I did it!

That's right ... it's official. I hit my personal goal for the 2011 Michigan Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure!

As I've mentioned in the past, my goal was to raise $2,300 in personal donations. It happened today, thanks to three incredibly different donations, each so special in their own way:

1. Last night, I emailed my sister-in-law Cindy to ask her what her sister's name is... she is a breast cancer survivor, and I want to be sure to honor her and write her name on a tag for the survivor flag at camp. This morning, I received a very generous donation from Cindy's brother-in-law John. Amazingly unexpected and delightful.
2. This afternoon, I got a donation from my "virtual BFF" Karin, who lives in California. Karin and I have been pals for 7+ years, but have never met. She, another friend (Bonnie) and I met on an online bulletin board when we were expecting our youngest... we became friends, and have kept in touch through the years. Thanks to Facebook, we "reunited" a few years ago and I just love these two gals, and am constantly amazed at the power of the Internet.
3. When I put out a call on Facebook, saying I just needed $10 to hit my goal, my sister Stef hopped online and made a donation. After miles of training and hours of fundraising, I just can't even say thank you enough to her.

So there you have it. I hit my goal. That doesn't get you off the hook though... if you want to make a donation, make it to my teammate/best friend/sister: http://the3day.org/goto/stefaniesmith.  Every dollar matters.

Thank you to every single donor... you each have a special place in my heart right now, and it's bursting with love and gratitude.

Making a list... checking it twice

With just 12 days before the Michigan 3-Day for the Cure, I'm in heavy duty list-making mode.

In addition to the packing list (anyone know where I can find travel-size saline solution? Not the cleanser, just plain saline.), Stef and I have been busy making sure we have what we need to survive camp. With no electricity available, this includes everything from our necessities to a battery-operated air pump to inflate the air mattresses and a battery-operated charging station for our phones/ipods/mp3 players.

Today, I picked up a nifty charging station at Brookstone (the kids were loving that store). It runs off a car cigarette lighter, a USB port or a 9-volt battery ... and comes with a million attachments so that it'll charge just about any device you could imagine. Very nifty little device. (Rumor has it that Bank of America has a charging station at the walk, and there may (or may not be) a strip of chargers in the meal tent, but we're not taking the chance that we can't charge our stuff. I plan to be Tweeting and Facebooking when I can, so having a fully charged phone is a must!)

The other item on my list this week: What can I do to make sure I'm physically ready for the grueling three days that are to come??

To start with, we're trying to squeeze in a little more gym time this week than we have been the past few weeks. With all of the mileage we've been getting in, finding time to go to the gym has been tough, and honestly, not the highest priority. But the mileage tapers off a little the next two weeks, leaving more time (and energy!) for the gym. I need to get in some good cardio workouts (here comes that "love-hate" relationship with the elliptical) and more strength training (trying to avoid that morning ache in my legs). So, we're off to the gym.

Second, I'm chugging down the water. I've read/heard recommendations to get as hydrated as you can the week before the walk. So, I'm sucking down a ton of water. I think I tend to drink a lot of water anyway (more than average, at least), but I'm toting around my big pink water bottle and making an effort to drink a little more.

Finally, the fundraising will kick in to high gear this week. Other than these blog posts, and posts about some of our events, I hope I haven't been "bugging" people in my social networks to donate. With just 12 days to go, it's "Game On."  I challenged a few people on Saturday, to help me get through a really long, hot 18-mile walk, and three of my Facebook friends answered, bringing in $85 in donations. This week, I'm bugging you. Make a donation, online, today. Do it Friday if that's your payday. Just do it. And do it online. It's easy. I'll be walking 60 miles over three days. Sleeping in a tent. Using a porta-potty. With no power. Making the donation is the easy part ...

Two weeks? Seriously?

I'm seriously trying not to freak out. Two weeks from tonight, Stef and I will be preparing to walk in the 3-Day for the Cure. Because we have to be at check-in in Novi at 5 a.m., we booked a hotel the night before. So two weeks from tonight, we'll be trying desperately to sleep, yet knowing that the excitement and anticipation may make that difficult.

