my parents & i are also going to be taking our skills to the lewisburg ms walk on april 13th, but are focusing our efforts on the dc event, since that is where my original loyalty lies. our participation in the lewisburg event will be mainly in the awareness realm, which is just as important as donations. this year, my brother will be joining the cure crew, which is a monumental occasion. i'm sending him up with elle & her sister sarah, hopefully ensuring both of their appearances- capitalizing on feelings of guilt and obligation.
read on & as always, cheers! (and go heels!!)
To: ALL
From: curecrewdc@gmail.com
Subject: Weekly Cure Crew Update- Important Info Enclosed!
Date: 3.29.08
Can you believe it- the '08 MS Walk is next Saturday, April 5??!! Are you ready?
Message from a Cure Crew Team Captain, Meg Morgensen:
So it's my turn to share why I walk. Well, I'd clearly look like a lazy & ungrateful jerk if I didn't. Hahah, I'm just kidding. On a serious note, I walk for Robert, for Yolanda, for Ilene, for Sandra, for Jana, for Stacie. A lot of names, right? It's that reality that fuels my motivation to walk. Trust me, I don't get a huge joy from putting my poor legs through those 3 miles (although it's much better than 7!!) But honestly, watching the number of people affected by MS on our annual team roster increase each year really pisses me off. They jump out at me in huge glaring print, screaming "YOU AREN'T DOING ENOUGH TO HELP US!" And it's not just people diagnosed with the disease- it doesn't stop there. It includes their family, their coworkers, their best friends, their significant others...
Unfortunately, this increase can't solely be attributed to the popularity of the Cure Crew - although it is the coolest team in the DC metro area. Actually, it reflects a wider trend of increased diagnoses overall- approximately 200 people in the US are diagnosed with MS each week. That brings me back to my original statement- how do we decrease the number of people affected by MS each year? Is it even realistic to think we can eliminate them entirely? Hell yeah it is. And the ways to go about it are inherently simple- I promise. Read on....
1) Raise money to fund research. There are numerous treatments hanging out in the background, in research labs across the country, but it's beyond expensive to get them to the mainstream consumer. The official cost to bring a new prescription drug to market totals, on average, $800 MILLION. OMG!!!! There are currently only 5 treatments available to MS patients. When you take into account that MS is a chronic disease, you are looking at a span of 50+ years to deal with symptoms, relapses, and eventual decline (assuming diagnosis in the mid 20s, which is average.) Having to choose from such a small pool of treatment options is quite depressing, if not downright scary. So clearly funding is a huge portion.
2) Spread awareness. This can be done in any way you can think of- there aren't really any rules on how to do this, and nothing is too insignificant. Obviously join the Cure Crew, that's a given. Encourage your long distance friends to seek out their regional MS Walk. (By the way, if you are taking part in another city's walk, we want to know about it! Email us at curecrewdc@gmail.com.) Talk to your colleagues and boss about MS- I'm sure they have their own connection to the disease. Ask people about how MS affects them- every person has different challenges and struggles, as this disease is so varied from patient to patient. Add a blurb about MS on your email signature, maybe even include a link to the National MS Society web site.
So there you have it. It's a simple equation... Research + Awareness = Cure. It will happen at some point- I will even be so bold as to say in my lifetime this will happen. But it won't happen on its own- it's going to take your help, your support, your active participation. So let's aim high. The walk can just be the tip of the iceberg.
ONLY 8 DAYS LEFT TO DOUBLE YOUR DONATION!!!!
As of March 27, our team has raised an amazing $9,405! But to make your $$ go even further, you have to take advantage of Barb McLucas's offer. She has pledged to donate $0.50 on the dollar (up to $5,000), but the deal is only good if we receive your donations online or via snail mail by Friday, April 4th. To be blunt, it means we need to raise at least $1,000 over the next week.
