Two days...

In less than 48 hours, the Buddy Walk will have come and gone. Team Alex officially broke the $10,000 mark today, and I couldn't be happier. Or more tired. ;)

There is still a lot to do to prepare for the walk, and we are very excited to see everyone on Sunday morning.

With an early morning tomorrow (and inevitably, a late night!), I'm off to bed. Happy weekend!

Amazing

We did it.

Nearly six months ago, Team Alex set out to raise $7500 by September 5th. It seemed like a huge goal, but we went for it with our typical determination and gusto.

We did countless $10 Tuesdays. We played kickball. We smashed pies in friends' faces. Little by little, with a ton of help from amazing family and friends, we added to our fundraising total.

And we did it.

With about 24 hours left until the fundraising deadline, we have exceeded our $7500 goal. I can't believe it.

I will be happy dancing all along the walk route. Thank you, so much, to everyone for your support...and for tolerating my endless posts on Facebook. ;)

You still have time to register and/or donate, though! Please check out our fundraising page here to join the fun.

Happy

Since March 21st, I've been working to reach a fundraising goal for Team Alex and the Columbus Buddy Walk, to benefit the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio. I have posted incessantly on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, sharing the link to our fundraising page countless times. I have asked you to buy Tupperware, eat out on a particular day, and for the second time in the last six weeks I am telling you about our amazing #InclusionMatters campaign (seriously, do not delay...order your shirt now, because this time, once they're gone, they're really gone!).

It's been a never ending parade of requests, all centered around this fundraiser that is near and dear to my heart.

And the amazing thing is, people are listening. Acting. Reacting. It's incredible.

You are registering to walk with us, or giving a donation if you can't be here on 9/21 for our walk. You are ordering the Tupperware and eating out. You are buying a fabulous shirt with an even more fantastic message, and you're telling your friends to do the same. You are hitting yourselves in the face with pies. You have resisted blocking me and all my posts on Facebook. All in the name of Team Alex.

This makes me very, very happy. I see how Alex has touched so many lives, and how people want to help. We are fortunate and thankful to have such amazing family and friends. So, thank you, sincerely, for all that you're doing to help us reach a goal.

Only a little over a month to go, then you won't have to hear (too much) about the Buddy Walk until March 21st rolls around again. Of course, Girl Scout Cookie season will be upon us in that interim...  ;)

Team Alex Pie Challenge

So, with less than $2000 to go to reach our Team Alex fundraising goal, I am determined to keep up our momentum. We still have lots of people who want to register, and some funds coming in from a couple of other fundraising initiatives, but we needed an extra little push.

Borrowing from another successful fundraising endeavor, we give you the Team Alex Pie Challenge! If you accept the challenge, we need a $5+ donation, or you can make a $25 donation to decline, at the Team Alex fundraising page. I hereby nominate anyone who wants to join in the fun! Let's see those videos!  If you head on over to the Team Alex Facebook page, you can find my video (and be sure to "like" the page once you're over there!). 

Thanks, again, for your continued support of Team Alex and the 2014 Columbus Buddy Walk!

Support a Cause, Get a Fantastic Shirt

I've blogged already about my amazing daughter's vision of sharing the #InclusionMatters  message.  Many of you have seen my relentless posts on Facebook and perhaps Twitter, and some of you have already ordered shirts.  Thank you!

But, we have a long way to go to reach our goal.  A goal that will not only raise money for Team Alex, but will also prove to my daughter, Addie, that kids can do important things, too.  Please, check out our campaign page (http://www.iheartgarments.com/campaign/inclusion-matters), order a shirt, and share our message on your Facebook page or Twitter feed.  Sharing this message far and wide could teach many people that #InclusionMatters; it really, truly does.

I know it is possible to reach our goal.  I mean, right now some guy (a local Columbus guy, in fact) is raising thousands of dollars...for potato salad.  POTATO SALAD.  Let that sink in.  People are tossing money at a campaign that may or may not benefit others.  My almost eight year old daughter wants to show people about kindness, and making everyone feel welcome.  That is surely worth more than a gag crowdfunding stunt, right?

I'd like to think so, anyway.

So, I'll leave you with Addie's words: "Please show the world the inclusion matters to you, too.  Thank you."

Giving Hearts: #InclusionMatters

Close to five months ago, I shared the story of how Addie (my lovely, almost-eight-year-old daughter) decided to start her own foundation, Giving Hearts, to teach her friends about inclusion and raise some money for the organizations which help her older brother.  We hear more and more about how young people want to do amazing things to help those around them, and I was super proud to learn that Addie shares those goals.