With only two weeks left (omg, two weeks), I'm starting to get a little freaked out. There are so many things to freak out about:

Gear. I have to find the time this weekend to go over the packing list and get it all together. I've got a list with things around the house. I have a list of stuff to get at the store. I have a list of stuff to borrow from people. Ugh, so many lists, so little time.

Training. With just two weeks left, it's crunch time. We have another 18-mile walk on Saturday, followed by a 10-mile walk on Sunday. Must. Get. It. In.

Fundraising. This is it ... two weeks folks. If you planned to make a donation, NOW IS THE TIME. (Like the all caps and bold for emphasis? I would have made it pink too, if I thought that would get your attention.) I need your support. I want to meet my personal fundraising goal, which is to raise $2,300 in personal donations. I'm at $2,015 as of tonight. That leaves $285. Can you help close that gap?

And there you have it. This weekend is the walk in Cleveland... two of the ladies we did a training walk with a few weeks ago are crewing this weekend, which is an enormous task. I believe they're on gear duty, which means they're the ones hauling all of the luggage to and from the trucks to/from camp. At 35+ pounds each, and hot/humid weather, they're going to be working their butts off. On behalf of all walkers, thank you Heather & Beth. Walks aren't possible without the volunteer crew!

Boston: They came, they saw, they conquered

This past weekend kicked off the 3-Day season, with the first walk in Boston. We were up at the lake over the weekend, but it was great watching the Tweets coming in with updates on the walk. Walkers provided updates, crew members were tweeting, and "walker stalkers" posted photos of their experiences at cheering stations.

And let me tell you, the updates were insane! This walk was proof that no matter how hard you train, Mother Nature may have some input... And no matter what she throws our way, it's important to remember why we're doing this: To raise money and awareness for breast cancer research, education and support. And the Boston walkers did that with a bang: They raised $4.8 million!

The 10-second summary of the weekend's chaos:

• Day 1: The route closed at mile 10 because of extreme heat.
• Day 2: Walkers were evacuated to a local school at pit stop 2 because of lightening and intense rain.

But they endured. And they raised almost $5 million in the process.

Back on the home front, Stef and I got in a 10-mile walk at the lake this weekend. It was hot and humid, and our pace was a little slower than usual (closer to 3.5 mph versus 4.0 mph), but we got up and did it, which was a "win" for that morning. We have another big training walk coming up this weekend, with 18 miles planned for Saturday and a quick 10 on Sunday.

And with that, we have fewer than three weeks until the Michigan 3-Day for the Cure! Stef and I still need your support in reaching our personal fundraising goals, so please consider if you can make a donation today!

Post script #1: The 2012 season was announced today! If you're considering walking with Stef and I next year, please give it some serious thought... this has been an amazing experience so far, and it's only just begun!

Post script #2: I'll post some links to recaps and photos from the Boston 3-Day, in case you're curious ... I always liked reading these, even before I registered. So enjoy:

• "Because everyone deserves a lifetime" A great recap of the walk from a Boston walker.
• Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure photo album Photos on the official Komen site
• Why we walk Truly a memorable moment .. A must read/see. 
• The 3 Day Made Me Cry

Counting, counting, counting: 380 right now!

For someone who really stinks at math (I still count on my fingers), I've been pretty obsessed with counting lately:

1) Seven weeks
That's how many weeks we have left until the walk. Seven weeks from tonight, I will be sitting in a hotel room, getting myself psyched up to walk 20 miles a day for 3 days. (Actually, since it's 10 p.m., I'm really hoping that I'll be comfortably snoozing away, dreaming about all the wonderful things we're going to see and do over the next three days!)

2) 41 miles
That's how many miles I'm supposed to get in for my training next week. And did I mention we're on vacation, up north? Not sure that 41 is going to be the magic number, but I did pack an extra bag with just walk stuff, and we're planning to spend some time getting in some good mileage.

3) 380 dollars.
That's how much I have left in my personal fundraising goal. That's it! I have raised $1,920 of the $2,300 minimum required to walk. And I've done it in personal donations. I'm so incredibly thankful to the 32 friends and family who have made a direct, personal donation in support of my efforts to walk with Stef this year.

