Claire Wineland was our inspiration, our muse, our Snap Green, our co-worker and most of all our dear friend. She founded Claire’s Place Foundation, a non-profit charity to assist Cystic Fibrosis (CF) families in need when she was 13. We feel so honored to have been a part of her journey. It started so many years ago when we helped the Make-A-Wish Foundation grant Claire their 7,000th wish. Through the years she became the face of our blog, a team member and in one way or another her friendship has touched everyone of us at the NorthStar Moving family.
Her words and her electrifying energy, wake us from our comas; to breathe deep, to cease the moment, to live our lives and not to wait to “get better.” Her YouTube videos, TEDTalks and books are testimony to her sparkle, wit, sass and inspiration. Her heroic fight to keep her lungs from failing, and to endure a lifetime of trying to take an easy breath; show her tenacity.
On Sept 2, 2018, she passed away, a week after a successful lung transplant. She was 21. A blood clot, a stroke, may have taken her physically from us, but she left much more behind. She left us her spirit and her determination to continue to help others. She gave us Claire’s Place Foundation to continue her work to assist Cystic Fibrosis Families in need. We will continue to support her legacy through Claire’s Place Foundation and hope you will support the incredible work that she began.
Glow Ride for CF
Claire’s Place Foundations’ “Glow Ride for CF” was started in 2015 to support their Extended Hospital Stay Grant Program, and NorthStar Moving has been one of its proud sponsors every time.
Participants of the annual “Glow Ride for CF” usually meet at the Hermosa Beach, CA Pier at 6:00pm, get ready, and at sunset, they skate/ride/walk the strand down to the Manhattan Beach, CA Pier and back. All the bikes and the participants are “lit up” with glow sticks, spoke lights, glasses, bracelets…the works!
Glow Ride for CF 2024
Claire’s Place Foundation’s 10th annual Glow Ride for CF was held on September 21, 2024. As is every year, NorthStar Moving was a sponsor and helped with the preparations as well.
(photos by Yee-Ping Cho)
Glow Ride for CF 2023
Claire’s Place Foundations’ 9th annual Glow Ride for CF was held on August 12, 2023. As is every year, NorthStar Moving was a sponsor and helped with the preparations as well.
Glow Ride for CF 2022
Claire’s Place Foundation’s annual Glow Ride for CF was held on August 27, 2022. As always, NorthStar Moving was a sponsor. We helped with the preparations as well. The event was a huge success, and CPF raised over $60k to help fund their #ExtendedHospitalStay program.
(photos by Todd Westphal @ishootamerica)
Glow Ride for CF 2021
Fox 11 aired a story about the 2021 Glow Ride and Claire Wineland.
Cystic Fibrosis News Today also covered the 2021 Glow Ride for CF.
Both mentioned NorthStar Moving as one of the sponsors.
Glow Ride for CF 2017
(photos by Julia Lofstrand)
Glow Ride for CF 2016
(photos by Julia Lofstrand)
Santa Monica Flash Mob
Featured in Santa Monica Daily Press, Claire’s Place Foundation’s first big event was a flash mob dance in Santa Monica. NorthStar Moving was moved to be a sponsor of this fund raising event. Not only did we get to lend a hand again, we got re-inspired. We have to admit the big flash mob dance rehearsal in Culver City was lots of fun. We are really pleased to say that many celebrities are lending their spotlight to Claire. Watch this beautiful video of celebrity shout outs:
We know our clients have hearts of gold and we’re hoping they’ll donate to this amazing girl’s cause.
Claire’s Corner
We consider Claire Wineland a part of the NorthStar Moving family. We have conducted a special campaign to drive donations to her foundation by dedicating a portion of our blog to something called Claire’s Corner, where Claire told us about her life, her personal interests, experiences with CF and anything else that popped into her mind.
A Moving Experience with Claire’s Place Foundation
In March 2016, we assisted a family with a move referred to us by Claire’s Place Foundation. We were grateful that CPF introduced us to this family and gave us the opportunity to give back.
CPF was grateful, as well! Read all about it in this letter from the executive director of CPF, Melissa Nordquist.
Laura McHolm Named Chairman of the Board
Our very own Laura McHolm, co-founder of NorthStar Moving, was named as the foundation’s Chairman of the Board of Directors. Read about Laura and what she has done for both CPF and NorthStar Moving here!