Letter from the Executive Director

Night of a Thousand Meatballs

Date: June 14, 2009

Location: Your home or favorite restaurant

Dear Friends of HEA,

I had an idea for an amazing fund raiser and public awareness educational night. When I was a child, my family, even when we weren’t eating, sat around the kitchen table talking. So for me, breaking bread is strongly connected to camaraderie and deeply meaningful conversation. It is the sole reason I got my master’s degree in group work.

My idea is that on June 14th, across the country and the world, in every time zone, HEA people are meeting in someone’s home or restaurant, sharing a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs family style. Each host would invite family, friends and even health professionals to their home or favorite restaurant, to share a meal for a great cause. Spaghetti / meatballs / salad / bread / dessert and byo/wine would cost the host a small advance to be recouped upon receipt of the donations.

We ask each participant to pay $25 to attend or $25 above the dinner price in a restaurant. During dessert you could begin a short discussion about hypospadias/epispadias. You might ask a question, “Did you know how common these conditions are?,” or “When did you first hear the word hypospadias or epispadias?,” or “What can we do so that no child ever grows up believing he/she alone is feeling such share, secrecy, and isolation?”

Host Planning

• How many people can your home accommodate?
• Who would you invite?
• Is it better for you to host the event in your home or a local restaurant?
• Are you, like me, excited about the concept that all over the world on this day families and friends are coming together to make a difference by breaking down barriers of secrecy and isolation, and having fun doing it? To get inspired, check out this  YouTube Video. Like this group of amazing musicians, we too will be participating in a global event.

Please let me know ASAP if this dinner might work for you and how many people you anticipate inviting. Thank you for your continued support in keeping this organization available for people all over the world.

My best,

Billy Deegan
Executive Director, HEA

Billy’s Menu

Spaghetti
Sauce
Meatballs
Salad
Garlic Bread
Sour Cream Cherry Pie

Spaghetti

I buy # 7 medium thick pasta or medium shells.

Sauce

3 large cans of tomato sauce, 1 large can of whole peeled tomatoes. I peel down to nothing one large carrot. Add meatballs and bring to boil. Reduce flame to low, cover and simmer for 2 hours. Careful not to bring to second boil or you’ll burn the bottom.

Meatballs

I combine ground beef, pork, and lamb, add finely chopped onions, breadcrumbs, tsp salt, pepper and oregano. Hand roll into 2 inch balls and in frying pan with thin coat of oil I brown these balls by gently rocking them in pan. Add to sauce gently.

Garlic Bread

4 large garlic cloves wrapped in aluminum foil in oil in over at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Mash in pan and add butter, spread across long French bread, heat in oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 min.

Sour Cream Cherry Pie

1 unbaked pie crust
2 c. pitted sour cherries
3/4 c. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 c. sour cream
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 c. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. butter

Mix sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, sour cream, egg, vanilla, and salt together. Beat until smooth. Add cherries and put in pie crust. Bake 15 minutes in hot oven (425 to 450 degrees). Lower oven temperature down to 325 degrees and bake 30 minutes. Combine cinnamon, flour, sugar, and butter; sprinkle on top of pie and bake 20 minutes longer at 325 degrees.