For a Good Cause!!

Ok.... so I HATE asking for money! I'm not a sales person, at least not a very good one! :)

I registered for the Walt Disney 2007 Marathon under a charity. I was required to raise $500 for the charity. I thought..., "I have a really big family and a lot of neighbors, $500 shouldn't be that bad!"

Ummmm... let's see. After a few donations from family AND a Halloween party that I threw for the neighborhood where I sat a pumpkin out and just said drop in whatever you feel comfortable with, I ended up writing a check for approximately $400!!

AND to top it off... I got injured and couldn't even race!

So needless to say, as much as I'd LOVE to do Team in Training, I seriously could not make that kind of commitment. A friend of mine does it every year, and I told her I'd GLADLY give her $20 because I know a) how un-fun (is that a word?) it is to ask people for $$ and b) how seriously hard it is to meet your goal. My hat goes off to you all for doing a really amazing job for an amazing cause!!

I think it's in my genes or something though! Back in school, my mom got to where she forbid fundraisers! I was in a family of 7!! 4-H, or school in general would send everyone home with those gourmet lollipops, Christmas wrapping paper and treats, or heaven forbid... those 4-H chocolate bars. OMG!!! Those things were truly AMAZING!! HUGE chocolate bars, and oh soooo good! So here's what would happen. They were $1 each. I'd come home with 30. A week later... after the 7 (6 really because I don't think it was my mom so much) dipped our sticky fingers in there, my mom would write them a check for $30!! I wouldn't even really have the opportunity to sell them before my family consumed them!! Not to mention there were always those few people... you know who I'm referring to... that had the serious hook up!! There mom's would get the goods first or something. Or maybe they had an "in" in the local church, so you'd go around and ask people and EVERYONE would be like, "Oh sweetie, I would, but I've already bought from so and so!" And it was SO frustrating.

Maybe I should have taken my neighbors approach. Her little sales pitch... she doesn't show us the goods she's pimping... Oh... she shows us what prizes she'll win with the more $ we spend with her!! It's sooo funny!!

Ok... so after that long spiel... I find myself in the once again awkward and challenging position of raising money!!

My triathlon sponsor, PT Solutions, is participating in an Arthritis Foundation Walk on May 3rd. Being that we are a team sponsored by a physical therapy company, the topic hits home with them. We all know someone that has arthritis or lets face it... We're getting old people and it may be US before too long! :)

So I have to raise $100. I KNOW we all get hit up for donations, girl scout cookies, and all that good stuff all of the time. So if this is one that you can't add to your charity list, I totally understand. However, if you have an extra $10 that you need to give to charity to help out with those taxes you're working on now (ok, so it'd be for next year, but you can get a head start!), then please visit the website below and help out for a good cause!!

http://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=253692&lis=1&supid=207034471

Thanks guys, and best of luck to all of you with your charity events for 2008. I know a lot of races revolve around that!!

K :)