It may sound corny, but this whole process has made me believe that dreams come true. $2,300 seemed like an unreachable goal when I started all of this... I knew that, even if I didn't hit that mark and get the chance to walk in July/August, at least I would have tried and the money raised would go to a worthy cause.
I feel like I have been proven wrong about my goal being "unreachable," and instead we have made this look like a piece of cake!!! We = me, friends, family, family friends, co-workers, doughnut lovers and everyone else who has made this adventure possible. My team members are actually asking me how to raise money. I keep telling them that I haven't done anything special - I just happen to have great people behind me... people who are generous with their time, their hearts and their hard-earned money.
In order to spread the word and raise money over the past few months, I have sent a ton of e-mails, added website links to everything I can think of and talked incessantly about my efforts. Perhaps my favorite fundraising effort though was the doughnut sale I hosted at work last Friday. I woke up at 5 a.m. and drove to Parma to pick up 100 dozen doughnuts. Yep, that's right, one hundred dozen... I called my dad the night before, and he couldn't believe I was going to try to sell that much grease, sugar and bread to healthcare workers! Of course, my co-workers Andrea and Quintin helped me coordinate the sale and convince people that they really did need to buy dozens of doughnuts to celebrate pay day. I attached information to each box that detailed my 3-Day journey and encouraged good breast health. I apologize to the MOVE and Champions Challenge organizers here at the VA, but I sold out in less than 2 hours! In the end, I was able to donate $210 to The 3-Day :)
In terms of training (because I know my mom is dying for an update), things are going really well. I just passed the 16-week mark, and I am as focused as ever. My co-residents motivated me to walk in a 5K to benefit The Cleveland Christian Home over Easter weekend, and it was the perfect chance to break in my sneakers on the streets instead of a treadmill. Plus, I got to check out some kangaroos and polar bears afterward! Another zoo walk is coming up in early May, and I'm planning to participate in that one as well. It's a great way to get a feel for the hills I can expect to encounter on The 3-Day. I'm also hoping some of my teammates can make it to the next one so we can all train together!
As for my fanny pack search... I decided to try training with the drawstring bookbag I got free for opening a National City account this summer... you know, back when I felt safe walking down the street to the bank. Anyway, I kept playing with and readjusting the strings on the bag, and I knew that'd be a nightmare over 60 miles. So, I splurged and bought this beauty from Sierra Trading Post...
Don't be jealous.
