence made the heart grow fonder and the ridiculous spiked sandals, which just scream "look at me, I'm more elegant than anyone here". It is a conscious decision to do this, at least for normal folks.
Personally, I would want to put my "fans" at ease, in a church/local/low key setting, but dressing down a bit. You're more approachable that way.
Kate looks like she's on a date.
I'm sure Kate wanted to be the most "fashionable" person there, and made her choices accordingly.
Not hard when everyone else has come dressed for Zumba.

Regarding the presents for Kate, I have mixed feelings. One the one hand, I wouldn't want to disappoint a well-intentioned fan who brought me a gift, probably so excited to see me receive it. So in a way, Kate was pleasing fans because they were initiating this silliness, and I think I'd play along, trying to walk a fine line of thanking them, appreciating the gift, but trying to move along quickly to get back to the real reason I was there.
On the other hand, Kate has fostered this giving for YEARS. As I mentioned yesterday, reading RH's book again, I'm picking up on nuances not appreciated before. Like how manna from heaven started to literally rain down on Kate. There were gifts, HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS of dollars appearing out of nowhere, product placement and endorsement, freebies that ranged from food to toys to appliances.
From season 1 to season 2, Kate learned quickly how to use her family and the show to widdle just about everything they did and owned for free.
It a way, it was quite impressive. To go living hand to mouth season 1 to demanding a "bottom line number" season 2 for compensation.

Final thought-- I don't know if Kate could have vetted this charity any better, and who would given 2 dead little girls? But, there appears to be no transparency about money collected, and that's just plain crap.
Sounds like it's time to stop the charity money train.

Terri said...

I think it's absolutely disgusting that she accepted gifts at this fundraiser. If she didn't why would those pictures now be mysteriously gone from the face book page. Just when you think she might be changing just a tad she goes and proves us all wrong.

AuntieAnn said...

Vanessa said... 32

Why the f$#@% are people even bringing her gifts, wrapped and all for HER??!!!! SMFH!!

====

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but in Greek mythology that is how the "all-gifted" Pandora was created.

Coincidence? I think not.




chefsummer #Leh said...

TLC stinks said... 39

Maybe that why KK threw Jon's things out of the garage apartment so Steve could stay there.

chefsummer #Leh said...

I watched the news interview and goodness I have never seen or heard.

Some one say "Um" as many times as KK has.

Terri said...

One more thing to add. She could have thanked the fan for the gift and then said "Now let's put this in the auction so we can make more money for the family of these deceased children." She would have come away looking like someone who truly had a heart.

Dmasy said...

Ways to waste your time in the middle of the night, when you can't sleep.

On the FB album page of photos there really was a photo of Kate holding up Ugg sandals. It appeared that she had just opened a gift package. The photo seems to be removed now.

On the left hand side of the FB Home page for the event there was a list of names of those who were attending. Robert Hoffman (Same man?) was a name on that list. It, also, seems to have disappeared.

I don't think I was sleepy enough to imagine things!

TLC stinks said...

The link the poster provided if you don't have Facebook still has the pictures if you missed them. Somebody needs to grab a screenshot so those don't disappear too.

I don't know who gave her the gifts, but I suspect it was the church for showing up. But as far as those UGG sandals go, she had to have requested those, otherwise how did they know her size? I hope somebody posts about attending and what went down.

And she was not dressed for zumba. I just knew she would not do it. How come she didn't wear one of the tee shirts that everyone else was wearing? Oh that's right, she was on a date with Steve. Wanna bet they went out to dinner afterwards. Such HUBRIS for her to show up with him. And who paid for the rent-a-cop? I bet the church did.

Virginia Pen Mom said...

Why would there be a rule "no photos of the bodyguard"? Obviously, Kate keeps trying to keep his presence on "the down low" (as my kids say.) Why would that be?

It's hilarious that although there were to be no photos of him, Stevie showed up on the news in a lo-o-o-ng photo bomb frame.

chefsummer #Leh said...

What Steve needs to do is advise Kate on is getting some new speaking skills.

Dmasy said...

Admin captured the Ugg photo. It is at the top of the page. There is also a clickable link to the FaceBook page.

Tucker's Mom said...

Terri said... 52
I think it's absolutely disgusting that she accepted gifts at this fundraiser. If she didn't why would those pictures now be mysteriously gone from the face book page. Just when you think she might be changing just a tad she goes and proves us all wrong.
April 25, 2013 at 6:00 AM
******
If there was any way of communication that Kate would not be accepting personal gifts, it should have happened. I just don't know that you can stop such an inappropriate gesture by the fans when they're so enamored with their local celebrity.
Apparently, they're easily impressed, and actually believe that Kate will use the umpteenth ornament on her tree for Christmases to come.
I remember reading stories of Jon getting mobbed at local bars/eateries by fans wanting photos and autographs. Why? I don't know. Don't get it. Never have, never will.
Local people get famous in a small town must have some sort of heightened significance because you just don't expect it.
Some people just lose their marbles when they can have a chance to gander or rub elbows with a "celebrity".
Color me unimpressed, but some people get a real kick out of it.
Why famous and rich people get free stuff all the time is an interesting phenomenon. But, when the celeb encourages and even demands it, it gets downright ridiculous.

Speaking of which, has the free hair fry well run dry finally?

Anonymous said...

That big basket next to Kate (at top of this page)looks like a gift someone brought for the raffle/auction. The shoes may have been too. How do we know that Kate didn't purchase tickets and then "won" these gifts? Maybe Jackie really didn't know what she was commenting about. Again, that shrink wrap certainly looks like an item to be raffled/auctioned.

If this is what happened than I think Kate should not have entered any of the raffles/auction and just gave Brenda a check in private. She should have thought ahead of time what it would look like with her winning gifts.

I think they deleted the photo because we were commenting heavily about it and it was controversial looking even if she won it fair and square. Leslie

Terri said...

I asked on the facebook page why gift photos were removed. The lady responded by saying those were indeed gifts for Kate and she took photos down because she doesn't like negative comments concerning something she did out of the kindness of her heart. She said she bought those gifts out of her own pocket to thank Kate, and that Kate donated a lot of books and other items and all proceeds went to the fund. I responded back that in hindsight she probably should have given Kate those gifts in private as it looked so tacky considering why they were all there.

Loves to Read said...

The list of guests was 163 last night. It now says 159.

TLC stinks said...

Anonymous, if she won those items fair and square, then it would have said so on Facebook. Don't make up excuses. And yes, she could have written a check in private. Not her style, though.

Tucker's Mom said...

I don't know who gave her the gifts, but I suspect it was the church for showing up. But as far as those UGG sandals go, she had to have requested those, otherwise how did they know her size? I hope somebody posts about attending and what went down.
*****
Kate's given her shoe and clothing size, and any local fan would know Kate wears Ugg boots, not to mention the many times she's made it perfectly clear that she can never have enough shoes.
Imelda Fricking Marcos.

Upstater said...

From the Facebook page, comments on photos:

XXXXXXX Why were photos of Kate opening gifts removed?
19 minutes ago · Like · 1

Brenda Schuettler - The gifts were from me out of my own pocket. To thank her for coming thru for me. I deleted because I don't like negative post regarding something I did out of the kindest of my heart. For the record besides her time Kate donated a lot of books did not make one cent on them. And donated few items for the auction. She went above and beyond for these Great cause. Thanks
8 minutes ago via mobile · Like

XXXXXXX Thank you for responding. But in hindsight maybe you should have given her the gifts in private. Just looked tacky, especially at an event for these deceased children.


chefsummer #Leh said...

Here's KK and the real police

https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/15279_4022058289190_790469541_n.jpg

Here's KK and her "teen bodyguard"

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4022055849129&set=oa.497104810338393&type=1&theater

TLC stinks said...

Maybe someone put Robert's name on the invitee list as a joke? Anyway, it would have been worth showing up just to see if he showed up.

TLC stinks said...

Poster upthread had it right. If those were grifts for Kate, she should have donated them for the auction.

Tucker's Mom said...

Anonymous said... 63
That big basket next to Kate (at top of this page)looks like a gift someone brought for the raffle/auction. The shoes may have been too.
*****
While we don't know for sure, I think it just doesn't make sense to donate shoes to an auction that many people simply can't bid on. What is more sensible is a fan who knows Kate's likes and shoe size bought them to please her and get bragging rights and perhaps some sort of satisfaction that they pleased someone famous.