So here's my question: Are you one of them? Could you be one of them? I only have seven weeks left to raise $380. This time, it's for me. Stef and I have been kicking butt in our team fundraising. I'm not worried about not being able to walk... we'll both meet our minimum and then some. But right now, for the first time, I'm realizing that I could do this. I can raise $2,300 in personal donations, because the people I call my friends are kind, generous, supporting, loving people. And for that, I'm eternally grateful.

9 weeks and counting ...

When I registered for the 2011 Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure, I had 51 weeks to prepare. With fewer than 9 weeks to go before the event kicks off, I'm a bit bipolar about it ... I'm really excited about our fundraising progress, but there's also a little bit of anxiety setting in... walking 20 miles a day for 3 days doesn't seem any more likely 15 weeks into my training regimen!

So to stave off panic, I'll focus on the positive:

• We're officially done with our fundraising events for this year! Saturday night we worked our last Tigers concession stand, and had a blast. The weather turned out great, and I had a lot of fun. Thanks to the hard work of our "Tigers Team," we had a high sales night. Early tabulations on our part show we should make close to $800!
• The event information has been posted! I'm excited to see the event info officially posted online. We'll be kicking off the walk at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi (formerly known as the "Rock Financial Showplace), camping at Rotary Park in Livonia, and celebrating during Closing Ceremonies at Ford Headquarters in Dearborn. 

So save the dates ... you're invited to a cheering station on Friday, Saturday or Sunday (Aug. 12, 13 & 14), and you're welcome to come to the Closing Ceremonies to celebrate with us. More details on that to come!

Finally, with the event info posted, they've also shared a fun way you can show your support to Stef and I during the walk: Send us a note of encouragement! There's a "post office" at camp, where we can retrieve mail. (They specifically say "no packages," so I'm guessing the fifth of Captains is out...) If you send something postmarked by Aug. 3, we'll have it at the walk. You can send mail to:

3-Day for the Cure PO

ATTN: Jennifer Carbary (or Stefanie Smith)

P.O. Box 611

South Lyon, MI 48178

And with that, I'm feeling pretty good. We're back walking this week, and I'm back at the gym (working on cardio ... walking's hard when it's hot!). The kids are out of school on Thursday so we're heading up to the lake for a long weekend, which will include some long walks... 60 miles in 3 days? I'll get there ....

That's amore!

This past weekend, we hosted our final fundraising event for the 3-Day for the Cure, our Spaghetti Dinner & Trivia Night fundraiser at the Genesee Otter Lake Campground. More than 75 people participated and we raised $1,000!

We served up 15 pounds of spaghetti  (Stef is a pro in the kitchen), which seemed like an unbelievable amount of food, but it made it through the night (phew). The second half of the evening was our Trivia game. We had 12 teams participate, which made for a lot of laughs. We closed it out with our tin can auction (OK, pink bag auction), where we had 33 gifts to give away. Many of those were made or donated by camping family, which we are so grateful for. (The most popular item? The case of Bud Light. Go figure :)

All told, I was amazed and delighted with the evening... the weather forecast was NOT favorable (it did not stop raining), yet we had so many of our camping friends there to support us. Some of them brought their friends or family, and we even had a few friends come up who joined us at the campground for the first time. (I think they deserve a special medal for sticking it out this weekend!)

Thank you, everyone, for all of your support on this event. From the folks who donated gifts, made gifts, donated food items or helped at the event, we really, really, really appreciate your kindness, your generosity and your friendship.

Fundraising finale is on the horizon

This weekend is our FINAL fundraiser for the "Sisters Saving the Sistahs" .... can I get a whoop whoop (or whatever the heck that is).

