Dreaming of the big one

We all have those dreams of the 'big one'.  You know what I'm talking about, the biggest bass, the biggest buck, scoring the winning shot in the big game, or in my case the big donation that finally lets me reach my goal and relax.  I think anyone who does a charity event dreams about something like that, opening that envelope left in your mailbox and seeing a check with more 0's than you have ever seen before on anything other than your mortgage bill.  But that is not the way that most fundraising goes, and I think that is what I am starting to come to grips with.  I am now at $455 in donations and am gaining on my goal literally a dollar at a time.  On the plus side, after my 'trial by fire' in fundraising this past week, I think I am literally capable of anything now.

To explain my 'trial by fire'.  You know those people in the mall that you avoid?  The ones who you can tell are just waiting to ask you something/hand you something/sell you something?  The ones you learn from an early shopping age to not make eye contact with, to quickly change direction, or to pretend you suddenly REALLY need something out of your purse when you're near?  You all know the people I'm talking about, right?  Well, this past Friday, I was one of those people as I attempted to sell Boston Store coupon books to people for $5 apiece to go toward my fundraising goal.  Let me tell you, for someone with mild agoraphobia and a twisted version of an outgoing personality that was a challenge.  

On the plus side, besides making $55 in donations I learned alot about body language and added some new weapons to my arsenal of ways to avoid 'those people' in the future.  I also learned that even if you are wearing a t-shirt with "Team in Training" in huge letters on the front and back, if you stand in a store long enough everyone assumes you work there.  Really entertaining when the shoplifting alarm near you keeps going off randomly.  The people who didn't try to avoid me then spent a moment looking to see if I was going to tackle them for shoplifting  :)  Hmmm, maybe I could have used that as a blackmail option (makes notes for next time...)

I've got a variety of options in my fundraising arsenal now.  Besides the letters/e-mails/blog/facebook posts that I have been doing asking for donations, I also have quite a portfolio of products available.  I'm still selling the Boston Store coupon books (until the sale on Nov 14th).  I'm selling BuckyBooks until Dec 1st, which is a Madison Wisconsin area entertainment coupon book for those not familiar with it.  Several companies (www.simplifiedscrip.com and www.city-scrip.com) that sell gift cards on-line have joined with TNT and a portion of the proceeds from the gift cards go toward my donation goal.  See the note to the right if you are interested in these products.  We're going to be selling concessions at local concerts, wrapping gifts at local stores, and who knows what other group projects we will do.  I'll keep everybody posted on where I'll be and when in case you want to stop by and say 'hi'.  

My biggest donation thus far came from my friends Rob and Amy, who gave a $200 donation.  Of course, in true ultra-competitive Bradley fashion Rob had to make it a challenge/contest.  He basically gave me the donation as a bet, I have to give him $150 back if I don't complete the half-marathon.  He determined after we made the bet that maybe he should have asked how far I could run before he said that, because when he found out I could already run a 5K he said 'I've lost that bet', lol.  Of course, now I REALLY have to meet my fundraising goal, it would suck to have to pay him back not because I didn't complete the race but because I didn't raise the funds to go.  So that's my battle cry for the week, people.  Donate so I can do a victory lap around the Bradley gaming table in March!  I'll post pictures...