Gosselin8ComeFirst said...

Don't know how to link this, but article/blog on whether narcissists can ever change.

http://narcissism-support.blogspot.com/2009/01/can-narcissists-change.html

Loves to Read said...

Let me just preface this by stating that this has nothing to do with feeling extremely sympathetic for this mother and the families involved over the horror of losing their young girls in this terrible accident.

No one is contacting her or the families, we are merely discussing issues that have arisen in regard to the various fundraisers. I'm only posting this in response to the specific, and separate, issue of fundraisers.


The very first fundraiser was held by "Warrior Bootcamp" on March 30th and over $7,100 was raised. They even posted a photo of the bank receipt for the deposit they made into the special fund set up for the mother:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Warrior-Bootcamp/251471038256157


Then, there was the second fundraiser on April 6th, the one organized by the mom's good friend, Brenda's cousin, Justine Ellinger:

http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-regional-berks/Victoria-Place-mother-of-2-children-killed-in-crash-on-Route-61-quiet-friend-says/-/121418/19483380/-/wetbds/-/index.html

The Facebook page for that fundraiser:

https://www.facebook.com/events/434549436640040/

Three days after that event, when someone asked about the amount raised, the mom's friend, Justine, posted her reply:


Justine Ellinger
ALTHOUGH EVERY DONATION & ALL OF THE SUPPORT IS EXTREMELY APPRECIATED, AT THE REQUEST OF THE FAMILIES I WILL NOT BE DISCLOSING THE EXACT AMOUNT THAT WAS RAISED AT THE BENEFIT. I WILL SAY THERE WAS AN AMAZING RESPONSE & THE COLLECTION EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS, HOWEVER I WAS ASKED BY THE FAMILIES TO NOT POST AN EXACT AMOUNT BUT PLS KNOW THEY R VERY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING...AS AM I!
Like • • Follow Post • April 9 at 3:27pm near South Lebanon, PA


According to the event Facebook page, 622 people attended, and there was a $10 cover charge, as well as donation jars and an auction, so they probably raised an amount similar to the first fundraiser. Tee-shirts and bracelets were also sold at the event and since then up to now.


Then, there was a third fundraiser, a dinner dance on April 13th:

http://pahomepage.com/community-news-details/?nxd_id=330112


As far as I know, last night's event was the fourth fundraiser in four weeks.

TLC stinks said...

Although there are gift baskets in the auction picture photo, there is no purple bag on the table which contained the UGG sandals; it was a grift to Kate.

Name Withheld said...

Re: Fundraising for causes like this-

My cousin was a single mom and she lost all 3 of her children in a fire a few years ago. The funeral home charged very little for the funeral. I believe it was less than $2K for all three kids and that included the plots at the cemetery.

We did a lot of fundraising for her and collected more than $20,000 in the end. Did she 'need' it? She was able to buy a beautiful headstone for them and she did not work for a year. Personally, I felt it was great that she could take that year to pull herself together. She went back to school, finished her degree, and now has a state job. She's since had another child. (I'm so PROUD of her!)

My attitude about the funraising was that if MONEY could bring even one smile to this Mama's face, then I'm all for it. It will never replace the babies she lost.I'd pay just about anything to help ease her pain a little bit. No one is asking someone to take out a second mortgage on their house or skip paying their electric bill so they can donate. Most people are giving an extra $20 that they won't even miss.

Mountain Out of a Molehill said...

Terri said... 64
I asked on the facebook page why gift photos were removed. The lady responded by saying those were indeed gifts for Kate and she took photos down because she doesn't like negative comments concerning something she did out of the kindness of her heart. She said she bought those gifts out of her own pocket to thank Kate, and that Kate donated a lot of books and other items and all proceeds went to the fund. I responded back that in hindsight she probably should have given Kate those gifts in private as it looked so tacky considering why they were all there.
************************************
You left out the part where she responded that nobody was there but her family when she gave Kate the gifts.

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

Here is a picture of what I assume is the auction table. In the front are two brown boxes rather like what Kate opened with the shoes inside. Could she have won them in the auction?

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=4018593362569&set=p.4018593362569&type=1&theater

AuntieAnn said...

If it was a personal gift she should have known that people would rag on her and given it to Kate in private instead.

Tacky.

A Pink Straight Jacket For Kate said...

Sigh... Oh well.

People keep feeding that Black Hole with more gifts- because you know... she deserves it :op How about donating money to the cause in Katie's name? How about Kate donate money & her gifts to the charity? Honestly. Some people never change.

Last night should have been completely about the little girls who lost their lives.

I'm sorry for that family. Parents are not supposed to bury their children. It does not make any sense.


AND WHAT THE HELL WAS STEVE DOING THERE?

Ugh.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

In the front are two brown boxes rather like what Kate opened with the shoes inside.

&&&

I don't think those are the same boxes. The box she has has stickers on the side and says UGG on them. Those boxes have no stickers or writing.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

You left out the part where she responded that nobody was there but her family when she gave Kate the gifts.

&&&

Well good at least she opened them in private. Still inappropriate. And what is the point in making it a private opening if you're just going to splash the photos all over your FB page among the other charitable photos? That kinda defeats the purpose of being discreet and sensitive.

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

I don't think those are the same boxes. The box she has has stickers on the side and says UGG on them. Those boxes have no stickers or writing.

=================

In the photo of the auction table you can't see the sides of the box at all.

AuntieAnn said...

Mountain Out of a Molehill said... 76

You left out the part where she responded that nobody was there but her family when she gave Kate the gifts.

====

Then why take a photo of it and put it out there?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

In the photo of the auction table you can't see the sides of the box at all.


&&&

?? I can see two sides clearly. And they're not even the same size.

This is a moot point because the woman ADMITS they were gifts to Kate that she opened in private, and has removed the photos. She admits it.

Terri said...

I didn't leave the part out about gift giving in private. She posted that comment AFTER i posted my first comment here.

LB said...

Why would a charity event warrant bestowing a participant with ‘gifts’ for attending the event? Uggs shoes? Where did she get the idea that Kate needed Uggs shoes? I bet Kate planted that idea in Brenda. If it was me, I would have declined the gifts and told the host to keep her money. To spend that much on her? A simple thank-you wasn't enough? Makes no sense whatever so.

Mountain Out of a Molehill said...

LB said... 85
Why would a charity event warrant bestowing a participant with ‘gifts’ for attending the event? Uggs shoes? Where did she get the idea that Kate needed Uggs shoes? I bet Kate planted that idea in Brenda. If it was me, I would have declined the gifts and told the host to keep her money. To spend that much on her? A simple thank-you wasn't enough? Makes no sense whatever so.

******************************

A thank you gift makes no sense whatsoever? You've never given someone something to say thank you?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Name withheld, thanks for sharing that tragic story. I hope this mother too will take comfort in what was raised and that it will help ease her burdens this year. Sadly what we are hearing is that the family is fighting. It sounds like at this point money may be giving them grief, not peace. To go to the lengths of actually calling a previous venue to cancel is pretty intense. Sad.

What I find it disconcerting is I now believe this fan used this tragedy to try to get in good with Kate. All the sucking up and giving her an expensive gift (isn't that $100 that the family could have used), the bulk of the photos being photos of Kate with only a scant few being from the actual Zumba event......it's very disturbing. You don't get a REWARD for showing up to a charity event, other than at most, a card and some modest flowers if you MUST. You're SUPPOSED to be charitable and the whole point of charity is doing something for nothing. It's really pathetic to see that. Neither of those woman get why they were there in my opinion. They don't get it.

All that said, I hope the end result is that it helps this mother and the family, regardless of the disturbing information that we have seen and read.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...


A thank you gift makes no sense whatsoever? You've never given someone something to say thank you?

&&&

For coming to a charity event? Yes I gave a card. I would feel weird buying someone a $100 gift. I would have expected them not to accept it and donate it instead.

LB said...

I don't think the Ugg shoes were part of the auction. The Ugg box is smaller and taller than the other boxes displayed on the table. Plus it appears it was prehaps wrapped as there is purple tissue paper the box is sitting on. I didn't see a box wrapped in purple tissue paper on the table. The shoes definitely were a gift.

LB said...

Mountain Out of a Molehill said... 87
____________________________

Certainly not $100 Uggs shoes! That charity was held in honor of two little girls who passed away. When something is about death and sadness, etc; gifts doesn't seem right in that situation. Maybe something homemade would be more approperiate.

AuntieAnn said...