Don't get me wrong ... I have been surprised at how much I have enjoyed the team fundraising experience. It's one thing to get personal donations from friends and family (which I'm still taking!). It's a whole other ball of wax to accept donations from acquaintances or total strangers. I expected to not like it (I sort of dread small talk with strangers). But I loved it. I met some neat people. I heard some great stories that inspired to keep it up. It was a great experience. But I'm kinda ready to be done, because dang, it's a lot of work. Case in point:

This weekend is our big Spaghetti Dinner and Trivia Night Fundraiser, hosted at our "second home," the Genesee Otter Lake Campground. We're having dinner, followed by a mini-version of "MyTriviaLive," a fun and interactive (and not that difficult) trivia game. Winners will get tickets to drop in the Tin Can Auction; everyone else has the opportunity to purchase tickets for the Tin Can Auction.

That's the exciting part ... last night, Stef and I spent a few hours getting all the prizes together. As of right now, we have more than 30 gifts that have been donated! There are some really cool ones:

• Gift cards — Olive Garden, Dunkin' Donuts, Carrabba's, Game Stop, iTunes
• Family prizes — a family fun night with Family Video/National Coney Island/Dave & Busters gift cards, a marshmallow shooter pack, candy jars with themed lids (filled with candy!)
• Pampering items -- a lovely Avon basket, a one-hour massage, Tastefully Simple goodies
• Handmade gifts -- Pressed wine bottle cheese tray, handmade quilt, stained glass items, beaded bracelets, baked goodies basket
• Entertainment -- Tiger's jersey (Porcello), Red Wing's jersey (Lidstrom); DTE pavilion seats to Eddie Money (May 27); Sunnybrook Lanes golf package, Sunnybrook bowling package
• Home stuff -- Decorate wine glasses (with wine!), fun iced-tea style glasswear, his/her wine carafe and glasses (again, with wine!), a Jack Daniels/Harley Davidson package, a gardening basket

And I'm sure I've missed stuff! 

We're really looking forward to this one ... it'll be a relatively low-key event (we're at the campground, afterall), we'll have our camping friends and family there, and a few non-camping friends and family are joining us for the weekend. And finally, it's the last fundraising event for the Sisters Saving the Sistahs 2011 Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure walk fund. So bring it on ... we're ready for a great time!

Is that the floor of the garage I see?

Day 1

I've never personally hosted a garage sale. And I had no idea what to expect when Stef and I decided to host a garage sale to raise money for the 3-Day for the Cure.

We put out a call to friends and family, to see if they had "treasures" to donate to the "cause." And the response was great ...

But I didn't realize how great until we opened up on Friday. Unbelievable. We were busy from the time we opened the garage (8 a.m.) until we closed for the night (6:30 p.m.). I am so thankful that Keith's mom and dad insisted on coming over to help out for the day -- we would have been lost without them.

We more than tripled our expectations for the weekend. It was a wildly successful fundraiser for the 3-Day For The Cure, and we're so grateful.

I'll be honest though ... it was a TON of work. From the prep work (gathering stuff, cleaning it all, sorting it, pricing it) to the set up (hauling tables, lifting boxes) to the day-of work (on our feet for 12+ hours, dealing with the crazies ... "That's 50 cents" when the price tag clearly says $2.00). I was exhausted at the end of the weekend.

Some lessons learned:
1) Ask for donations. We heard a lot of "customers" comment about how much "good" stuff we had. We didn't have a lot of high-priced items, but we had nice stuff. That's because we asked our friends and family for their treasures. Some said they didn't have enough for a garage sale on their own; some said they didn't want to just give it away to an agency; others weeded through their home decor. No matter how it came in, it came in, and it was great stuff.

2) Look for all the promotions you can find. We advertised at work (free classified ads where I work), we put a listing on "gas station TV" (they do free charity listings: gstv.com), our city lists the sales online and distributes a weekly e-mail, we posted it on Facebook (thanks to all of you who reposted it!!) and the winner of the weekend: craigslist. I put photos of some of the things we had to sell on my blog and Stef put the link in the Craigslist posting. We got hundreds of hits. Unbelievable traffic.

3) Keep asking for donations. The sales on Friday were unbelievable, and we put out a call Friday night to see if anyone had anything they'd be willing to bring over. Thank you to those who responded ... it helped keep the sale "fresh" and your stuff sold!

4) Organize the sale by the traffic you expect. We learned that Friday is the "professional garage sale" day. We sold very few books, clothes and children's items. Saturday was "family day." We sold a TON of clothes, children's clothes and books. We caught on quickly and organized the garage and yard accordingly.