Sidebar- you might be wondering... "who is this magical Barb character?" Well, technically speaking, she's my mother's best friend from childhood who has been involved in my life since I can remember, and probably even before that. She's a role model for me, in addition to just being an awesome & generous person. Look to the left to put a face with the name.But there's more! In addition to Barb's generous offer, reaching $10k in donations will qualify the Cure Crew for recognition in the Elite Feet Team at the Bronze level by the MS Society!! (We'll get an exclusive "Members Only" line at Saturday's registration table and featured on various event signage, among other perks.)
photo above: Team Captain Meg warms up pre-walk with her mom, Jean, aunt, Mary, and of course, our famous donor, Barb!
Shout-Outs to NEW Cure Crew team members:
Ok, we even have out of town walkers, dogs & babies! if they can do it, you have no excuse!! come on... join the good times! thank you fran, ann, jeff, john d., scottie (out of town!), sheila (out of town!), mike h., candace, lindsay m., monica, virginia, denise, margie, dave r., holly & matthew, dave c. & julie (+ savannah, a canine walker!), yolanda (we walk in honor of you!!), the yasutis family (caz, teresa & our youngest walker, caz jr.! + a canine walker, perry!), stacie (we walk in honor of you!!), melissa & nino, and lawrence. We want to add your name to the list, as well as recruit some of your friends, so register today following the links above & below this email.
Important info... all the juicy technical details:
Donations: You can submit donations online or by mail at the address below. (Be sure to put your name and Cure Crew on any checks.)
National Multiple Sclerosis Society
National Capital Chapter
1800 M Street, NW
Suite 750 South
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 296-5363
Join the Cure Crew:
1) Follow this link.
2) Click on "Join Cure Crew" underneath the team roster.
3) You will be taken to the registration page. Fundraising is optional. You can pledge any/no donation(s) in this section and move forward with the registration.
4) Fill out all the necessary information and be sure to select the Washington, D.C. Walk on April 5th.
Fundraising Ideas: Every little bit counts when it comes to fundraising- remember the philosophy that no donation is too small. Over the years, Cure Crew team members have been successful with creative fundraising ideas, including:
- Put a jar in your cubicle to solicit donations from work colleagues.
- Ask for $$ after a meeting- pass around a cup or coffee mug to collect pocket change.
- Bring your lunch for a week and donate what you would have spent to the team.
- Copy & paste details from this blast into a mass email to friends & family, asking them to support your Walk efforts.
- Post a bulletin on your MySpace or Facebook site encouraging people to join the Cure Crew or participate in their city's regional MS Walk.
Walk Day: The Cure Crew is meeting on Saturday morning, April 5th, at the Canadian Embassy (look for Cure Crew signs and red t-shirts; 501 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W, Metro: Archives/Navy Memorial-Penn Quarter). Before we begin the walk, we will take our annual Cure Crew team photo- the team will begin walking at 9:00 a.m. After the walk we invite you (and your friends/family) to celebrate the team's success at our picnic at John Marshall Memorial Park, behind the Embassy, in front of the US District Court building. The MS Society will provide Subway sandwiches to all walkers, but the Cure Crew will have separate refreshments available. (Please email us if you would like to donate any food/drink.)
We have only a few team t-shirts left!!!! Designed by Bremmer & Goris Communications and funded by Statistics Collaborative, they have been wildly popular with all the cool kids. Email us about t-shirt availability.
photo above: The Cure Crew team captains, Kate, Meg & Karen, sell t-shirts @ the yearly "Hour Closer to a Cure" fundraiser. (Our favorite personal rock star, Wes Tucker, from Wes Tucker & the Skillets, models a tee.)
Contact Info: As always, just drop us an email at curecrewdc@gmail.com if you have any questions. Thank you for being a part of this year's walk, including reading through this loooooong email! Cheers!!
*********
Kate, Karen and Meg Cure Crew Team Captains 2008
The 2008 MS Walk (DC) is Saturday, April 5- a 3 mile walk through Washington, DC beginning at the Canadian Embassy on Pennsylvania Avenue NW.
Register w/ The Cure Crew and help us raise money for MS research!!!http://www.msandyou.org/
No comments:
Post a Comment