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!