5) Price it to sell. Although we wanted to make money for the walk, we also wanted to get rid of all the stuff we had. We priced things appropriately, and didn't have trouble selling almost everything. Glassware: $0.25 a piece or 6 for $1.  Books: $0.50 a piece or 3 for $1. You get the idea.  We still had a lot of hagglers (more on Friday than Saturday), but it was all good.

Day 3

I know we were fortunate ... this was one of the first nice weekends of the spring, which made a big difference. We had a lot of people say this was the first garage sale of their season, so I think they were looking to buy.

So yes, it was a lot of work. A lot. But it was worth it.

If you're a walker, consider it, especially if you have friends and family you can call on for donations. If you're a supporter, consider donating to a walker -- although I'm loving that we can see the floor of the garage once again, I'll gladly cover it back up to store your "treasures" until the next time ....

Garage full of fun

Today was a (much-needed) day off, and it was actually quite productive ... after taking back the remnants from our bottle drive (another $180!) and getting in a 3-mile walk at the gym (over the treadmill, for the record), Stef and I dug our way through her garage and started sorting stuff for our 3-Day for the Cure Garage Sale next weekend.

Wow, there's a lot of stuff.

We sorted through books. Housewares. Craft items. Electronics. Games. Kids stuff. Decor. Furniture.

And that's just what was in her garage. My garage is still to come, and we've got stuff to pick up from friends and family who have offered to donate.

That's the fun part of all of this: A majority of the items we have to sell has been donated by friends and family. It's a lot of fun sorting through, to see what they've given us, and I'm really excited to open the doors on Friday morning.

Watch for photos to come ... Stef's working on the CraigsList posting, which will have photos of some of the items we have to sell. And of course, save the date and stop by to say hi (or buy some treasures!) ... we'll be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday!  (Oh yeah ... pray for good weather. Please?)

Paying it forward...

I think I've lived in a little cocoon for the past few years. At least as far as charitable giving is concerned.

Don't get me wrong ... Keith and I have made donations to various organizations over the years, on a random basis (mostly for personal or tax reasons). We have been blessed with the fortunate circumstance that no one very close to us has been touched personally by something tragic. But being personally involved in raising money for a non-profit organization (i.e., the Susan G Komen 3-day for the Cure) has really raised my awareness of just how much is going on in my personal community, to raise money and/or awareness for various organizations.

This past Friday, Stefanie, Kraig and I attended a Relay for Life bowling fundraiser for our camping pals Nancy & Gary Cece. It was a lot of fun, and they raised a lot of money for the Relay for Life, a fundraiser for the American Cancer Society.

Good friends of ours, Chad & Kyersten Helsel, are also involved in the Relay for Life. .. Kyer and their two daughters, Lyndsey & Allison, are participating in the Harrison Township Relay for Life.

My sister-in-law, Nicole Schoeny-Carbary, is doing the MS Walk; Jaime Stebbeds and her beautiful daughter Morgan are participating in the Komen Race for the Cure. At work, my friend and colleague Maureen Elliott is our "team captain" for the Heart Walk. And I'm sure I'm overlooking at least a half dozen friend I don't even know about ...

There are so many wonderful events and activities going on this time of year... and so many people are involved in raising money for great causes.

Please think about what you can do, and what is important to you. Whether it's finding a cure for breast cancer, multiple sclerosis, cancer, heart disease, juvenile diabetes, or something else that is important to you -- consider what you can do to make a difference.

Because every dollar donated DOES make a difference. It makes a difference for the organization sponsoring an event. And more importantly, it makes a difference to the champions -- the people like Maureen, Nicole, Kyersten, Stefanie and I .... the people who are inspired by your support to continue beating the drum to raise money to advance medical research, education and awareness.

Regardless of which cause or "disease" is important to you, please give ... because it's important. It does make a difference.  Whether you donate to an organization, an event or a champion, your financial support is more than just a dollar on the thermometer of "how much has been raised"... It is how we, as an organized society, show each other that we "get it." We understand that there is more to life than just us. We support one another, and we have faith in one another. And together, we can do whatever we are able to do to make a difference.

