It's not just about fundraising...

...it's about promoting awareness too!


For those who know me, they know well that the year Andrea got diagnosed with CF was the year I started fundraising like crazy for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). It was not a difficult decision either. I mean if you look at the CFF's history, their clinical trial pipeline, the advanced years of life expectancy...you know they're a worthy foundation to support. One look at Andrea and you also know...we want her to live as long as possible and hell ya...I'm gonna do all I can to make that happen!


Part of fundraising is promoting awareness as well. Sure, the main reason we fundraise is to receive the much needed funds to continue the expensive research being conducted to help our kiddos live longer, but don't take those NOs for granted. For every NO you have done one huge part of the fundraising effort...you have promoted awareness of the disease.


I love this quote by Nora Roberts, “If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place.” Sure I rather hear a YES when I ask for donations, but I have learned to be okay with the NO answers because that NO may turn into a YES. Here's a story to back that up...


I visited a new establishment that opened up in my neighborhood. I figured I'd walk in, introduce myself and hit them up to be a sponsor for our Great Strides walk we hold every (and what I fundraise for the most). The owner was pleasant, took a few minutes of her time to listen to me, agreed to look over the paperwork I handed her and said she'd get back to me. Within a couple of days she sends me an email saying she would not support the CFF at this time. Well, 6 months later I get another email from her wanting to know more about Great Strides and how she could help and if I would be okay to talk to some friends of hers. Those friends had just found out their son had CF. She preceded to tell me that if it hadn't been for me she would never had learned what CF was.


You see...don't let those NOs deter you from asking. If you get a NO, say thanks and continue on. And if you get a few (and you most likely will) NOs with attitude that you're making 'them feel obligated', try your hardest not to take it personally. I've had this happen to me a few times over the past 11 years. I don't like hearing people tell me they feel obligated by my request for money, but I've learned to realize that them feeing that way has nothing to do with me. If a person feels obligated to give, it's because they choose to feel that way. I mean, come on...wouldn't it be great to actually have that much power to make people give you money? I sure would love it but that's just not going to happen. Most people will donate, help, and give of themselves because they WANT TO, period, end of story.


So I'll end this by asking:
Would you please support my fight against CF by donating online at:
http://www.cff.org/Great_Strides/AndreasAngels


Thanks!
Love, Susie
:)

"If only people truly understood how one day in the life of a CF kid really is.
They'd probably open their wallets alot more for a cure." ~Murph Hutson