Fundraising- The Point of this Madness!

So, I haven’t been saying much about fundraising, and, even though it’s pretty boring, I think it’s about time. It will help me consider the progress I’ve made and definitely help me appreciate how many wonderful supporters I have. Maybe it will feel like Thanksgiving or something! Mmmmm, Thanksgiving. I like squash and mashed potatoes the best. Gravy is delicious, of course. And dessert. Pecan pie, apple pie, la la la.

But yes, fundraising. In order to run this crazy marathon I have to raise money for a charity. This, if you recall, is because I would not enjoy attempting to qualify—by running another marathon (why would anyone do that, you say?)—and would much enjoy just raising money instead. Turns out “just raising money” isn’t all that easy. Maybe if my friends were a) not just out of college, b) not cheapskates, or c) not teachers/other good people who don’t make enough money as it is and do enough good things for the world as it is, then it would be easier. But, I’m trying. I have had some “events”, an NCAA March Madness pool, and lots and lots of e-mail harassment disguised as ”training updates.” Example: One month to go! Hurt my knee. Have you donated? Think about the children. I don’t know what I would have done without sports. It is such a great organization. Here are 18 different ways to give MetroLacrosse money…

I have e-mailed, on several occasions, everyone I played lacrosse with in college, all my friends, all my relatives, all my acquaintances, and all the random people in my address book, plus all other random people I think even remotely like sports, kids, or helping the youth of America. I posted stuff on websites, hoping anyone and everyone would see my plea and donate money. I spoke in person with businesspeople on Main Street. I spoke in person with lots of people I had already e-mailed. I bothered everyone I work with. I was/am annoying.

It is an interesting feeling, to have to raise money. I am certainly not cut out for it in “real life”. It feels so awkward, but at the same time I know it shouldn’t. People don’t have to say yes (they just have to live with extreme and gnawing guilt if they don’t), and it’s not like it takes that long to listen to my story, and I know the result is that a really great organization gets some urgently needed moolah. But somehow it still just feels wrong. Another profession I couldn’t summon the guts to do: panhandling. Scratch that off my list.

Ruined profession aside, I am doing alright. I’ve got 3.7/5ths of my goal amount, which, by the way, is a totally arbitrary number I copied off the example fundraising sheet they gave me in the “starter kit”. How the heck do I know how much is a good goal? I do know that good goals are attainable…but I don’t know how much money people want to pay to get annoying “update” e-mails from me about how my running is going. And I hate failing so I couldn’t exactly overshoot my goal by too much unless I wanted to become depressed and pathetic about it; obviously I didn’t, and still don’t, so I shot fairly low. I aimed higher than the mandatory amount, just to feel like I was trying, but not too much higher (see aforementioned competitive nature). I have reached said mandatory amount but not my goal. I am in the middle, and I am pretty proud of it. I still have a month to the race, and they accept donations far past that, so I think I can do it.

If you get an update e-mail, sorry. But definitely donate anyway.

http://metrolacrosse.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=253234&lis=1&kntae253234=1E4988660E54426DB9B6A0F2C28BD304