Make a difference. Today. Make a donation to something important to you.

Hot Dogs! Get your hot dogs!

I don't think I'll eat another hot dog again. Though in reality, I probably spilled more draft beer than anything, and it's not like I'm going to avoid that.

As a fundraiser for the 3-Day for the Cure, Stef & I volunteered to work a concessions stand at Comerica Park on Saturday afternoon. The deal is that you get a portion of the proceeds from the sale of beer (8%) and food/beverage (10%). You bring along 10 to 12 people to work with you, and the walkers split the proceeds.

It was a blast. It was chaotic. It was insane. It was cold. It was messy. It was fun!

I am so grateful for the crew we had last night:

• Kay & Hubert (Keith's mom and dad)
• Kevin, Cindy, Jason and Jenny Carbary (Keith's brother, his wife and their two adult children)
• David (Kraig's brother)
• Darren (Kraig's best friend from high school)
• And of course, Keith and Kraig (Stef's husband)

The 12 of us spent five hours wrapping hot dogs, pouring drinks, smiling, laughing and having fun. (Well, it wasn't so much fun when the hot cocoa ran out and we had a line of folks waiting for it!)  And we're gearing up to do it again in June (June 11 @ 7:05 p.m. against Seattle), with a new crew.

We'll find out our final fundraising total in a few weeks, but preliminary numbers indicate we'll raise close to $500 for the walk. We spent time with people we love, had a fun afternoon at the ballpark, and raised a lot of money for a great cause.  Life is good.

The Madness ends happily ever after. Unless you're a bulldog.

The Butler Bulldogs may have let me down, but our friends and family were definitely the heroes in this year's March Madness!

First off, thank you to everyone who participated in "Brackets for Boobies" ! We had 59 people sign up, and with an extra entry from a friend, we had a total of 60 "players" in the pool.

I haven't had this much fun watching athletics in a long time... The entire March Madness experience was quite entertaining (and maddening at times), and provided great "water cooler" fodder for weeks. I wasn't really in the running (I think the highest I ever made it was around 10th place, and I finished in 28th), but having someone to root for each game was a blast.

And in true March Madness spirit, the winner of this year's festivities started out in last place. In fact, she posted her dismay at her early standings on Facebook:

Just a few short weeks later, and she's our grand prize winner, bringing in $300! And in true Kyersten fashion, she was a sweetheart and donated a portion of her proceeds back to the Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure!

When all was said and done, we raised $400 for the 3-Day walk.

Thank you again for all of your support -- whether it's a donation you've made, an event you came to, an activity you participated in, or our blogs that you're reading, thank you for the support. We could not possibly do it without you.

Halfway there!

This week past week, I hit a huge milestone... I hit the halfway mark in my personal fundraising efforts!! As of today, I have raised $1,178 of the $2,300 I am raising to walk in the 2011 Susan G Komen 3-Day for the Cure.

What's really exciting is that I don't think I've even scratched the surface of what is possible... I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can do, together.

For those of you who have made a donation already, thank you for your support and your generosity. For those of you considering a donation, please do. Stef and I need your support, and we need you to show that support soon. Our goal is to raise the $4,600 we need by June 1, so we can focus on our training. Help us get there today by making a donation.

On another note, thank you to everyone who has supported us with the generous gift of time ... this past week we went to a training session to be prepared to work a concessions stand at two upcoming Tiger's games. Thank you to the 14 friends and family who volunteered to come and help out, giving up 3+ hours of their time to do the training, then giving up almost a whole day to do the games (April 9 and June 11).

March Madness ... no kidding

It's March Madness in so many ways ...

Game on! We have 59 people playing in "Brackets for Boobies," our March Madness fundraiser for the 3-Day for the Cure! With a $10 donation from a friend, the pot for the winner is $300, and the donation for the 3Day for the Cure is $300. It's a great fundraiser for us, and dang, I'm having a ton of fun! We've been watching tons of games, and the ups and downs are just a blast. I was riding decently in the top end of the standings, but fell (thank you Texas and Kansas State) to the flat middle of the pack, ranking at 16th going into the next round of games (starts Thursday!). Last year, I picked Butler. This year, I didn't. I learned my lesson. I puffy heart Butler.

