Thursday, June 19, 2008

GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLL!

I've hit my fundraising goal for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!! Hooray! An enormous thank you to each and every person who supported me, either monetarily or emotionally, throughout the fundraising.

$1800 seemed so incredibly daunting at first. Before registering, I read all the fine print and details on what would happen if I couldn't come up with enough money in time. Luckily, the worst case scenario is that I wouldn't be able to actually participate in the walk; but the money I raised, however much, would still be donated to support and research centers for breast cancer. While not walking would have been incredibly disappointing after months of fundraising and training, at least I didn't have to fear that my wages would be garnished and I'd be turned out of my home to make up my deficit.

So I registered. At first, the option of not making the goal still hovered in the back of my mind. $1800 just seemed like such a huge amount to raise! And I was never great at asking people for money. I never sold the most girl scout cookies or won the prizes for school fundraisers. I am definitely not a natural salesperson. So I kinda just let people know what I was doing and crossed my fingers. I have never been more astonished at the response. It was kinda like Obama's campaign. Little donations started pouring in from everywhere, with a few folks giving a little extra. I am so amazed and appreciative of the generosity. Without sounding too cliche, I truly feel a renewed sense of faith in human-kind. (My faith had taken a little hit this year. My car was broken into, and my laptop was stolen recently.) But the tremendous out-pouring of support convinced me that the majority people are generally good and kind and have reminded me how blessed I am to have so many great friends and family members in my life.

Donors of the Day:
My uncle and aunt, Scott and Robin! Always so wonderfully supportive, my aunt and uncle's incredibly generous donation was the one that put me above my goal! Thank you for helping me have the opportunity to participate in this event. Your love and support mean so much to me. I hope we can all get together soon for a trip to the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon!