Why LIVESTRONG?

My senior year in high school I took physics.  My teacher's name was Mr. Sanchez.  I remember that it started out easy enough - "An object in motion tends to stay in motion. An object at rest tends to stay at rest." - but it quickly became much more difficult.  Mr. Sanchez had told us that our final exam would be an essay format and that we should bring a blue book (Well, I might have that blue book thing mixed up with college, I'm not sure.  But it was definitely essay format).

Our class had spent the days before talking over what might the essay exam be for physics, with many different suggestions and opinions.  But I think it's probably fair to say, none of us were totally prepared for what Mr. Sanchez had prepared.  The essay exam consisted of a single question - "Why physics?"  I'm pretty sure I rambled on for several pages about how physics was the foundation for understanding all things in the universe.  I think one kid may have answered "Why not?"  I don't remember what I got on that exam - but I remember that moment when I was faced with that question.  "Why?" is probably the first question we ask as a kid.  With answers that never seem entirely satisfying.  And, it seems, the answers never get any easier.  "Why?" is a tough question.

Which brings me to my point (and yes I do have one).  I've done fundraisers in the past - three in fact - for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through their Team In Training program.  You could say this is how I got bit by the fundraising bug.  I did that first event to honor my friend and mentor John Sloan.  That first experience with TNT was so overwhelmingly positive that I wanted to do it again.  And then add to that, more people I know kept getting cancer, and so I did two more fundraisers - both with TNT.

This time I'm doing an event for LIVESTRONG.  And here comes the question: "Why LIVESTRONG?" Well, the answer to this "Why?" is actually fairly easy.  My Mom was diagnosed and treated for a rather rare form of cancer - anal cancer.  It's the same cancer that Farrah Fawcett had.  It has a rather aggressive and difficult treatment program.  But it in my Mom's case it was successful.  There's no official cancer organization affiliated with anal cancer.  So my Mom adopted LIVESTRONG as her organization.  So the answer to "Why LIVESTRONG?" is because it's the organization that represents my Mom.

LIVESTRONG actually represents many, many cancer patients, families and caregivers.  Now, I know there's been a LOT in the press recently about Lance Armstrong.  I've got my opinions, but I'm going to save them.  Because this isn't about Lance.  It's about LIVESTRONG - an organization that for 15 years has been funding programs, helping patients get access to care, and maybe most importantly, raising the collective consciousness of cancer.  I think it's fair to say that LIVESTRONG has elevated the conversation and drawn more attention to this crummy, awful disease.  And to me, that's a very good thing.

I hope you'll help me, help LIVESTRONG fight cancer.

$5 Follow Fridays

During my last fundraising event, I asked folks to help me out by spreading the word about my efforts to their friends and contacts.  The economy was pretty stinky and I figured if maybe someone felt like they couldn't afford to make a donation - or maybe couldn't donate as much as they'd like - they could still be very helpful by getting the word out to more people.  The result was that I received a number of donations from total strangers - mostly in the range of about $5.

In addition to helping me meet my fundraising goal, this was incredibly cool!  When you're doing a fundraiser, each time someone makes a donation you get an email notification.  That's pretty cool and rewarding in itself seeing these emails pop up in your inbox saying "A donation was made on your behalf!"  But imagine how it feels when that donation comes from someone you don't even know!  Are you imagining it?  How's that going?  Well, just in case, I'll tell you.  It's great!  You're out there fundraising, kind of on your own, and every donation is a vote of support which in itself is important and rewarding.  And then to get a vote of support from a total stranger - well it's like the universe is looking out for you or something.

So I got to thinking - maybe I could replicate that idea for other people so they could have the same feeling.  So I'm doing it! (I start a lot of sentences with So (a needle pulling thread!)).  And I call it:  $5 Follow Fridays!  How does it work you ask?  On to the facks!

Q: What's the big idea?
A: To help other people who are fundraising for worthy causes, I'm gonna try and drum up a little extra support by promoting their efforts to my friends and encouraging those friends to make a $5 donation to a random stranger's fundraising program. To make it easy, I'll do it every Friday.

Q: How do you find these people?
A: Most fundraising organizations have a search function on their websites.  I just sort of randomly search through various participants and pick people.

Q: Well, then how do you decide who to pick?
A: I'm glad you asked that question.  I look for two things basically.  One, that the person is an active fundraiser.  Lots of people sign up with good intentions, but then for whatever reason are unable to really commit to the fundraising process.  So I look to make sure that the person's event is concluding within a reasonable time-frame and that they actually have donations made to their effort. And two, I look for folks who look like they might need a little help.  Basically people who are below their goal - maybe way below, or just on the cusp of making their goal.

Q: What organizations are you promoting?
A: Ah, another good question (you're good at this!).  Well, I'm starting with the ones I know which is basically TNT, LIVESTRONG, SGK3D, MJF and DFP.  But I'm open to suggestions.  They just need to be reputable organizations.  So if you've got one in mind, please let me know.

Q: Didn't you sort of steal this idea from Subway and Twitter?
A: I prefer to think of it as a mashup.  I'm taking the $5 foot long, and putting it in the atom smasher with the #followfriday and voila!  #$5FF

Q: Isn't this just a desperate attempt for attention/self-promotion/self-aggrandizing/borrowed interest?
A: Have you seen Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs? I'm trying to work my way up to Self-Actualization.  I don't have any desire to be famous.  Well, ok, maybe I like being on stage a little bit.  (OK, maybe a lot.  um, this is getting uncomfortable).  I'm just trying to help other people receive a little unexpected surprise during their fundraising efforts.

Q: Wait, aren't you fundraising right now?  Won't this cut into your fundraising?
A: I dunno.  Maybe.  I don't think of it that way.  I'm just trying to help more people do more good. If someone is thinking of donating to my campaign, they can just deduct $5 and give it to one of the strangers.  What goes around comes around after all.

Q: OK, you've convinced me.  What do I need to do?
A: Just be on the lookout for a Facebook or Twitter post with the relevant info.