De ja vu. Remember the Open Letter to Kate Gosselin from Alyssa Martina?

"I must say that I was a little put off by your insight that when you give, you are rewarded in turn. In theory, I support this notion, but the rewards are far less material than you suggested, Kate. You explained how when you give, you almost always get something tangible back in return, confirming to you that your gift was the right thing to do. To be honest, your story of writing a check to a nearby family who had some major struggles in their life only to receive, almost serendipitously, an anonymous gift card for the exact amount was disheartening to me.

I’d like to believe that the spirit of giving inherently suggests that you won’t necessarily get back anything in return. That’s the whole point of generosity – giving for the sake of giving. What you get back is the intrinsic satisfaction of helping others. I found your comments about giving and generosity a little self-serving."

Loves to Read said...

Brenda's answer on Facebook said, "For the record besides her time Kate donated a lot of books did not make one cent on them. And donated few items for the auction. She went above and beyond for these Great cause."


That answers another question for us. Clearly, Kate did NOT donate a check. She merely brought some old books and DVD's that cost her nothing, are worth nothing, and have been gathering dust in her basement for years. The Facebook page is loaded with items donated from others at their own personal expense, but no, not Kate. Did she even buy a $20 t-shirt?

Name Withheld said...

I hate it when this happens. I feel like I need to defend Kate on this one. (ARGH)
This is a case of damned if you do or don't.

Kate didn't ask for gifts and the hostess decided to give her one. Kate could have declined and appeared rude and arrogant. She might have insulted the gift giver if she'd done that. Instead, she accepted the gift and posed for a pic with a smile. I think the latter is far more appropriate. FOR ONCE Kate appeared to be thankful!

I've coordinated a bunch of these kinds of fundraisers. Giving a local celebrity a gift after they agree to appear and donate to the cause is pretty standard.

Tucker's Mom said...

Brenda Schuettler - The gifts were from me out of my own pocket. To thank her for coming thru for me. I deleted because I don't like negative post regarding something I did out of the kindest of my heart
*****
Yes, it should have been private, but for the love of everything holy, leave this poor woman alone.
It's done and in my eyes, doesn't diminish the fact that Kate did give her time, her books and apparently some items to the auction and let's just give her this one, Steve or no Steve.
From all accounts, Kate's behavior was really great and people came away very happy.
I don't know what more Kate could have accomplished last night.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

This is interesting information. A quick google search shows that Kate has unusually small feet for a woman for her height, the size she wore on DWTS was 5 1/2. I'm about her height and I wear a 9.

It would be pretty coincidental to happen to find such a small shoe size that few other woman there could bid on. And pretty silly to donate a shoe of an unusual size, or any size, to an auction, since you've automatically eliminated anyone who doesn't fit the size.

Anyway, the lady admits she bought those just for Kate as a gift.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...


Kate didn't ask for gifts and the hostess decided to give her one. Kate could have declined and appeared rude and arrogant. She might have insulted the gift giver if she'd done that. Instead, she accepted the gift and posed for a pic with a smile. I think the latter is far more appropriate. FOR ONCE Kate appeared to be thankful!

&&&

You know you make a good point. We should probably be more upset at the gift giver. She put Kate in an awkward position where if Kate wanted to turn the gift down, she would hurt her feelings and make the situation uncomfortable. Fair point.

&&&
I've coordinated a bunch of these kinds of fundraisers. Giving a local celebrity a gift after they agree to appear and donate to the cause is pretty standard.
&&&

It is? Well, I didn't know that. That's sad. Why can't celebs just show up and do their thing and the joy of participating in something so wonderful be their gift? None of them ever feel awkward accepting gifts?

Mountain Out of a Molehill said...

Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 95

Kate didn't ask for gifts and the hostess decided to give her one. Kate could have declined and appeared rude and arrogant. She might have insulted the gift giver if she'd done that. Instead, she accepted the gift and posed for a pic with a smile. I think the latter is far more appropriate. FOR ONCE Kate appeared to be thankful!

&&&

You know you make a good point. We should probably be more upset at the gift giver. She put Kate in an awkward position where if Kate wanted to turn the gift down, she would hurt her feelings and make the situation uncomfortable. Fair point.
*************************************************
Or maybe you should not be upset at anybody. Why do you feel the need to drag down a woman who organized something to help out a member of her community?

Tucker's Mom said...

What I find it disconcerting is I now believe this fan used this tragedy to try to get in good with Kate. All the sucking up and giving her an expensive gift (isn't that $100 that the family could have used)
*******
I think the onus is on this fan who obviously seized her moment in the sun with Kate, bestowing her with gifts she certainly doesn't need.
Again, tone deaf, more on the fan's part than Kate's.
We've all been there... "oh! you really shouldn't have!" when we're given un unexpected or unreciprocated gift. Many times, we accept, albeit reluctantly, to please the giver, whose heart was in the right place of giving, especially to say "thank you".
I think the fan was overwhelmingly grateful to Kate for agreeing to do this and probably couldn't believe she pulled off getting a "celeb" draw to the event.

Name Withheld said...

It is? Well, I didn't know that. That's sad. Why can't celebs just show up and do their thing and the joy of participating in something so wonderful be their gift? None of them ever feel awkward accepting gifts?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No celeb shows up expecting things, but extending a 'thank you' is pretty standard. It's up the host how they want to handle that but usually, there is some type of gift given. The only mistake here was that the event organizer posted that pic on the page. Rookie mistake.

LB said...

Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 88

You don't get a REWARD for showing up to a charity event, other than at most, a card and some modest flowers if you MUST. You're SUPPOSED to be charitable and the whole point of charity is doing something for nothing.
___________________________________

Exactly! I was going toward a card and flowers. Brenda appears to have gone way overboard and brought expensive shoes. I have to ask WHERE DID SHE GET THE IDEA TO BUY UGG SHOES?

TLC stinks said...

ITA, it makes no sense to donate shoes at an auction. It would make sense to donate a gift certificate to a shoe store. Those UGG shoes were a gift to Kate and I bet Kate let that woman know exactly what she wanted for the appearance. It would have been wonderful if Kate did indeed write a check and present it for a photo op but I am highly doubtful she made any such donation even in private.

I also don't believe the church paid for Steve, but I do believe they put out money for the rent-a-cop.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Loves to Read, you are probably right.....so assuming the basic expenses are cleared now, which I think they probably are, now it get a little more dicey because now someone has to decide what to do with the extra money. And is it mom's decision, or the dads? Grandparents? Fighting ensues. THAT'S why they are trying to keep the amounts secret, not to be shady to the public, but rather so other family members don't know.

The feud about this interests me, it is interesting and sad to see the sociology behind what happens when a family goes through tragedy and then is suddenly given large amounts of money and how everyone reacts differently to how that money should be used. Most studies show that most people who did not have much money in the first place do very poorly handling sudden large gifts, such as winning the lottery. I am very very sad for this situation, Kate aside, as she clearly has nothing or little to do with the greater feud other than one more thing for the family to fight over. I hope Kate was able to ease their burdens not add to them. No degree to my name but I am and always will be a sociologist at heart.

Bigfoot said...

Admin,
Kate has said herself she wears a size 9 shoe. She said it on the episode where she bought two pairs of shoes while shoe shopping with the kids.

That 5.5 shoe size listed online for her is inaccurate. May have been just an error, typo or European size.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Hey Bigfoot size nine is not big for that height :). It's average!

5.5 does seem odd now that you say so.

Loves to Read said...

Kate is not a "celeb". She's just an unemployed divorced woman in PA who has a lot of kids. Because she has eight, twins and sextuplets, she was on a TV show for a few years. That ended almost two years ago. How long is she going to milk that? Another ten years?

She could have quickly thanked Brenda for the gift and said, "I'll open it later." Or, Brenda could have simply handed the gift bag to Kate as she was leaving while she thanked her for coming to the event. If she really had to watch Kate open the gift, she could have walked Kate out to here car, and then given her the gift there.

TLC stinks said...

Kate didn't ask for gifts and the hostess decided to give her one. Kate could have declined and appeared rude and arrogant.

********************************************

If Kate didn't ask for the gift (shoes), then how did Brenda know her size? Why not just give Kate a gift basket? The shoes are a very odd thank you gift. Sorry, I don't buy your theory. It may be the practice to give a celebrity a gift for their time, but shoes? Really? Odd, odd, odd. Too specific. It smells of Kate grifting.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Yes but I bet the church would have rented the cop to come out anyway Kate or not. My church rents a cop every Sunday just to make sure everyone pulls out safely, the parking lot stays calm and controlled, and whatnot. There is no traffic light to pull out onto the street.

