When the marathon draws near, Jack is well known for proclaiming that "the hay is in the barn." It is time to trust in the months of hard work, training, and fundraising you have done to reach your goals.
Yet as wonderful as that first hay harvest was, I know I can do even better the second time around. Because last season I never fully let myself trust that there was hay. Or a barn. Or enough metaphors that could make me believe I would really truly cross that finish line or reach my fundraising goals. So this season I am looking forward to more fully trusting in the entire process and scope of this challenge. The seeds have been planted and are ready to be nurtured through the months to come,and I know they will yield the best hay yet. There is no need to worry, to doubt, or to obsess. Well, we are still training for a marathon so obsessing is sort of inevitable, but I will do my best to find more balance this season as I strive towards a 4:30 finish and my $13,100 fundraising goal (in honor of the half marathon distance).
Last season I was pretty proud of the hay I put in the barn. Having set an initial goal of simply finishing the marathon and hoping to do so in less than 6 hours, my official time was 4:55:12 which was 1 hour, 4 minutes, and 48 seconds faster than I had initially anticipated! And together you helped me raise $6,600 more than my initial goal of $10,000 to fund vital cancer research. Incredible!
Yet as wonderful as that first hay harvest was, I know I can do even better the second time around. Because last season I never fully let myself trust that there was hay. Or a barn. Or enough metaphors that could make me believe I would really truly cross that finish line or reach my fundraising goals. So this season I am looking forward to more fully trusting in the entire process and scope of this challenge. The seeds have been planted and are ready to be nurtured through the months to come,and I know they will yield the best hay yet. There is no need to worry, to doubt, or to obsess. Well, we are still training for a marathon so obsessing is sort of inevitable, but I will do my best to find more balance this season as I strive towards a 4:30 finish and my $13,100 fundraising goal (in honor of the half marathon distance).
Part of that balance is making sure I am taking care of and showing my gratitude to YOU - my amazing, rockstar supporters. Because honestly folks, without your love and support I certainly would have never crossed that finish line the first time let alone dreamed of going for it again!
This season will bring back crowd favorites such as my "Sponsor a Mile" campaign while also giving you some opportunities to score DFMC swag. Keep checking back here for more specific updates but this is just a snapshot of some things in the work for this coming season:
- 2016 Kick Off Drawing Ending Tonight! In honor of completing the BAA distance medley this past weekend thereby having ran all of the 2015 B.A.A. races (5K, 10K, Half, and Full Marathons), I am giving anyone who makes a kick-off gift through midnight tonight the chance to win this limited edition Dana-Farber Boston Red Sox hat.
- $5 (5K) = 5 entries
- $10 (10K) = 10 entries
- $13.10 (Half) = 14 entries
- $26.20 (Full) = 27 entries
- Sponsor A Mile: All season long you have the chance to "Sponsor a Mile" along the course with a gift of $126.20 or more in honor of the marathon distance. NEW for this year, all mile sponsors will receive a special thank you gift and will also be entered to win a grand prize (to be announced soon!). Miles are already filling up so click HERE for more info!
- DFMC and Stronger Every Run Swag: Thanks to everyone who completed my survey about DFMC swag for the coming season.Your feedback has been very helpful! I am working through internal approval and vendor quotes but hope to have more info in the very near future on this. In the meantime, it's not too late to share your thoughts HERE. Are you a vendor or someone who works in promo products? Send me a note and let's chat!
- Give to DFMC, Get a Song from Me: As a special way to thank my donors, I will be incorporating some very special musical opportunities for various gift levels this season -this one is still in the works so check back for more details in the weeks to come!
- Superbowl Squares for Cancer: This was one of my most successful campaigns last year raising $2500 for DFMC (after a partial corporate match) and paying out $1500 in prizes! No deflation here, the same great prizes are once again up for grabs again this year and I will be posting details as my Pats get closer to defending their title - I mean, as we draw closer to the Super Bowl! ; )
- March Madness: Oh it's coming back. And it's going to be good. 4 weeks or prizes with prizes growing in size/value each week. Every $10 donation during each prize period gets you one entry for that week's prize(s). NEW for this year, multiple prizes/winners each week! Stay tuned for more details in early Spring. Are you a vendor or business owner who wants to contribute a prize? Send me a note and let's chat!
As I have often said, it takes more than financial gifts to get us closer to the ultimate finish line and a world without cancer. Your generosity last season went far beyond those gifts to encompass notes of support, prayers, posters, surprise visits, phone calls, and so much more. Tight on funds but have an idea for a great fundraiser? Send it my way. Maxed out on your 2015 gifting but willing to make or donate a prize to use in 2016? Let's chat about that too. Local to the Boston area or willing to travel in for marathon weekend? Sign up to be a DFMC volunteer. Even the simple act of sharing my posts with family and friends helps to generate interest and support, so I cannot thank you enough for sharing whenever possible. And it goes without saying that if anyone can control the snow this winter, we would greatly appreciate it!
Also in the works? A revamped training log so I can more easily share my weekly totals with you (last season a technical glitch required extraneous editing), guest posts from some of the people who inspire me most, teammate spotlights, and more!
Who knew growing hay could be so exciting?