Putting the FUN in Fundraising

Asking people for money is not easy.  I hate asking friends for the $20 they owe me or for the $5 everyone at the office promised to chip in for that other coworker's farewell gift.  So, it might be slightly unnatural that year after year I volunteer myself to ask friends and family to help me raise thousands of dollars.  Except, it's exactly the opposite.  I actually look forward to the opportunity.

To me, being successful at fundraising comes down to one very important thing - being passionate about the cause.  The fact that I think the Alzheimer's Association is an organization worth supporting makes asking for money to support their work much easier.   I also know I could never donate a gift of an equivalent amount, so if I want to help, this is the way I can do so.

However, even once the barrier of being uncomfortable asking for money is broken, fundraising can still be challenging.  I find you get people to support you for any combination of these 3 reasons - 1) they want to support you, 2) they want to support the cause you are raising money for and 3) they will pay for something they want and you can direct the proceeds to your fundraising efforts.

So that was my strategy today.  With the help of my great friend Brenna, I planned a spin-a-thon - a 3 hours spin class that folks could pay to attend, with all proceeds going to the Alzheimer's Association.  Brenna, an Alzheimer's team running buddy temporarily sidelined with some health issues, generously volunteered to teach the class and coordinate the space at the gym where she teaches, Commonwealth Sports Club.  She also recruited many of the attendees, apparently having a huge following of gym members who LOVE taking her classes.  Folks signed up for 1, 2 or 3 hour class options - and 8 participants spun for all 3 hours!  Sweaty and tired afterwards, everyone seemed to have a great time.

We put the FUN in this fundraiser, if I do say so myself.

If you didn't make it to today's fundraiser, you can still make a donation by clicking here.

This one's for Gramps

February 28, was my grandfather's birthday.  As I train to run my 7th Boston Marathon, the 5th in his honor, it seems like a good time to talk about the man who inspires me to unabashedly ask for donations to raise money for an organization I believe can help those with Alzheimer's disease and their families.

Felix Iovino was my mom's father.  He was the father of 5 and youngest of 5 siblings himself.  He emigrated to the US from Italy when he was a boy.  He grew up in New York where he met my grandmother and started a family.  He worked for the New York City Transit Authority when I was a kid, although had a short stint as a pizzeria owner before that.  I begin to salivate just imagining if that had worked out!

Continuing to talk about my favorite bready foods, I'll make this simile; Gramps was like a good New York bagel, crusty on the outside, but a real softy inside.  He would grumble and complain about pretty much anything.  He would curse in Italian when he was really mad, usually at the squirrels in his yard or his crazy dog, Spanky.  But he would never hesitate to help any of his kids or turn a grandchild off his lap.  He drove us to the airport early in the morning for many family vacations.  When I was in college, he took a "day trip" to Baltimore with my dad to see a weeknight volleyball game against our conference rival.

That's me with Gramps!

As Gramps got older, we laughed about the list he kept in his wallet with the names of his 10 grandkids.  But that was really the beginning of what would later be diagnosed as Alzheimer's disease.  I lived in Boston for most of the progression of the disease, but when I did come home for holidays, the changes were that much more noticeable.  It was difficult to watch these changes take place, and even more difficult to see my mom, grandmother, my aunts and uncle deal with the decline of their father and husband.

On January 8, 2005, Gramps passed away.  This year is the 8th anniversary of his passing.  As a result, I have pledged to raise $8000 for the Alzheimer's Association, running the Boston Marathon, in his honor.  

After skipping Boston last year to run other marathons, this year running Boston for the Alzheimer's Association just seemed important.  I have continued to be involved with the organization and fundraised for 2 Reach the Beach relays since my last Boston Marathon in 2011, but Boston is just different.

The past week has been a little rough.  After having gum surgery on Monday and a stomach virus Thursday night, my diet and workout schedule have been far from normal.  Today's long run was not surprisingly miserable, as I just had nothing in the tank.  I still slogged through 16.5 miles, but it was not pretty.  However, on days like this, training with a greater purpose than a race PR can make a run like this tolerable (though definitely not enjoyable).  

I'm still working towards that $8000 goal.  Donations can be made here, and are very much appreciated!