Actually that's one of the first things I thought when I heard about that horrific accident, that that likely wouldn't have happened here because we have a cop there stopping traffic so people can pull out safely. :(

Anonymous said...

Women Shoe Size
UK
- - - 3 3½ 4 4½ 5 5½ 6 6½ 7 7½ 8 8½

US
4 4½ 5 5½ 6 6½ 7 7½ 8 8½ 9 9½ 10 10½ 11

I remember someone a few months ago mentioned the 51/2 size from DWTS and she said that she wears a size 81/2. Here is the chart from the UK.

That woman (from her TL) is a huge, huge celebrity nut. So I think that goes to some of her reasoning behind the gifts. Still, I think Kate should have opened them in private. Leslie

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Likely, Brenda probably said hey Kate what's your shoe size? Wink wink!

At that point Kate could have said now Brenda I know what you're up to and really that's not necessary, the joy I will feel to be able to come help my community in this way is gift enough.

UGG *is* a brand the family has frequently been seen in.

Anonymous said...

Sorry the chart #103 misaligned. But a size 51/2 does convert to a 81/2 like Kate said. Leslie

Name Withheld said...

When my cousin's children passed, we had similar fights break out. The absent father felt that he should get a slice of the pie. Her friends said that she 'changed' because she had so much money. People criticized her for her choices.

In our case, I am the one that set up the bank account and handled the press.I kept everything in my name so that she couldn't be pressured but ignorant people who think a few thousand dollars is like winning the lottery. I didn't publicly announce the totals and I was asked more than once. Personally, I didn't care if she took the money and went on a lavish vacation. (She didn't) It was HER money and she was going through the worst thing any mother can imagine. It baffled me that so many people would make an issue out of this. In the end, she learned who her true friends were.

Mel said...

What I find it disconcerting is I now believe this fan used this tragedy to try to get in good with Kate

Yep. The fan probably couldn't believe her good luck when Kate actually accepted the invite, being as the other 8,888 celebs that they invited didn't even respond, or gave a polite 'sorry, can't'.

You can see in the pics how thrilled the woman is to be breathing the same air as Kate. The woman now has by far the most points in the social pecking order. SHE invited Kate, Kate was there because of HER. Kate was HERS.

It didn't have anything at all to do with getting extra money for that poor family. It was all about brownie points for the woman, and celeb wannabe points for Kate.

Loves to Read said...

Brenda posted on Facebook last night that she wants to make it an annual event because it was so much "fun". Not sure who the $$ who go to next year. Kind of odd.

TLC Stinks, I completely agree with you that giving her shoes is just odd, very odd.

Loves to Read said...

I have to ask, does anyone know if a wrongful death suit has been filed yet? Her car was hit by another one.

A Pink Straight Jacket For Kate said...

Shelby said... 21

I wish I wasn't right. *sigh* I've completely given up with Kate. She's just a giant waste of a woman.

************************************************

Shelby, I'm basically done with her as well. And this is not considered a loss for me.








Anonymous said...

I wonder in cases like the death of these 2 little girls if the fundraiser(s) should state that the monies will be paid directly to the funeral home, then to the hospital and the medical examiner (autopsy was done). That way no monies are paid to the mother or to the two fathers. That way they know for certain the bills are paid and also that the families aren't profiting off of the death of their children.

Any remaining monies will be given to another charity. And have an attorney offer his services to distribute the funds. Or pay the attorney a small fee for his work.
Leslie

MJ said...

AuntieAnn said...
De ja vu. Remember the Open Letter to Kate Gosselin from Alyssa Martina?

****

Where/when was this open letter? I have a vague recollection but need some clues. Thanks!

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Name I don't think much of a issue is being made here, it's the family and friends who have made it obvious there are issues and we're discussing it. I only wish we heard the family is all pulling together no no one is fighting but that's just not the case. The reason I said do a trust and scholarship at this point is not because I don't think the family should have some money, but rather because it's causing fighting and a designation like that may ease their feud. Remember THEY made it an issue in the first place. 20 grand may not seem like a lot to the average person but to a family struggling that's huge and apparently is plenty enough to bicker over and even call venues to prank cancel over.

Tucker's Mom said...

AuntieAnn said... 91
De ja vu. Remember the Open Letter to Kate Gosselin from Alyssa Martina?

"I must say that I was a little put off by your insight that when you give, you are rewarded in turn
*******
Kate's journal is littered with God/the Lord providing for her. So, this woman is spot on, but it's just how Kate thinks. I don't believe it would occur to Kate to turn any gifts away, since it is how the Lord takes care of her.
I didn't grow up Evangelical, was never "saved" and have been taught the total opposite of prosperity Gospel, but evidently Kate subscribes to this.
She is chosen, special and deserves more than she could ever need because the Lord obviously deems it so.
He evidently has nothing better to do all day but make sure Katie's milk is on sale (seriously, she gives Him praise for this, personally, I thank the cows) and that companies gift her vacations and a household full of furniture and appliances.
Again, who is she to say no?

Tucker's Mom said...

Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 102
Yes but I bet the church would have rented the cop to come out anyway Kate or not. My church rents a cop every Sunday just to make sure everyone pulls out safely, the parking lot stays calm and controlled, and whatnot. There is no traffic light to pull out onto the street.
******
Same here in our old church, prior house. No lights, so cops directed exiting the parking lot. Money well spent.

LB said...

I also did not think this charity event would have suggested gifting someone with Uggs shoes. A fundraiser for funeral/medical/house expenses warranted getting shoes? it just sends the wrong message.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Leslie yes I agree. The thing is I don't think any of these generous and kind hearted people would want to ADD to the family's burdens. By just going directly to the providers and using an attorney and trustee that can help prevent conflict. Unfortunately I think it's a rare thing to have this many under the table fundraisers without such safeguards in place and expect there won't be differences. They raised 20 grand or more, not a couple hundred bucks. Fighting is inevitable.

wowser said...

not to sound like I am taking her side: BUT, if this woman is such a die-hard fan, she probably saw all the episodes of the show many times and saw the episode where Kate said she was a 9 and it was indeed a "star-struck suck-up I love you kate thank you thank you thank you for coming because I love and adore you sooooo much" present!

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

I understand a card, flowers or a trinket. But a $100 gift is standard??

Tucker's Mom said...

Kate's shoe size, preference and brand would be very easy for an uber fan to discern is paying even a little bit of attention.
I think shoes are a weird choice for someone you've never met, or met once for a fan pic. It's a little too personal for me, but then, Kate has fostered this from accepting gifts, crying poor and needy and even encouraging it by announcing holidays and birthdays.
Unless of course you have a son you've named Aaden, because that name with that spelling is verboten after Kate birthed one. It's hers! She claims it foreversies!

Anonymous said...

I read a newspaper article about the accident. It did say the 17 year old was speeding but it also stated that she pulled out of the lot into a lane incorrectly. Please do not accept this as a fact. Accident re-constructionists were called to the scene and they will decide what happened. The article I read had about 40 comments and all of them were fighting back and forth what had really happened.

The mother, Victoria Place, did tweet Kate last night to thank her. It was was her only tweet since the accident in March. And she was a heavy twitter.
Leslie

MJ said...

Admin said...
Well, I didn't know that. That's sad. Why can't celebs just show up and do their thing and the joy of participating in something so wonderful be their gift? None of them ever feel awkward accepting gifts?

*****

You're not alone. I've headed committees that hosted visiting authors, local actors, media personalities, etc., and our thank you gifts consisted of a card and an incidental gift like some flowers. I've never considered giving something personal like UGGS. While Brenda's heart was in a good place, the whole situation, from the photos, the gift itself, the appropriateness of the gift giving considering the reason for the event - was 'off'.

"For the record besides her time Kate donated a lot of books did not make one cent on them. And donated few items for the auction. She went above and beyond for these Great cause."
The last I heard that is what giving of yourself means. The personal gift giving can send the wrong message that doing so is a normal and expected trade-off for doing something charitable.

Tucker's Mom said...

But a $100 gift is standard??
******
People blow money on all sorts of different stuff. I bet the fan wanted to give a gift "worthy" of Kate's approval and something she'd perhaps actually use.
Soaps, not so much ;-)
Plus, maybe Kate will be photographed wearing the fan's sandals and wow, what bragging rights that could bring!!

