Many of us in Hollywood Animation are still coming to terms with the idea that our friend Pres Romanillos is no longer with us. I guess we were all expecting a Hollywood Ending. But I guess that only happens at the movies.

But if there was one good thing to come from this sad time, it was seeing how all the animation and cartooning community came together to do what they could to help.

$70,000.00 was raised at a massive art auction to help with their bills. Famous animators like Glen Keane, Eric Goldberg, Frederic Back and more donated art to auction. Artists dug deep into their personal collections and donated beautiful works by Frank & Ollie, Marc Davis, Mary Blair, Tex Avery and John Lounseberry. Many artists like the director of Shrek donated blood and platelets and many visited Pres at his hospital bed, and kept Jeannine's spirits up.

We may have not been able to create the miracle we hoped for, but we showed that when the chips are down, the animation community can put aside competition and feuds and come together as one to take care of our own.

I was never so proud of my animation community as I am now, and never so proud to be an animator.