Tucker’s Tribe, 3 Soap Parties, and 1 Very Generous Supporter

A few years ago during Autism Awareness month, when Glen Ellyn resident Christine Pope Guare decided to co-host a soap party to raise funds in honor of her son Tucker, she had no idea that her efforts would eventually help many other local children.

The mother of three boys — Patrick, a 7th grader at Hadley; Tucker, a 5th grader at Churchill; and Denny, a 3rd grader at Churchill — Christine wanted to do something for children who, like her son Tucker, have an Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Co-hosting with her friend Hilary Bergamini, Christine invited “Tucker’s Tribe” to the party. Tucker’s Tribe is an extended family of people who are dedicated to helping Tucker grow and thrive. (These include the Pope, Schaffnit, Short, Snyder and Purdom families). Christine and Hilary sold handmade soaps from Hilary’s company The Bar Above and donated the proceeds to Autism Speaks.  

After this first fundraiser, Christine watched Tucker flourish as a student in District 41. “Tucker is somehow thriving,” she explains. “We take each moment in a dose, each day, each month. Sometimes you step forward, back and to the side … but we move forward.”

Feeling grateful, Christine then decided to donate to a cause closer to home: the D41 Kids Foundation. She has since put together two more “soap parties,” both to benefit D41 Kids.

She says, “It feels good to give back to our own community.”

If you would like to read a collection of funny, challenging, and inspiring stories about Tucker, his brothers, and life in general, check out Christine’s blog Swearing Lady. Please note: Christine is all about keeping it real and raw, in vivid and sometimes salty language. Hence, the title of her blog! (So you know you’re getting all the really good, nitty gritty details.)

Thank you to Christine and all our other generous supporters who demonstrate their caring commitment to our greatest resource — our children — by donating to D41 Kids Foundation!