FundRaising Opps

Hey guys, so I've been meaning to put these up for a while. Totally worthwhile, Totally Awesome people doing Awesome things. Ready or Not, here it comes...

1. Alyson

So you may be thinking...what the heck does this picture have to do with good deeds? Well, really, it's the one of the only pictures I had of Alyson (left). And it shows what great, fun, and devoted people her and her husband, John, are. Last summer was their 10th Wedding Anniversary. And John made every man alive peeved by showing them up with a great Suprise Party complete with a special concert by Brian VanderArk - made extra special as their first date some years ago was attending a Verve Pipe concert.

Alyson and I are also running the Detroit Half-Marathon "together" (ie - she will probably be running while I'm huffing and puffing somewhere behind her). How? Because she is also currently in training for a MARATHON in January in Arizona. Now, I'm not too sure how smart this is...as she has to train here in GR in the frigid coldness...BUT, this is why...

I got this email from Alyson not too long ago (btw...isn't she hilarious?):

Subj: I am Running a Marathon

A year ago, I committed to living a healthier lifestyle- I started with changes in my diet and moved slowly into a program of daily excercise, starting with walking. I decided to try running and found it difficult to make it to the next mailbox 50 feet away. Envision John Belushi in the Saturday Night Live commercial for "Little Chocolate Donuts- the donuts of champions."
I was a complete disaster.
I got a little better. A little.
Then I realized that I wanted to make this process more than just about me, I wanted to help others through my growth. That's when I learned about Team in Training.
Now, I'm training to participate in a marathon. You heard it, 26.2 miles, as a member of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's (LLS) Team In Training. All of us on Team In Training are raising funds to help stop leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma from taking more lives. I am completing this event in honor of all individuals who are battling blood cancers. These people are the real heroes on our team, and we need your support to cross the ultimate finish line - a cure!
Please use the link in this email to donate online quickly and securely plus learn more about my progress. You will receive a confirmation of your donation by email and I will be notified as soon as you make your donation.
http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/pfchangs09/asnyderhei
Please make a donation to support my participation in Team In Training and help advance LLS's mission. And somehow in the process, maybe make me a better, healthier person as well.
I hope you will visit my web site often. Be sure to check back frequently to see my progress. Thanks for your support!
Each donation helps accelerate finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. More than 823,000 Americans are battling these blood cancers. I am hoping that my participation in Team In Training will help bring them hope and support.
On behalf of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, thank you very much for your support. I greatly appreciate your generosity.
P.S. I would appreciate it if you would forward this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well. Thanks again.
Alyson

Seriously, she is SuPeR dedicated. The amount that they raise in fundraising is outstanding. Alyson has dedicated herself to raising over $3,500.00. Wow! So, I'm going to donate in honor of my Grandma who passed away a year ago April and had Multiple Myeloma for many years. And I'm going to leave the hard part to Alyson. How 'bout you?

PS...here's an update as of Aug 22...

Subj: Marathon Training Begins!

I met my coach, teammates and mentor for marathon training in the past 2 weeks and am enthusiastic about training for the January marathon! The first week of training wasn?t bad, 2 miles here and there with a 3 mile long run. Unfortunately, those long runs increase by a mile each Saturday that passes, by the end of December I?ll be running 20 miles?in a row!
I am still working on my fundraising and I want to thank all of my friends and family that have been so generous and already contributed to this great cause-- I have learned a lot about The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and their mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin?s disease and myeloma, and to improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Just knowing that the money I am able to raise will fight leukemia-the number one disease-killer of children- makes me want to work even harder for my goal.
In 2 weeks I am going to participate in my second triathlon, I am out to beat my time on my first tri- and finish, of course! After the Reeds Lake Triathlon, I am pretty much dedicating myself solely to training for the marathon, with a couple of local running races here and there.
If you are interesting in contributing by mail, I am able to accept donations by check! (leave a comment for me if you want Alyson's snail mail info...)

Thank you again for your generosity and come visit my site to see my progress!
http://pages.teamintraining.org/mi/pfchangs09/asnyderhei
Alyson
P.S. I would appreciate it if you would forward this email to as many people as you can to encourage them to donate as well. Thanks again.

So please, spread the word. This girl RoCkS!

2. PBJ Outreach

So, Alyson, being the persuasive, bright, witty, and determined person she is, *motivated* me to sign up for the Detroit Half-Marathon, as I think I've mentioned earlier. And it's cool - I ran the Country Music Half in Nashville a couple years ago, I think I can pull it off (as long as I start hoofin' it soon). But, why Detroit? You may be thinking that I might as well go run in China. But, here's a couple of reasons...

1. It's an InterNational race...we get to run through the Tunnel to Canada. Not sure about more specifics than that, but it sounds like fun.

2. It's SO Detroit - MoTown Music, lots of people, and a Detroit Bling Finisher's Medal. (and yes, I'm Super Excited about the Detroit Bling)

3. Today, on MLive.com, was an article regarding the state of MI. Here's an excerpt:

Four Michigan cities -- Kalamazoo, Flint, Pontiac and Detroit -- were among the 20 poorest in the nation. "We have seen over the last decade a whittling away of our safety net. The programs that were in place to help people in economic downturns have been whittling away."

Seriously. And we know it, but really, Detroit has had it hard for a while...and this economy is NOT making things better. As Ryan (my philosophic brother) said after he went down to Louisiana and worked in the area that the levy broke, "It's bad down there, but at least people are helping make it better. But it's not worse than Detroit, and no one is helping there." (at least, that's the jist of it. correct me if it was different, bro)

SO, since I'm running this beast, I found the PBJ Outreach and any money people feel like donating will go to this cause. Their Mission, said best on their website:

PBJ (Peanut Butter and Jelly) Outreach Inc. is an ecumenical group of people volunteering their time and services to provide food, clothing, and basic social services to homeless people as well as those who are below the poverty level, living in the depressed and impoverished areas of the Metropolitan Detroit area, including the Cass Corridor section of inner city Detroit. The services are provided to all, regardless of race, religion (or lack thereof), gender or national origin.

That's cool. Check out their website. And I know everyone's a little strapped for cash right now and have a lot going on, but please, at the very least pray for these people and causes that they are dedicating themselves to. And I'll keep up with the progress and post and generally be a nuisance so you can't help but think of it. :) Thanks!