But for the real March Madness.... I can't even begin to describe my dismay. It's snowing. It's icing. It's a wintry mix. It sucks. It's the second full day of spring, and it's nasty out. I'm not really up for a 5-mile walk in the mall on Saturday, so Mother Nature better suck it up and say hello to her new BFF Spring.

Finding the positive in the dreaded time change

Let's just start with the fact that I stayed up WAY too late last night, the night of the dreaded time change. When I came home at 3 a.m. (pretty late, even for me), and added in the time change factor, and now it's 4 a.m. *yawn*

But the upside is that I'm staring out the window now, trying to determine how late I'll have to walk in the evenings... which is great, because the mileage starts to pick up this coming week. I've been doing the 3- or 4-mile walks pretty easily (time-wise). But this coming week includes two 3-mile, a 4-mile and a 5-mile walk. That four-mile and five-mile walk aren't really treadmill material, so I'm hoping to head out ... and with the lingering light, it just might be do-able starting this week!

For a quick fundraising update: We did a quick bottle drive in the neighborhood this past week... on Sunday and Monday, Stef's kids went door to door for four streets, handing out pink fliers stapled to pink garbage bags (read Stef's post about that experience). Then on Saturday (after our mall walk), we drove the kids around to pick up the stuff. We figured it would be a $50 fundraiser, at best, considering we only did four streets this time.

We were shocked at the results.....

This was all from one house. The guy had been saving his bottles for a friend's daughter's softball team, but they found a different fundraiser and he never used them. He kept waiting for an organization to do a drive, but no one was doing one. The day the kids showed up with the fliers, he was  making plans to take the bottles back that week. Instead, he put them out for us. There were at least 45 12-packs, a dozen six-packs, and a half-dozen of cases of cans. Probably $50 to $75 worth of bottles.

And the rest of the houses? They came out in support in a big way. After we dropped off our first load, we drove around to the other houses and filled the back of the van. Alyssa and I took just that load back to the store and came out with $95.

So an easy fundraiser will probably raise close to $175. And with minimal work for us ... the only cost was the pink paper & pink garbage bags. The total time invested was about 3 hours (run the fliers around = 1 hour; pick up the cans = 45 minutes; return 1 load of bottles = 1 hour).

What was priceless though: The incredible support and generosity of our neighbors, and the fact that it was an activity we could do with the kids.

Next up: More bottle drives! Brackets for Boobs! A spaghetti dinner at the campground!  Lots of fun coming up this spring... and more daylight to enjoy it in....

Yay, yay, yay!

Excitement abounds today .... we're getting confirmations on the Euchre party (if you're interested in playing, holler!) and it looks like it'll be a good crowd; Keith's off work next week (minor procedure, he's recovering well), so I get to go to the gym all week; and I got my first set of e-mails from the "virtual trainer" service from the Komen folks:

• Euchre party: We're hoping for a group of at least 32 to play Euchre on Saturday, March 5. If you're interested, let me or Stef know. Payment ($20 per person) is due by Wednesday so we know how many to prepare for. We have a great, random collection of people planning to come ... some camping friends, work pals, drinking buddies (aren't they all?) and more. The best part? A low-key evening of friends, cards and laughter will raise close to $500 for the 3-Day for the Cure!
• Training begins! Monday is the official launch of the 24-week training program for the 3-Day! And you'll be hearing more about that in the coming week, with probably a dozen more exclamation points to come...  I'm so excited for this mark -- for me, it signals the official beginning. I've been working out consistently for the past eight weeks (five or six days a week), with some walking, some cardio, some strength training. Now it's time to really focus on the walking -- over the course of 24 weeks, I'll get in 585 miles of walking. And that's just to prepare me for walking 20 miles a day for three days. In the middle of August (the hottest time of the year!).
• Gym time! Keith's off for the next 10 days, and the most exciting part of that is that I get to go to the gym in the mornings. I never thought I'd say that. Ever. (And those of you who know me well, it's probably a shock!). I am amazed at how much I like the gym... it has been fun, energizing, and a great chance to spend some time with Stef. (And Kyer, who has started joining us, making it a lot of fun!)