Mel said...

A fundraiser for funeral/medical/house expenses warranted getting shoes? it just sends the wrong message.

What? For li'l old me? Oh! You shouldn't have! I just can't believe you bought me a gift!
Uh, you wouldn't happen to have any of my preferred skin cream in there, would you? Oh! You do? How kind!



Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Drag down?? That's dramatic!! Everything I see suggests she was far more concerned about getting in good with Kate. The truth hurts but I call it like I see it. I can't even remember her name now and have no desire to drag anyone down.

Name Withheld said...

Good point about the potential wrongful death suit. If this family is arguing over a few grand, they will have a hard time if they are awarded a lot more.

Understandably, most families in this type of situation are completely out of their element. They don't have knowledge of IRS laws and they generally are not working with a 501(c)(3) charity. I'm curious as to whether the church umbrelled this event and allowed people to write donation checks to the church so they could receive the tax benefit.

This family is wrapped in grief and in over their heads. It's so sad.

Marie said...

I guess the fact that they deleted the pictures of Kate opening gifts is in fact an indication that it MAY have been wrong to give Kate those gifts or that Kate accepted them? I don't understand the thinking of some people.

Marie

Anonymous said...

Kate did tweet a few months ago that she wore an 81/2. Perhaps that lady saw that tweet.

And Admin., Brenda said gifts not gift. There was the angel, the large basket and the shoes. Kate is an idiot not to have accepted the gifts in private. I bet a lot of people were miffed about it at the event. And they may have not known the gifts were from Brenda. It looks bad and Kate never seems to learn anything as time goes on regardless how much criticism she receives.

I bet Steve is at her house right now. I doubt he left late last night to drive back to Maryland.
Leslie

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Oh that's nice the mom thanked Kate. I'm glad that brought her out.
Wrongful death suits are about percentages. This will sound cold because people are dead but nonetheless you have to determine what percentage each party is at fault and there will be bickering. The closer it is to 50-50 both at fault the less money awarded.

MJ said...

Admin said...
They raised 20 grand or more, not a couple hundred bucks. Fighting is inevitable.

They've raised a lot more than that. The $20,000 figure was announced April 3 and fundraisers have been ongoing all month with more scheduled.

I understand a card, flowers or a trinket. But a $100 gift is standard??

Certainly not in my neck of the woods (an affluent vacation/retirement/fun-in-the-sun locale)!

OrangeCrusher1 said...

Brenda is a rookie at this, and sadly made some rookie mistakes re: celebrity gifts and pics plastered all over her FB page. Her happiness at landing KG is palpable and KG is too classless herself to have corrected the misguided but well intentioned behavior. And you know what, it's over. Let the community focus on helping this family grieve, and let KG return to being a shameless fame 'ho.

Moving on . . .

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Lol Dmasy thanks for your middle of the night sleuthing. Maybe Robert joined just to follow the story but not to show up. Sometimes I'll do that for photography things just to get alerts on when photos are up, only on things where they don't care about no shows of course. That's a trick learned way back in journalism school, you par for the course join various mailing lists, forums etc. just to know what's going on first.

TFGOT (formerly Thanks for going OT) said...

Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 95
This is interesting information. A quick google search shows that Kate has unusually small feet for a woman for her height, the size she wore on DWTS was 5 1/2. I'm about her height and I wear a 9.

&&&&&&&&

Admin, dance shoes, which is what Kate was referring to on DWTS are frequently in European or UK sizing. For example, I wear a size 36 in Europe, a 3 1/2 in the UK, and a 6 1/2 in the US. (And, yes, I'm quite short thanks!)

Kate's shoes on DWTS looked like Freed of London. Nice mid-range professional shoes. A 5.5 Freed would be an 8.5 - 9 in US sizes, so Kate's feet are proportionate to her height.

Anonymous said...

Cops escorted people all over L.A. who were in danger from Chris Dorner. They also escort celebs if they are being hounded. Escorting people who are in legitimate danger is part of their job, yes.
___

Cops also shot completely innocent people.

I'd hire a bodyguard in a heartbeat if I were in danger rather than depend on a policeman. One is loyal to my protection only, the other is loyal to the interests of the city. It's also why I would rather teachers be armed in schools (trained of course) than having a third-party paid security guard. Who do you think would protect the kids better? (Remember Ashley? I would die for these kids?). Just MHO.

But we all know Steve isn't a bodyguard. She's writing him off as a business expense.

heather

my2cents said...

My two cents. I think it's fine for us all to discuss anything we like here but I don't think it's appropriate to go post on their facebook pages and admonish them. We don't like Kate and we are never much going to like anything she does.

I keep thinking back to a couple of months ago when the sheep were questioning a "haters" family fundraising. Many of us were upset saying they shouldn't do it, now look at us all.

Anonymous said...

UGG is an Australian brand, made and imported from Australia. Kate has gone to Australia twice and declared that she loves it x8 and it's her second home. Hence, the UGG sandals. IMHO.

TFGOT (formerly Thanks for going OT) said...

I would prefer not to snark on Kate for this event either, although Steve's presence makes it hard! Good for her for showing up and being pleasant.

It is a pity that the fan felt the need to give Kate an expensive gift -- and post the pics on FB. So embarassing for both. At a small community event like this no-one (not even Kate) should expect a goodie bag. Etiquette-wise, the fan would have done better to have presented Kate with a $20 pink T-Shirt at most, and then followed up with a handwritten thankyou note.

I also don't want to snark or question the fund-raisers. I guess the mother is still in the hospital? She may have a long rehab ahead of her, no short-term disability insurance, and no means of earning a living for a while. Even if there will be wrongful death or other monies coming to her because of the loss of her children, neither are certain nor likely to come through any time soon. At least money donated now will give her fewer worries as she grieves and heals.

Silimom said...

It was my understanding from an earlier comment that the woman's church was handling the accounting/donations. Here's a news clip with the mom and one of the dads: http://wnep.com/2013/04/03/a-celebration-of-two-little-lives-lost/

Here's a thought - money raised goes to cover the mom's and the girls' medical expenses which were severe and my understanding, again, was she had either no or limited insurance. It also goes to pay for funeral expenses and any money left over is used to set a memorial scholarship in their names through the school district.

I though we had this discussion once before in a different thread but maybe I'm wrong. However, $20,000 is not a lot when you look into medical bills and funeral expenses. It truly is sad if the parents or other family are fighting over it.

librarylady said...

I'm sure this lady's heart was in the right place for the fundraiser itself. It was inappropriate, but she is a Kate worshiper and likely was overly excited and wanted to "prove" to KG her worth as a "friend". She probably didn't even realize how it looked until it was pointed out.

We frequently work with nationally well-known people for charity and other public programs, and we often give them small or simple thank-you gifts for coming and donating their time. But something so personal and expensive is not considered appropriate; the last person we had appear recently, very well-known, was known for her love of a particular brand of coffee so was given a small basket basket with a nice gift bag of the coffee and some small, inexpensive items related to that and our local area. That is normally the type of thing, at least in this area, for an event like this.

I'm sure if the woman does fundraising in future, she will set things up differently after it being pointed out to her. KG doesn't seem to know how to appear low-key and gracious so she may not have been sure quite how to handle it if her expensive gift was just plopped on the table in front of her.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

If they still have medical expenses what's all the fighting among the family for then? Wouldn't it be obvious that those checks should be cut directly to medical bills, no quibbling over it at all?

Someone said they had or probably have medicaid. It is the law that out of pocket expenses cannot be billed for emergency services if you have medicaid. It is waived. Now I'm sure the medicaid rules and regulations are 1,000 pages long and there might be some loophole somewhere that is billing them for something. Still, the fighting suggests that the obvious expenses have been covered and now there are feuds over what to do with the remainder. What a sad situation. Actually, I give these people props for getting involved in something so dicey and ripe for lawsuits, Kate included. I feel sorry for the family but I'd steer far clear of that.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

Library, that's nice. I think this was a learning experience for this lady. I can't say as I ever have or wanted to take on running a fundraiser myself however everyone I've ever known who has always talks about how it was much harder and more time than they ever thought. But you can't learn how to do them unless you just get in there and do it, mistakes and all. I would rather someone tell me if I messed up rather than just let me keep making the mistake again next time.

