An Evening of Art, Wine, and Entertainment!

If you are coming to this page because you are coming to the Sept 13th fundraiser, I am excited to see you there! We are going to have a great time. If you are coming to this site because you are not coming but are making a donation to the cause, thank you! You will be missed at the event but your donation goes a long way in helping the children of Steung Meanchey. Steung Meanchey is one of the poorest areas in Cambodia where children live in shacks and dig through a large dump to find things to sell to feed their families. By donating to my fundraising efforts, you are helping to remove children from working in this dump and placing them at the CCF where they receive food, shelter, safety, and education. Together we can change the course of several generations of the most impoverished and abused children in the World.

Re-Committed!

It has been awhile since I have written. I must admit that I reached a point where I felt that I wasn't going to succeed. In trying to organize an event, I was getting nowhere in terms of sponsorship and I had done two donation-only yoga classes that just didn't work out. I was really getting disheartened. But then, this amazing thing happened. One person actually responded and encouraged me to change the event a bit to make it easier for sponsors wanting to help. At the same time, my dear friends Shan and Joe decided to join forces with me. Now things are really moving along. And I received a really generous donation from some friends of ours and that really helped to re-inspire me as well! Tim and Kathe - I can't thank you enough. So, now I am re-committed to my kids half the world away and confident that I can raise the $20,000 I committed to!

Money Raised to Date: $4,868
To Go: $15,232
Almost one quarter of the way there!

Like Christmas!

I just came back from vacation yesterday and ran eagerly to the mail to see if I had any donations. Usually, I don't like checking the mail because all I find is bills and catalogs that just create clutter. But now, checking the mail is one of my FAVORITE daily tasks. I was even more excited to check after a week of vacation. Like a kid at Christmas, I tore through the big stack of mail and I was not let down! There, waiting for me were two checks from people I do not know from two different states. I was so excited! There are beautiful beautiful people out there who do not know me but are inspired by what I am doing. Each time I receive a donation from one of them, it is like receiving the best Christmas gift ever! This entry is dedicated to the kindness of strangers. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Donations to Date: $3,300. $16,700 to GO!!!

Challenged!

Each Friday I receive a running total of my donations to date. This Friday my running total was $2,410.00. What's interesting to me is that very few people have donated (16) but those that have, have been EXTREMELY generous. So, I am VERY grateful for those beautiful, beautiful 16 people. But then, as a serious type A personality, I begin to panic. I have reached out to HUNDREDS of people now and have only gotten donations from 16 people. At this point, I do what any good Type A personality does. I begin to doubt whether I can do this. Can I find enough people to care about these children half a world away like I do? How will I ever raise $20,000? Then I fret and stress and I fret and I stress. But then I stop and I breath deeply like yoga has taught me to do. I allow myself to think about the "what ifs". What if I don't raise the $20,000 that I set out to do? As I think on that awhile, a great sense of relief sinks in. I realize that even if I don't raise $20,000, I am still raising money. I am still doing something to help these children. That's more than I have ever done before. So, at the end of this year, even if I don't make my goal, my heart is more open now than it was when I began this challenge and I know by this time next year, my heart will be even more open. And more importantly, I know there will be a child or possibly a few children in Cambodia that will not die because of my efforts. Those children will have received life-saving antibiotics or an immunization. Perhaps there will be a child or two that does not get sold into slavery because they will be living at CCF. Those lives will be forever changed because of what I am doing. So, I will cling to this notion and focus less on the end goal and more on every single small success because every small success has a HUGE impact on a child.

The Power of One!

Today I eagerly checked the mail hoping to find donations after a week of shameless fundraising. There wasn't the stack of envelopes that I hoped to find but there was one envelope addressed to me from a name that I did not know. Inside was a check for $100 with a note. The note was from a person explaining to me that they had been touched by my ambition to help these children and assuring me that I will easily achieve my goal. It ended with a simple statement "Hurray to the Power of one!". I read and re-read that note. I cannot tell you how deeply and completely touched I was by the power of these words from someone I have never met. This was a beautiful gift from the Universe telling me that I can and will do this. Thank you Jenny for your gift but more importantly, for believing in me. Your support means more to me than you may ever know. The Power Of One back at ya! :-)

Determination!

This entry is dedicated to TJ Wihera who wrote a Perspective in this Sunday's Denver Post about how he would rather spend thousands of dollars on the care of his pet than give $5 to charity. He argues that he should feel some moral dilemna but he doesn't. He sleeps just fine at night. But here is where I feel his arguement his flawed. He doesn't have to make a choice. We live in such an abundant country that we can do both. We can take care of our family pets who we love and we can be charitable to the human race at the same time.

Charity comes in many forms. Charity doesn't have to be sending money to a child across the world rather than caring for your sick dog. In fact, I would be abhorred by anyone who chose not to care for their sick dog (having previously spent thousands of dollars myself on a sick pet). Charity can be small. Charity can be caring for a friend who is having a hard time. Charity can be any action performed from the heart with the right intention. And small acts of charity can add up to a tremdendous collective impact.

But since I happended to be doing a fundraiser for children across the world when I read this article, I am asking people to give to children across the world (find information on makind donations to the right). After reading TJ's article, I am more determined than ever to find 4,000 to give me $5 to donate to the Cambodian Children's Fund to help me raise my goal of $20,000! Pet Owners unite and send me $5 to prove TJ wrong! I will be emailing this blog to TJ and I challenge him to give me $5. Because he can do both! There is no moral dilemna. There is enough for everyone. TJ, you don't have to choose between your dog and a child. And anyone who loves their dog like you do, is a good person! So, give me $5 and send this to your friends to give me $5 and help your dog and a child!

Inspiration!

When I started this journey I knew that I would need help from my friends and members in my community. But I have literally been BLOWN AWAY by the support I have received this far. My yoga teachers Tina, Christina, and Jen at Blue Sky Yoga agreed to do a fundraiser yoga class and even a dinner afterwards! My friend Sonja Wieck who is a professional athlete responded to my email FROM VACATION that she would jump right on it when she got back. And my beautiful running friends Monica, Caroline, Rene, and Ginny (with whom I now do dinner rather than run) have all agreed they want to help plan the EVENT of the year to raise money. Even my co-workers who are being hit up by one fundraiser after another have been so enthusiastic. Chris, if you're reading this, thanks for all the suggestions on my blog. Rick - thanks for the $100. And Robin, thank you for wanting to help plan the event of the year!

I am so grateful to be surrounded by such amazing individuals. I was a bit scared when I started this journey that I wouldn't be able to raise $20,000. But now, I am inspired! My vision that started out as mine alone is now part of a collective community and I now feel like there is no way that I can't succeed!