So ... with a smidge more than 24 weeks until the walk, I'm excited! (Hence the overuse of exclamation points!!) Thanks for coming along for the ride!

Making your donation go a little further

I'm very excited about the progress we've made in fundraising already -- I've raised $550 in personal donations. We have a lot of interest in the Euchre fundraiser (still time to get in!). We've got 12 people to helps us work the Tiger's concessions (April 9 and June 11).

I'm asking each of you: What can you do to support the 3-Day for the Cure? Can you make a donation of $100 to help fund critical research? Can you make a $60 donation in support of each mile I'll be walking in August?

It's easy to make a big difference:

• You can make your donation go further than you thought. Find out if you work for a matching gift company, which can double your donation.
• Set up a payment plan. Let's say you want to donate $100 and can't do it all right now. Set up a payment option to cover up to four months -- a $25 a month donation for four months is a $100 donation for breast cancer education and outreach.

Please consider what you can do. My goal is to achieve my fundraising goal by June 15, which will give me two months to fully concentrate on training. Make a donation today.

First walk... first party!

With the bright sunshine today, it was almost possible to think it was spring. The incredibly brisk wind and treacherous ice reminded me otherwise. But, it was a great day to get outside and get in a quick walk.

We lost half our power last night, including the furnace, so I couldn't get to the gym this morning (waiting for a friend to come fix it). Instead, I laced up and bundled up and headed outside. I used the route-maker on Daily Mile to map out a 3-mile walk right around the house. Other than having to walk in the street most of the time (lots of icy patches on the sidewalks, or houses that just didn't shovel in front of their home for the past, oh, month), it was a great walk, and I made good time (3 miles in 50 minutes).

So, first "outdoor" walk of the season is done (woo hoo!) and I can't wait for the warmer weather to melt some snow (and ice) and we'll get out there a little more.

Speaking of "firsts" .... we're hosting our first fundraiser event... a Euchre Tournament on Saturday, March 5. Check-in is at 7 p.m., first hand starts at 7:30. It's $20 to get in, with cash prizes to 1st and 2nd place. Entry fee covers your games, pizza, pop and munchies. Bring your own booze, leave the kids at home. Let me know if you're interested in playing!! We're asking that everyone confirm their spot by paying by Wednesday, March 3 --you can pay by cash, check or PayPal (bank transfer). Holler and we can cover the details!

Hope you can join us!

We've come so far...

The past month has been a whirlwind of activity -- and a ton of fun!

• Training -- my fitness level has increased tremendously! Our "official" training, the 24-week Komen program, starts March 1, so in preparation Stef and I have been going to the gym regularly. Not only do I feel a lot better, but I'm also really enjoying it -- I even dropped in for a 90-minute workout on my day off! I'm up to a sustained 4.5 mph on the elliptical (up from a measly 3.2 when we first started), and my heart rate is within normal range (instead of the "are-you-serious" range).
• Personal fundraising -- Today, I got an unexpected donation from a colleague at work that pushed me up to the 20% mark -- that's $500 in personal donations. I am amazed. Honored. Touched. Verklempt. You name it.  
• Team fundraising -- We solidified our schedule for fundraising this year -- if you didn't get the "Save the Date" card but want one, just holla and I'll mail it to you! We have lots of fun stuff planned, including:
• Euchre Tournament on March 5 (let me know if you want to get in!)
• March Madness, "Brackets for Boobies" in mid-March
• Spaghetti Dinner @ the campground on May 15
• Garage Sale @ Stef's April 28, 29, 30
• And other events with dates TBD, including a Bagger Dave's night, Ladies Night @ Wiegands Nursery, and another Tastefully Simple party in the spring.

We're also working the concessions stand at two Tiger's games (April 9 and June 11), collecting bottles/cans, and selling some beautiful bracelets (more to come on that!).

It's been a lot of fun so far ... thanks for coming along for the ride!