A Time for Reflection

Wow, we are about to close the books on 2010. As I take a moment to stop and reflect, I find myself in awe of how fast the year went by, how much was accomplished, and how much still needs to be done. A quick self-reflection, I find that I am a horrible blogger. Most avid bloggers fill the internet space with frequent updates about events, experiences, and the happenings in the world. I went through 2 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure events and completely forgot to blog. In my defense, I did post many times to Facebook during events.

So, have I learned anything this year? The answer is a resounding, YES! I constantly strive for improvement in some form or fashion. This year, it was the year where I wanted to practice patience and being even keel. I have realized that as a leader, the more people you lead, the more even keel you must be in order to prevail and appeal to the majority of whom you lead. To look back upon personas like Howard Dean who effectively destroyed his presidential hopes with one cowboy outcry, it is easy to see how the mass can move a ship in a different direction. To lead with confidence but exude patience can have an amazing effect on people and help you get to where you are going.

What else did I learn? Well, I learned more about my friends this year, especially my 3-Day friends. I made new friends on event as well as reconnected with old friends. More relishing were the moments with my Ka'nunu Ohana, both on and off the 3-Day field. What's great to know is that more often than not, the people you meet on 3-Day that you take time to get to know, can easily become your friend for life. And yes, it's a little cheesy, but if you take time to invest in people, the ones worth friending are truly a blessing in your life.

It's truly been a busy year...at least for me, but the learning I have each year, which really is just a reminder, is that all the things I do are really a means to an end. Because in the end, I always remember that there are only really 3 things I care about in life...Family, Friends, and an end to breast cancer.

So for what probably will be my final post for the year, I will take this opportunity to wish everyone a very happy holidays and a prosperous new year. May 2011 bring you health and happiness.

Meeting the Crew Series

With 3-Day SF Bay Area just around the corner, our FaceBook page will start profiling members of the Camp Logistics team. Check out our page and become a fan. It's a place to learn about folks, get additional pics during and after event, and find out other neat things going on with Camp life! Go to www.facebook.com/CampLogs

Life Should Mirror Camp Logistics

People often comment that life on the 3-Day is how life should be. Unfortunately, when Monday rolls around, we forget some of the awful stuff we left behind the Thursday before. However, I think as crew, we should all mirror our 3-Day lives in the real world. Take for example, Camp Logistics. I think this should look and does resemble my life in reality. You drop in to work hard in order to positively change the lives of many people. Sometimes, it's smooth running and other times it's organized chaos. However, in the end, we wrap it all up and leave the place better than we found it. Life should be like that as well. I want to be able to look back or have others reflect on behalf that when I was alive, I worked hard to make a positive impact on loved ones, friends, and the people I associated with. I won't have always been perfect. And when I pass to a better place...I want to go knowing and feeling that the world was just a little better because I did something about it.

You can almost determine someone's character on 3-Day by how they fundraise

I'm often reminded in real life how people demonstrate their character towards each other and I am always comparing that to the character I witness on 3-Day. I once heard and now paraphrase that we ultimately see a person's character when they are challenged. Do they lash out? Complain? Wallow in the challenge? OR do they step up and demonstrate a commitment to meet that challenge in the eye and put every ounce of effort to accomplishing the goal? I have seen people with amazing character on event and then I have seen people with so-so or lackluster character as well.

As a crew captain, I have the privilege of encouraging my team to fundraise and over the last eight plus years, I have started to formulate a hypothesis that the level of commitment, engagement, and character demonstrated on 3-Day can be correlated and determined by the corresponding level of funds raised.

For example, in my experience and reflecting back, the folks on my team who have raised $0 for event typically showed a less than desirable level of commitment on event. Furthermore, these folks also included whiners, complainers, and challengers to authority. They were often late to meetings on event, late to rise in the morning, and could not be found when needed. Worst of all, these folks would have an excuse for everything. "Fund raising is not a requirement for crew." "Why do we have to help them?"

On the contrary, the people who raise a significant amount of money (~$300 or more) had high levels of commitment. They were the first to agree to pitch in. They participated in fund raising events. Most importantly, during event, they remained highly engaged and open to anything.