She obviously has a heart for shmoozing which can be very helpful to things like this, but I don't think it's a bad thing for her to realize where things were awkward or wrong . Respectfully of course. The mom is back on the internet, it breaks my heart to think after thanking Kate that she would see those photos of Kate getting her own stash of gifts but now that she has been told, the lady took them down. THat's a good thing.

Tucker's Mom said...

my2cents said... 140
My two cents. I think it's fine for us all to discuss anything we like here but I don't think it's appropriate to go post on their facebook pages and admonish them. We don't like Kate and we are never much going to like anything she does.
******
Agree. This fan who arranged for Kate to come, and other fans who were excited to see her more than Zumba, should not be collateral damage.

Another Person That Likes to Read said...

Someone from the mother's church setup a FB page the day after the accident. By and large all the posts are positive (maybe negative posts get deleted?). Under "Recent Posts By Others" near the bottom is a post from 27 March (2 days after the accident) about the bank funds already setup. In the last comment on the post the person lists 3 official funds.

From other things I read there have been 4 or 5 fundraisers so far, all setup by different people. But they all seem to be posting on each other's pages and timelines, so for the most part people getting along.

Also, the mother and both fathers came together and held a joint memorial service for the two little girls. So it seems like at least those three people are getting along just fine.

Following is the link to the FB page I wrote about in the first paragraph, plus I cut and pasted the post with it's comments.
https://www.facebook.com/StaySafeByTheLightsOfOurTwoLittleAngels
"Recent Posts By Others"
===following is near the bottom of the list:
Sheryl Lynn Zagar
THE ACCOUNT IS AT UNION BANK SET UP DIRECTLY BY HER FAMILY & IS IN LIEU OF VICTORIA PLACE!!! HER SISTER MARY Mary Place HAS BEEN TRYING TO TELL EVERYONE TO PLS USE THAT ACCOUNT!! I called the bank...the address for main branch is 25 south Centre Streeet Pottsville ,you can make a deposit at any Union branch.
Like · · March 27 at 9:13am
3 people like this.

Stay Safe By The Lights Of Our Two Little Angels
Ours at Faith Church is real as well.
March 27 at 4:38pm · Like · 1

Stay Safe By The Lights Of Our Two Little Angels
Thanks Sheryl .
March 27 at 4:39pm · Like

Sheryl Lynn Zagar
This is the latest info I have located. Wow!! First of all 1,212 Members!!!! Second is Bank Account Info!! I know there has been an insane amount of confusion over where money is to go I have 3 confirmed accounts for funds to be donated to that I know are legitamate... There is so many involved from all angles and everyone's effort is appreciated it is so hard to keep up but we are trying our best so my
numerous posts may be getting annoying but we need to get the word out!! So here we go for
hopefully one final time... Question.. Where do we send or donate money??? Answer.. One of
these 3 yes 3 options...
1. Union Bank and Trust in Victoria Place's name per Mary Place
2. Wells Fargo Bank.. Account Name is Friends of Victoria Place.. you must specify where you want you donation to go Victoria's name, Victoria, Eddie and Jim's name, or Carianna and Catrina's name...per Donna Austerberry
3. M&T Bank.. Account name Victoria Place Children's Memorial...per Faith Church
Sorry for any inconvenience or aggitation this has caused anyone, we just wanna make sure
everything gets noticed and handled correctly!! Thanks everyone for being so patient and kind
it is still early in the efforts to help relieve financial pressure from the families so bare with us!!

C & C Army of Hearts Amanda Riegel, Justine Ellinger Vicke Preti... administrators
Like · · Follow Post · 2112 · 3 hours ago
March 27 at 8:37pm · Like

TLC stinks said...

It's alive...

kateplusmy8

Good morning... Late morning... Only 11 minutes of it left here... Anyway, I've been a busy bee thus the late 'hello'! Make it a gr8 one!

This to her buddy last night:

sweetbren66

RT @Kateplusmy8: Got home awhile ago, got report from my babysitter.Hung out with M&C..Now X 4 bed. Ahhh zzzz time! Fun X! Met gr8 ppl! Thx 4 having me! GN!

*******************************************

Funny she had to mention M&C, that she hung out with them. Not likely.

Susantoyota said...

Susantoyota said... 119
Over In Kate's County said... 95
Sounds like Kate was a hit with the locals.
The reports are refreshing.

++++++++++++++++++++

Well, yes...she's not going to go in there with a sour-puss face, ignoring people, being rude or nasty. Kate can put on a pleasant, friendly air when she wants to.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

I agree with Over in Kate's County. We've all seen how Kate can be pleasant and friendly when she wants to or wants something. I'm going to hold off on saying "well done Kate" for a few days and see how little event shakes out publicity-wise, etc. Call me cynical.

One thing I did notice in the 2nd picture--her smile is not as wide as in other pictures I've seen--and it reminded me of Kendra Wilkinson's smile.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

For the kid's sake, I hate being right because of the fact that she was on her best behavior as Stevie was present and she accepted gifts/grifted "stuff" for herself has effectively negated any hope that this woman will ever change.

Kudos to the ladies who said leopards never change their spots and narcissists drawing people in by how good they appear than slamming them back down to earth. You were spot on.

Still cynical & anxiously awaiting Robert's book.

PatK said...

I hope Steve was given more than half a pancake for breakfast. And that he was allowed to cut it up himself.

FYI said...

Kate tweeted this last night:

Kate Gosselin ‏@Kateplusmy8 14h
Got home awhile ago, got report from my babysitter.Hung out with M&C..Now X 4 bed. Ahhh zzzz time! Fun X! Met gr8 ppl! Thx 4 having me! GN!

I was just wondering why she felt she had to specifically mention a babysitter. Most people would assume, knowing that she was not home, that she would have one.

Somehow it gives me the feeling that M & C watched the kids and no babysitter was present. She's also mentioned quite a few times how she goes running when the kids are home.

I have a feeling that M & C take care of those kids more than she lets on, and are actually the ones that "babysit".

Jumping In said...

Now, I'm confused. Was Kate invited to this fundraiser as a draw, to entice more people to attend? Was this evening promoted as an opportunity to meet Kate, and did the attendees pay a little something for the donated books as part of the fundraising effort?

Yes, Kate "donated" books, but I do not see a value attached to them. She went to her basement, opened up a box of unsold books and brought them along to sign. Kate donated her time, but was rewarded for that time (UGGS) because she was seen as special. Her time is "celebrity" time, which apparently is more valuable than the neighbour's time.

This is a two-sided story, a star-struck organizer and a star-wannabe. Hopefully, the evening was not lost on this sideshow.

capecodmama said...

Only up to comment 66 but I had to snark on Kate's college "bodyguard" after I looked at the picture. I'm 53 but hell, I could take him out. I also have to agree with the poster about Kate's hair. I've no idea what she's done but it has no life or body to it at all. Snark over.

chefsummer #Leh said...

PatK said... 152
I hope Steve was given more than half a pancake for breakfast. And that he was allowed to cut it up himself.
____

I think Steve got a slice of pizza for breakfast wrapped in foil.

Carole said...

...I don't think it's appropriate to go post on their facebook pages and admonish them. We don't like Kate and we are never much going to like anything she does.

I keep thinking back to a couple of months ago when the sheep were questioning a "haters" family fundraising. Many of us were upset saying they shouldn't do it, now look at us all.

&&&&&&&&&&&

Us all? I saw 1 questioning post from someone on the FB page asking why the photos were removed. While I agree that questions about the event are best kept here, I don't think there was anything wrong with the way the question was asked, nor the respective, polite responses back and forth.


As for the 3 separate funds for the family/girls/mom? Oh dear.

Millicent said...

Well, I'm not surprised to hear that Kate was accepting personal gifts at this fundraiser. Still - who was bringing her the gifts? Both the giver and receiver behaved inappropriately and tactlessly.

I am very sorry to hear that the families of the two little girls who died in the accident are feuding over money. Unfortunately, that happens way too often. Perhaps some sort of official fund ought to be created, managed by a trustee. However, that involves red tape, some time and effort, and would cause a delay in any of the donated money getting to any family member who needs it.

Not to be tacky, but I think if money is being raised to pay for funeral expenses and/or hospital expenses, maybe the better way to donate would be directly to the funeral home or the hospital. That way, the donator knows that their donation is going directly to pay a certain expense.

FYI said...

RIP Fabio. Kate's new bog post is about Fabio passing, and how she helped her kids cope with it. It's all about how she helped her kids cope, arranged his funeral etc. Rather long and quite boring.

