Have You Heard the Story of Emily?
There’s a story we all know about an ordinary young boy who learned he was a wizard, but this is a story about someone else – someone who truly lived her life by bringing magic into everyone else’s.
Emily Kathleen Garcia was a young woman who was full of heart and lived her life with a fiery tenacity that made her an inspiration to all she knew. In true Hermione fashion, she was someone who devoured books and stood up for the many causes she believed in. Her passion for Disney began before she even came into the world (her mother was attending Disney on Ice the day she was born!), and her love for it became wonderfully infectious when she decided to open an Etsy shop, called 3mazing Ears, where she designed handmade Mickey ears.
Whether she was sharing her love of Disney on Periscope, volunteering countless hours of service at her church, or spending quality time with her beloved brothers and nephew, Emily was a person who refused to ever let any of the challenges in life phase her. This included her diagnosis with a rare form of ovarian cancer, which she passed from this past May, surrounded by her loving family and friends. While her family describes the cancer as having taken her body, “It did not win… Emily came into this world on her own terms, she lived every waking moment of her life on her own terms, and she inspired all around her with her positivity to do the same.”
In hearing stories about Emily’s life, it becomes clear that she was the kind of person who embodied “seizing the day.” Her unapologetic passion, desire and dedication to helping others, and strength to keep fighting for life, love, and joy are what made her unforgettable to all the lives she touched. It seems fitting that the Potter series, which Emily loved so much, reminds us that “the ones who love us never really leave us,” for it is in sharing her life and her story that we keep Emily alive forever in our hearts.
Emily’s story lives on in our hearts the more we tell it, but we also wanted to honor Emily in another way – by spreading kindness to others and bringing joy to their lives as Emily did. With the generosity of Emily’s mother and family, we want to help you surprise one of your friends – the “Emily” in your life – with a ticket to MuggleNet Live! 2017: Nineteen Years Later. The rules for this contest giveaway are as follows:
- Prize: 1 Perk + Ride with Talent ticket to MuggleNet Live! 2017: Nineteen Years Later, an exclusive Harry Potter fan event held in Orlando on September 1, 2017 – a $345 value
- To win this ticket for a friend, comment on our “Emily’s Story” post, telling us why a special friend of yours deserves to win a ticket to MuggleNet Live!
- Use the #PotterItFoward hashtag in your comment.
- Share your comment and the “Emily’s Story” post on your own feed and story using #PotterItFoward.
- Contest giveaway will run from Friday, August 4–Tuesday, August 8. Please share Emily’s story and tell us about the “Emily” in your life within the deadline.
- The winner must be able to attend MuggleNet Live! 2017 on September 1, 2017.
- Travel and accommodations are not included.