Now there are some responsibilities incumbent upon the captain. First, you must lead by example. Don't expect things from your crew if you will not do the same. Second, you have to engage the team and fire them up. Remind them that this is a fund raising event. While crew is not required to fund raising, you can easily position the fact that it costs money to run the event and for every dollar raised by crew, it helps offset event expenses. Third, reach out to the newbies who have never crewed or walked before. You may find several diamonds in the rough who just need the help to jump start their fundraising. Finally, put forth some challenges to your crew. Start a friendly competition with other crews or provide incentives to your top fund raisers.
Challenging your crew will give you leading indicators as to how they will perform on event.

My final thought. You won't be successful in getting all your crew to be superstars. You can't inspire someone who isn't passionate about what they are doing.

Share your thoughts and observations. I can always use reference points and other ideas!

Supporting Women's Health Awareness and Early Detection - Thanks Angela!

I am happy to announce that I have a winner in my iPod Shuffle giveaway! Angela Leon, colleague and friend, stepped up last Thursday and made a wonderful donation to the cause. In addition, she picks up a brand new iPod Suffle and 25 chances to win an Apple iPad.

More importantly was Angela's reason for donating. While she read my posts about the contest, the donation was in support of women's health awareness and early detection. In my interview with Angela, she mentions, "...this is very preventable." Angela's connection to breast cancer is distant compared to many I know and I think this she fortunate. Angela, however, participates at local race events and has met many other women who have had breast cancer. She has thought about signing up for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure with a friend and hopefully, we'll see her out on event in the future. In the meantime, THANK YOU Angela for your wonderful donation!

Need a tax deduction for this year and an iPod?

It's never too early to think about tax time. Throughout the year, you will be presented with opportunities to make charitable donations. Since you are reading this blog, please consider this one of those times! Your donation will help go towards breast cancer research, prevention, and awareness. In addition, I will sweeten the pot by throwing in an iPod Shuffle for the first person who donates a minimum of $125. My crew is also hosting a fundraiser. For every $5 you donate, you will receive a chance to win a new iPad!

Donate today by clicking on the donation banner on the right or click on this donate link

Fund raising is so important, I am giving an iPod Shuffle away

TODAY only, I am giving away 1 iPod shuffle to the first person who donates a minimum of $200 to the fight against breast cancer. In addition to that, the winner will receive an entry to win an iPad for every $5 donated!

Consider a donation of any size however, as the fight against breast cancer is too important. Your contributions will go towards research, awareness, and prevention of this deadly disease. Please help, having breast cancer is no longer a certain death sentence. That's all due to the donations that have helped over the last 20 years.

To donate today, visit my donation page!

The no ZERO balance challenge!

Do you think fund raising is tough? I will say it's not easy. However, it's a lot harder to fund raise when you don't try. As a captain you are the model by which your team will follow. Will everyone follow in your example...maybe not. However, you certainly don't inspire any action if you don't exhibit the values you want you crew to follow.

So here's the challenge. After welcoming your crew to the team, make it the first order of business to get everyone to self donate to their account. $5 is the minimum, obviously they can donate more. Even if they are opposed to fund raising, get folks to donate $5 to themselves. I think you will find that even the most staunchly entrenched will come around and if not, others will take the challenge to heart and start filling peoples accounts who have ZERO balances.

Let's ALL start with this! In my next post, I'll go over a simple program to raise money in 7 days.

3-Day Season is getting in gear

The start of 3-Day season is less than 2 months away, with Boston kicking it off on July 23. However, closer to home (my home), tonight is the first captains meeting for the San Francisco 3-Day. It will be exciting to see friendly faces as well as new faces to the leadership team. My hope that we as a crew can create an energy that gets people, both crew and walkers, excited about 3-Day all year long. It's not always enough to stop thinking about the FIGHT after event is over.

What will this year's commitment be? Every year I try to make a commitment to do something different that reflects an improvement from the year before. This year, I am planning to focus a lot more on people. In the past, I get really caught up in the planning and logistics of all the things that have to happen. If you knew what I had responsibility for, it would be easy to see why I did that. However, sometimes, we have just got to stop and smell the roses. While planning is important, let us not forget the lynch pin that makes it all work...the people.