Remember, on CWS when she said that she and Jon had been divorced since 2011? I think she has that firmly planted in her head. In her blog, she writes about Fabio:

"He was a sort of symbol of new beginnings; since he joined our family the very first Christmas that we celebrated as a family of only 9."

Wouldn't that first Christmas be 2009 or at most 2010?

However, they got Fabio for Christmas in 2011!! She even wrote about it on her website in a post dated Dec. 28, 2011(and I seem to remember that she also tweeted about it. Robert also mentioned it in his book.

"Some of the highlights of the day were:
- Our new Betta fish, “Fabio” (He was the last minute Christmas miracle, by the way"

So again, Kate can't keep her stories straight or she actually believes that she and Jon were divorced in 2011.

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

I think the non fans have been pretty respectful. I look at that Facebook page and I see no one commenting or snarking. Just letting them alone. There was one comment, one, after an expensive gift for Kate was posted, respectfully asking for clarification about it. And in that sense I would rather they answer one way or the other so that if it's not the criticism can stop. Unfortunately the answer was just what we feared. Up until that point people were signing Kate's praises and giving credit where credit is due. I like this group.

Zumba fan said...

Kate Gosselin took no gifts offered to her home. It just didn't happen. If gifts were left there for her, all was given to the persons running the Benefits. Be honest in your reporting. Kate Gosselin never accepts gifts from fans, never. Your extreme hatred blinds you. Kate showed up as did 3 of her female friends along with Steve. Kate signed anything put in front of her for a fee, that money was handed over to the Benefit Chairpersons. You want to lie. Kate Gosselin never, ever accepts at a benefit. But your hatred is very sad. Remember this was a Benefit.
No one was paid, no money exchanged hands other than given to the Chairpersons.

Someday this web site will be gone, why? Because you can't win. You can't fight this woman forever. She is a good mom and a good person.

Wait until you hear she will be back on Dancing with the Stars........a show about those who improved with their dancing. That will make you explode I'm sure.

Millicent said...

Realitytvkids.com (Administrator) said... 81
Well good at least she opened them in private. Still inappropriate. And what is the point in making it a private opening if you're just going to splash the photos all over your FB page among the other charitable photos? That kinda defeats the purpose of being discreet and sensitive.
*******
Clearly the woman who put on the fundraiser is very enamored of Kate. She does seem to be kind-hearted but lacking in some good common sense. Her own common sense should have told her there was no need to put up that picture of Kate opening a private gift from her. But she is so proud of her "connection" to this has-been D-list celeb, she couldn't resist showing off.

It came back to bite her, in the form of negative comments. I can't fault Kate for the fact that this woman had to show off on her FB page.

Again, this woman clearly is lacking common sense - this fundraiser should have been all about helping out the grieving mother, and not at all about Kate, gifts for Kate, photos with Kate, etc.

Tweet-le De Tweet-le DUMB said...

This is a two-sided story, a star-struck organizer and a star-wannabe. Hopefully, the evening was not lost on this sideshow.
====================

From what I can tell, the only people for whom the fundraiser was a sideshow are the ones who keep commenting about it here.

Sorry, for being cranky but good grief, why are we delving into others facebooks and talking how many fundraisers there were and where the money is going?

Realitytvkids.com ~ Administrator said...

That's at least the second time she's tried to make the divorce sound years more recent than it actually was. Hmm.

Tucker's Mom said...

Anyone divorced with kids out there... do/did you refer to your family as being 1 less when Mom and Dad no longer were married or together under one roof?
I find it positively bizarre that Kate would keep bringing up the divorce. How does a fish relate?
It's been long enough to stop using her divorce, especially given that Jon and Kate were not living as a married couple for a long time before the beans spilled that the show's last season was a total fake.

Virginia Pen Mom said...

