Through the 1980s and 1990s, many of us worked together on a number of state-wide projects in NC, WV, MO, MA, TX, ID, WA, OH, TN, FL, GA ... I can't remember all the states, laughs, failures, and remarkable accomplishments.  John was the brain-child of RevMax/TPL ... and many folks help build upon his insights and creativity.  Amazing stuff really.

Sometime in early 2000s, I lost track of John and his lover Michelle who I met in Oakland, CA.  We would send xmas cards/ornaments and never hear back.  This year ... the xmas package was actually Return-to-Sender.  I figured he had moved to a far-away island.

Then .... out of the blue ... last week I get this email!

We can never know why the Universe connects us to other humans.  In the late, 1980s the world seemed like a pretty troubled place across USA and the globe.  Little did we know what lay ahead for us as a species, nation, and community.  One thing that hasn't changed ... folks are hurting and can use a little help from some friends.

So, if I knew you in 1986, or we worked at Touche together, or you actually worked on a RevMax/TPL job with John Dimaggio ... how about pitching in $19.86 to help his friends who has been so generous to local kids in need.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE $19.86 TO TONI'S GOFUNDME PAGE

 

CLICK HERE SEND A CHECK TO SUPPORT TONI'S CHARITABLE WORK

Thanks!

Please read John's missive, and help out if you are able:

My friends,

I hope you are all doing well and can take a few minutes to review this message, and hopefully help.

I have never done this in the past but feel that this situation is something I can’t ignore.  I am asking if you can help provide some financial support  for a dear friend who is dealing with terminal brain cancer and has recently gone into heart failure.  Michelle and I are helping her family to seek support for the staggering amount of medical bills that they are facing.

The Port Townsend Leader article (below) published today does a good job of explaining the challenges Toni and her family are facing,

Please consider making a donation via Go Fund Me (link below).

Thank you for your consideration.

John

Quilcene Mom Collects Shoes for Kids While Battling Cancer

Quilcene resident Toni Boutilier tries to make the most out of the donations she receives when she goes shopping for kids’ shoes.

Posted Wednesday, June 4, 2025 3:00 am

By Kirk Boxleitner

Quilcene resident Toni Boutilier is disinclined to call attention to herself, except when it’s in service to what she believes are worthy causes.

Boutilier has been dealing with cancer since her diagnosis in 2017 and recovering from a heart attack last month.

Boutilier speaks openly about her Stage IV brain tumor diagnosis, as well as the roughly 18 surgeries she’s endured since that diagnosis, although she hastens to add that “some of those surgeries were minor.”

The only reason Boutilier said she agreed to speak to The Leader was because her friend, Michelle Oliver, encouraged her to do so, and because Boutilier herself hopes it might help continue her charitable works on behalf of her community, even after she’s passed on.

Boutilier has devoted years of her life, including during her illness, to supplying local children with shoes, lunches and hygiene supplies, which has benefited kids in Jefferson County as far north as Port Townsend.

“She’s been running this program for years, and has just been doing it informally and on her own,” said Oliver, who touted her winter’s shoe drive in particular. “This past year, she’s really outdone herself. I believe almost 100% of the children in the area requested shoes.”

Oliver noted that Boutilier is currently “very ill” and “struggling for her life.” Boutilier said she continues to help the community because, according to her, it helps keep her alive.

“Toni has worked tirelessly for the community for many years,” Oliver said. “She’s only in her 30s, but she’s already having to confront ‘death with dignity.’”

Boutilier spoke of her empathy for children in need, not only as a mother, but also as someone whose own childhood was not filled with plenty.

“Growing up, I was one of the kids who didn’t always fit in or have the best clothes,” Boutilier said. “My oldest child is 20 now, but always befriended the kids who were picked on.”

Boutilier credited her children with taking an active hand in her charitable campaigns, such as hygiene kits and lunch bags for the homeless, the latter drawn from suppliers including the Penny Saver Mart in Port Townsend.

Boutilier recalled her husband and in-laws pitching in to help serve a Christmas dinner she hosted at the Port Townsend American Legion hall shelter, while she bought socks and underwear for those in need.

She conceded that she can no longer afford as many bagged lunches or hygiene kits for others.

On May 22, eight years after her cancer diagnosis, Boutilier started a GoFundMe page online to help defray her medical expenses, even as she pledged to continue her shoe drives, as well as her volunteer work for the local food banks and Lions Club.

Oliver has sponsored Boutilier’s shoe drives through a 501(c)(3) nonprofit called “Quilcene Rising,” but while it was created by Oliver and her husband, she rushed to emphasize that “Toni did the work almost entirely by herself. Over the past eight years, those shoe drives have always solely been her project.”

Boutilier said she works hard to ensure the shoe drives are conducted properly.

“I always check for savings, like clearance sales,” Boutilier said. “At the same time, I want to make sure we’re acquiring quality, name-brand shoes that won’t just fall apart. I must have bought hundreds of pairs of socks to go along with them, and I always keep all my receipts.”

Boutilier expressed her gratitude to Oliver as well as to Dani Guenther, who’s helped Boutilier with charitable shoe-shopping.

“Last year was my most successful year,” said Boutilier, who estimated she raised roughly $4,800 for the shoe drive.

Donate to Help Toni battle against Cancer and Heart Failure, organized by Toni Boutilier gofundme.com