I think if we all took the approach to reflect how we perceive and how we might be perceived and cast away our agendas, we could be a whole lot more effective. However, this is a tough task. So for now, I will concentrate on what I can control...me.

Here's to the start of an awesome season!

Creative Fundraising Ideas (Poker)

So my buddy tells me he is inviting the boys over for boys night. We're going to do the standard food, cigars, drinks, and cards. He asks me to bring all my poker gear and this gets me to thinking. What if we can turn this night into a fun night with some side action for the Cause? I ask him if it would be okay to take a rake each hand (translated "a commission"). Those who play poker as long as I have know what this is in California. He agrees and I make a couple buckets with my 3-Day poster taped to the bucket.

During the night we play about 2 rounds and we have two tables. The table I played at we were pretty consistent with getting a rake every hand. During the second round, we did even better as the number of players dropped to 10 and we all sat on the same table. The result was not too shabby for a first trial, raising $110. This is not bad given that the rake was only $1 and the pace of play on the 2nd round was rather slow.

What I will say however, is there is a definite correlation between guys, gambling, drinking, and discussion! The later the night gets, there higher the donations go. Let me explain. At the beginning of the event, we announced what the rake was for and showed the buckets. Guys asked my about the event as well as why I do it. Several indicate they know or have relatives who have fallen victim to breast cancer. All comment how noble it is that I am participating and a good friend has asked me to look into volunteering opportunities for his team.

Now, as the night goes on, there is guy talk...and you can use your imagination as to what that is. The drinks are flowing, the mouths are flapping, and all are having a good time. Here is where the correlation to higher donations comes in. Someone wins a pretty good size pot...higher donation. Someone does something stupid...something for the donation bucket. Someone drinks more...extra donation in the pot (this could be an inebriation thing).

All in all, if you are looking for an opportunity to raise money...you don't always have to go to the street. This was just another way to make a fun night an opportunity to get something for the fight against breast cancer. I liked this so much that I think I'll plan one of my own poker parties!

The Fight Against Breast Cancer is TOO Important

A few weeks ago, I posted on why we fight. Today I am writing to emphasize that the fight against breast cancer is TOO important to let people become complacent. One of our dear family from Ka'Nunu Ohana is finding out about her grandmother today. While it doesn't look good for a prognosis, she remains hopeful. I call upon all Ka'Nunu Ohana to send in your prayers and thoughts for our friend, her family, and especially her grandmother.

Take this opportunity to remind ourselves why we fight the fight. Let this day be a rallying point and reinforce our commitment that everyone deserves a lifetime.

Ka'Nunu Ohana Fight ON!

This is why we fight!

I learned today that a good friend's grandmother, a 3 year breast cancer survivor, has found out that her cancer has returned. While she has been under monitoring the last 3 years, the cancer has now spread to the spine and hip. Prognosis is not yet determined and there are hopeful signs given that it is localized, but it is never good news to hear that cancer has returned.

This is why it is so important that we as a society take a stand in the fight against breast cancer. It is a common enemy that has the power to unite people of all different backgrounds. You can blame the environment, lifestyles, and even heredity, but that's no reason that people should have to live with or die by such a horrible disease.

If anything about this post has touched you, please offer a prayer to my friend's grandmother. And as you think about your life, people you love, think about taking action. Donate, give your time, DO SOMETHING!

Camp Logistics with a new feel

The 2010 season is quickly getting under way. Many cities are filling up or closed to crew. San Francisco is no different. This year the city by the bay gets a new CVC. With that comes a desire to up the crew game. I have been fortunate enough to be asked back as captain of Camp Logistics. Wi every passing year, I feel blessed and honored to hold this position. It is a duty that I do not take lightly and each year when event is over, I reflect on new ways to improve the coming year. I think this year is definitely going to be different. I hope to have a more engaging experience for those who will be members of the team. There are three pillars of stakeholders that must be balanced. First are the walkers. Without them, we have no event. Second is the crew. We are the backbone of the event and without the crew, the walkers can have no event. Finally, the ultimate stakeholders are the survivors and hundreds' of thousands of people that will fall victim to breast cancer. I hope all out there who plan to participate enroll with an open. Mind and a willingness to make The 3-Day the best it can be.