MJ said... 128

You're not alone. I've headed committees that hosted visiting authors, local actors, media personalities, etc., and our thank you gifts consisted of a card and an incidental gift like some flowers. I've never considered giving something personal like UGGS. While Brenda's heart was in a good place, the whole situation, from the photos, the gift itself, the appropriateness of the gift giving considering the reason for the event - was 'off'.

~~~~~~~~~~

librarylady said... 147

We frequently work with nationally well-known people for charity and other public programs, and we often give them small or simple thank-you gifts for coming and donating their time. But something so personal and expensive is not considered appropriate

============

I've been on the other end, the receiving end. For what it's worth, I've received maybe a hundred gifts for speaking and sometimes for signing. (Sometimes I'm paid, sometimes I receive gifts, sometimes both, sometimes neither.) I've gotten....oh, flowers and plants, flower bed decorations, bird feeders, ornaments, candles, Christmas socks (!), ornamental spoons, handmade items, lotion, tea, knickknacks, notecards, stationery, mugs, pens, foods, desserts and candy, souvenir wine glasses, tote bags, gift cards of all kinds...

These come from a number of types of organizations. In all these, I've never received clothing or shoes, except for the little socks. (They were from a small book club comprised of elderly ladies who were having their Dollar Store gift exchange. They just included me in it.) I appreciate the gifts, but can't say I've ever expected them.

No one EVER discusses the gift in advance with me. I think a gift like the Uggs would have to have been discussed beforehand--even if tacky Kate did put her SHOE SIZE on Twitter. Personally, I would have declined when asked and said, "Oh, no, thanks. I have all I need." It just seems so KATE to be getting a haul from this.

Tucker's Mom said...

Could Kate estrange Jon any more? Family of 9 now, tight knit family?
Jon is so marginalized at every turn.

FYI said...

Also, from her bog, speaking about Fabio:

"He flapped his fins for the last few times just at the exact moment that my little kids were returning from their weekly evening visit with their father."

Is she trying to imply that the tups only see Jon one evening a week? I'm sure that's how the sheeple will interpret it.

NJGal51 said...

IMO the bottom line is that the super fan that organized this event pulled the money out of her own pocket to buy a gift for Kate. While I agree that her choice of the gift was odd, it was still her money and she can do with it as she wishes. As long as the money wasn't taken from contributions, who cares? Was it poor taste to publish the pictures? Maybe, but they've been taken down now so again, who cares. This super fan now has bragging rights over all the other fans so that is her reward.

Tucker's Mom said...

Again, this woman clearly is lacking common sense - this fundraiser should have been all about helping out the grieving mother, and not at all about Kate, gifts for Kate, photos with Kate, etc.
*****
I have to disagree. The signing books and meet and greet/photo ops with Kate were a big part of the draw to the event, for the purpose of raising money on behalf of the girls' family/mother.
I'm sure this ardent fan has plenty of common sense, but got a bit carried away with the Kate gifting, which really isn't the big picture at the end of the day.

Tucker's Mom said...

You know, Kate's The Stir blog about Fabio the fish could have really been good, but she just has to stab Jon in the back again.

Nancy said...

I have been divorced for 10yrs with two kids (now 18&19) and in all that time I have never referred to us as now only 3, that just seems weird to me. My ex and I have attended numerous function for our kids over the years and sit together as a show of support as a family period.

Just because we couldn't make it work (and truthfully don't really like each other) does not mean that at the core we are not still connected. At my son's grad we even took a picture of just the 4 of us because we knew my son would want to have it

FYI said...

Tweet-le--I agree. I don't think we should be discussing what the family is doing or their personal problems. The family should be left out of it.

Just because Kate went to a fundraiser for them, there is no reason to discuss their personal life here. I find it very distasteful and disrespectful to be prying into their business.

Jennifer said...

Notice how of all the pictures, Kate's smile is biggest and most genuine looking in the one where she's opening her freebies?

Tucker's Mom said...

Nancy said... 173
*****
Thank you Nancy and kudos for loving your kids that much. I'm sure it takes sacrifice and restraint.
It's a breath of fresh air to read in light of Kate's continued acrimony and alienation of Jon.
All of these little jabs are like death by 1000 paper cuts. Maybe if she keeps digging slowly and methodically, she'll wall Jon off completely.

Anonymous said...

There is a lot of drama and discord from this family put all over Facebook publically. I don't think that's prying. If they want it kept it quiet then don't put it on a public forum. And you know what hard working folks have a right to question where their money goes and shouldn't feel badly.

PatK said...

The Stir is still paying her for this drivel?

readerlady said...

I've been involved in a lot of local fundraisers for a national charity. Yes, it is common to give a gift to local celebrities who appear. However, that gift usually consisted of something like a coffee mug with a unique design on it (created by the kids who benefit from the charity) or a small box of thank you cards/greeting cards/Christmas cards with unique designs, or something of that nature. Not expensive shoes. No matter how well-meaning the gift giver's intentions and no matter how well-meaning KKs appearance (I'm trying to do the Christian thing and give her the benefit of the doubt), it's created a controversy that detracts from the tragedy the event was supposed to publicize. That's a shame. I'm sure the family of those two little girls don't want their memory tainted by a disagreement between the "fanz" and "haterz". It doesn't put any of us in a very good light.

AuntieAnn said...

MJ said... 120

Where/when was this open letter? I have a vague recollection but need some clues. Thanks!

====

The letter was written by the Metro Parent Publisher after Kate had been invited to speak at a Distinguished Speakers event in Detroit in 2009. Ms Martina offered her views on Kate's speech and insights about giving and receiving.

http://www.metroparent.com/Blogs/Parent-Coach/December-2010/An-Open-Letter-To-Kate-Gosselin/

FYI said...

Anonymous said... 177

There is a lot of drama and discord from this family put all over Facebook publically. I don't think that's prying. If they want it kept it quiet then don't put it on a public forum. And you know what hard working folks have a right to question where their money goes and shouldn't feel badly.
----------------------------

But this post is about Kate's appearance at a fundraiser, not about who the fundraiser was for. There's no reason to discuss the family involved, whether their info is public or not.

Questioning where the money goes should not be a concern for anyone, unless they donated to the cause. Were you one of those that donated?

Nancy said...

Tucker's Mom said... 176

This is what drives me so nuts about the whole situation, It is clear as day that Jon loves and cares for those kids and she is incredibly lucky to have that kind of ex because many don't!

My ex and I didn't do anything extraordinary just made a conscience choice that the kids needed both of us and our crap was ours not theirs (took a good year for us to get there but we did), they didn't do anything wrong and both of them in the past couple years have thanked us because it let them just be kids (not saying there wasn't bumpy parts lol)

The only thing that they didn't like was that when they screwed up my first call was to their dad and vice versa, that's when we heard why can't you be like our friends parents and not talk LOL

OrangeCrusher1 said...

RT @Kateplusmy8: Got home awhile ago, got report from my babysitter.Hung out with M&C..Now X 4 bed. Ahhh zzzz time! Fun X! Met gr8 ppl! Thx 4 having me! GN!

As if Skeeve was not part and parcel of her evening? Oh wait, he dropped her off in the driveway with a wave and drove home to his real wife/life.

And seriously, a long and boring bog post about the death of a fish? She went to a fundraiser last night in support of a family who lost two children, and today she's talking about how her children coped with a dead fish. Is she just crazy, or what?

gabby2 said...

Well now we know the REAL reason KK agreed to do

this appearance....an excuse for some alone time

with Steve.

Anonymous said...

This whole mess would have been avoided if Brenda would have donated the money she spent on Kate's gifts to the family of the crash victims. Besides Brenda had already given Kate the things she loves the most, exposure and a camera in her face! Let's also not forget time away from her kids and time with Steve.

I think the thing that bothers many people is Kate's unquenching thirst for freebies. She will never stop asking or taking from people who have a lot less then her!

She's a plain disgusting woman!

TLC stinks said...

I think Fabio went to fish heaven a while ago. Why else would she have brought up in a previous blog post about how to handle a dead pet? Betta fish should live in a tank not a bowl if you want them to live a long life.

Her blog just seemed to go on and on and on. Is she paid by the word? Good grief!



TFGOT said...

Kate's writing style is nauseating. Is she being paid by the word? So much irrelevant detail, and yet another gratuitous shot at Jon.

Furthermore, in my experience dead fish FLOAT to the top of the tank!

A fish swimming oddly may have something wrong with his swim bladder, a fish motionless at the bottom of his tank may be sick or near death but is probably not quite dead yet.

So Kate may have suffocated the poor little thing due to a premature burial. With or without sponges in the tiny casket.

I don't get very worked up about dead fish, and wouldn't blame Kate for getting this one wrong, but for the sake of the surviving Gosselin fish (can't remember the "F" name, was it Felicity?). . .

Betas can live about 5 years with good care so get the survivor a proper tank and read up on fish care. They need more than a bowl on the kitchen table to be happy and healthy.



Jane said...

Kate has a tramp stamp?
http://collegecandy.com/2012/05/08/18-celebrities-rocking-the-tramp-stamp-photos/#photo=6

Kelly said...

KK should have quietly thanked the gift bearer, tucked the gift under the table and written a personal check to the fund for the value of the gift. That's the only way I can see any dignity in accepting a supposedly surprise gift. She has no class, no dignity and is void of humanity. She's a sickening display of a no talent reality star in all her glory.

I had a family member who was the recipient of many fundraisers for a child who had brain cancer. This relative continued to milk it and milk it..for years. I finally had to tell certain businesses to stop giving her money as she was using the funds to redecorate her home on a bi-yearly basis. She received well over 50K in various donations/fundraisers. She also received medicaid and never paid a medical bill in her life. Thankfully the child is now grown and doing well. I am in no way saying this is the same scenario with this mother/family but certainly four fundraisers should be enough. It gets to the point where people are wary to give after awhile. Leave some goodwill and generosity for the next tragedy that will occur sometime down the road, for it's sadly sure to happen.

Tucker's Mom said...

Jane said... 188
Kate has a tramp stamp?
http://collegecandy.com/2012/05/08/18-celebrities-rocking-the-tramp-stamp-photos/#photo=6
*****
That was photoshopped. Kate had one on her stomach which got destroyed with her tummy tuck and Pooh on her ankle.

Anonymous said...

Her writing is terrible. The very first sentence is fragmented and should have been broken into two sentences. And then she has sentences that aren't sentences at all. Most of them are just way too long. And the whole blog is too long also. She wrote three long paragraphs about finding a freaking grave stone. Give us a break, Kate.

I find the whole ordeal a little on the dramatic side. Yes, bury the fish but why all the extreme details. I could understand if it was a cat or dog but it was a fish. I think she knew she was going to write a blog about this burial. That is why she spent way more time, effort, and detail on this burial so she would come off as a super caring supermom. Sorry, but I really do believe this about her. Leslie

Improbable Dreams said...

How horribly insensitive, to bog about a dead fish on the heels of a fundraiser for two children, recently buried.

Jane said...

Tucker's Mom said... 190
Jane said... 188
Kate has a tramp stamp?
http://collegecandy.com/2012/05/08/18-celebrities-rocking-the-tramp-stamp-photos/#photo=6
*****
That was photoshopped. Kate had one on her stomach which got destroyed with her tummy tuck and Pooh on her ankle.
---------

Good photoshop job!

FYI said...

Jane-that is a photoshopped picture. Here is the original.

http://www.justjared.com/photo-gallery/1957401/kate-gosselin-bikini-01/

I remember one of the "haters" used to a lot of photoshopping of Kate's pictures-jibberjabbers? That site probably just picked up that picture from somewhere on the web.

Amy2 said...

Haven't finished reading all the comments, but I'm going to post anyway.

Maybe Kate did this charity event for free and out of the goodness of her heart. I don't know if she did or didn't. However, after eight years of her taking and taking and taking and being mean to others, one nice event does not convince me that she is suddenly a nice person. It will take several events over a long period of time for me to say that she is really thinking of someone else. Until that day....consider me skeptical at everything Kate does.

Mel said...

All the extreme detail...because none of it happened?

AuntieAnn said...

TLC stinks said... 186

I think Fabio went to fish heaven a while ago. Why else would she have brought up in a previous blog post about how to handle a dead pet?

====

I think you're right. This fourth grade essay about fabio was probably ready to be submitted last week but had to be postponed. Maybe someone at the Stir told her it would look very unsympathetic to write about a dead betta fish after the tragic bombings in Boston.

Formerly Duped said...

Yes, that was a dumb bog. Most of us have had fish for our kids- we had to, as a science project. Personally I thought it was setting them up for grief when the fish died- two weeks average. My daughter was very sad. We did not have a burial. It is sad to lose any pet, but not really exciting bog talk.

TLC stinks said...

She could have gotten another tattoo.

url said...

Seriously, so Kart lost a pet fish? And that fish deserved a $1,000 bog post? Maybe the owners of the Stir have their heads up their asses to allow that post.

«Oldest ‹Older   201 – 400 of 632   Newer› Newest»