Sadly, her dreams were rather crushed, as her peers began bringing her donations and the school kind of freaked out (understandably so, although it could have been handled a bit differently), and she had to return all the donations which had been collected.  Addie was devastated.  She wanted so badly to help, and then felt like she got in trouble at school.  She was embarrassed, yet fortunately, not discouraged.

She began brainstorming other ideas for raising money for Team Alex and the Down Syndrome Association of Central Ohio.  Lemonade stand?  Difficult, as we live at the end of a court so there isn't a lot of traffic. Bake sale?  Um, I don't bake often or well, and there's only so much she can do with an Easy Bake Oven. She was determined to figure out a way.

Then, while at work, I was fortunate enough to learn about a local company, I Heart Garments, that provides a fun and innovative way to raise funds for organizations.  I thought and thought about submitting an application, but for some reason, didn't jump on the opportunity right away (hey, I'm a busy mom!).  But, after debating it, I suddenly realized that this was the perfect outlet for Addie to share her story.  So, we applied.

We titled our story #InclusionMatters; this is a hashtag that I often use on Twitter.  Inclusion is a hot topic around our house, as obviously we strive for Alex to be included in as many ways possible, but we also believe that inclusion goes way beyond our little realm of the globe.  I believe that we are not alone in these beliefs, and because of that, #InclusionMatters was born.  Addie and I drafted out the story we wanted to submit, and then we waited.

We were so thrilled that our story was selected, and now, just a few weeks later, we have this:

How AMAZING is this design?!?  Addie and I love it; it is very meaningful to the message we want to share.  Ad chose red for the shirt, as it is Alex's favorite color.  The two hand prints represent inclusion, and they form a heart to incorporate Ad's original idea for Giving Hearts.  Of course, our hashtag also appears on the shirt, right above the hands. Love, love, love it!

To get a better look at the design, you absolutely must check out our full story on the I Heart Garments page.  There is also a fantastic video that will completely melt your heart.

To think that my young daughter has the hope of teaching others that #InclusionMatters is incredible. Inclusion benefits everyone. It goes beyond Alex and his peers with Down syndrome; it goes beyond the community of individuals with special needs. Inclusion matters, to everyone, everywhere. I strongly believe that if our world was a more inclusive place, we would all be so much happier.

In Addie's words, "please show the world that #InclusionMatters to you" too! Help us spread this message by sharing this post and supporting her mission. Thank you for helping a little girl's big dream become a reality.

Fundraising

I do a lot of fundraising.  Team Alex has been around for 11 years, after all!  I write about fundraising at work, I launch events for my own Buddy Walk team and help others come up with ideas for their own fundraisers.  I enjoy it.  I like the competition of team fundraising; I live to see our team on the event leader board.  Yes, I may be a tad bit competitive, but the outcome (lots of money raised!) is worth it in the end.

I've somehow managed to pass along my passion for fundraising to my daughter; at the wise age of almost eight, she is already helping us raise money for her brother's Buddy Walk team.  Amazing.  Addie and I absolutely can not wait to share our upcoming fundraiser with you.  It will be awesome; definitely stay tuned for that!  (Hint: #InclusionMatters)

Right now, we're busy collecting Tupperware orders; until 6/26, you can shop the Team Alex Online Tupperware Fundraiser, and we'll get 40% of our event's sales.  You know you need to either update your Tupperware, or find a way to organize your kitchen, so this is definitely something you should check out.  Go on, shop away; it's for a terrific cause!

Seeing as we have less than three months until the 2014 Columbus Buddy Walk, this will definitely not be the last time you hear from me regarding fundraising (remember: #InclusionMatters).  Hang in there with us, cheer us on, spread the word.  One of the most successful fundraising strategies, without a doubt, is a grassroots campaign.  Please, help us get the word out.  We appreciate the support.

Wishing you a great week!

Go Go Go

Yet another busy summer day.

Work, shopping, arcade games, puppet show, ice cream...this is all in addition to the typical everyday happenings.

I. Am. Exhausted.

Again.

Tired as I am, I dutifully worked on some Team Alex tasks (have you liked our Facebook page yet??), and am attempting this pitiful blog entry.  As I've said before, it totally counts.

So, hey, if you're reading, you should totally click on the links in this post to donate to Team Alex and "like" our Facebook page.  I would be grateful.

And now, g'night.

Monday, again.

It's Monday.  We're all tired, right?  And, I want to watch Dancing with the Stars.  But, since I'm on this journey to post a blog every day this year, I can't just bail and let everyone down.  So, I've decided to share with you my other blog space.

I'm fortunate enough to be working with a wonderful foundation on a new concept which can benefit Buddy Walks across the nation, and part of my job is contributing to their blog.  Today during a conference call, I was referred to as the "resident blogger"...way cool!!  Please check out my very first blog post on the ds-connex blog.

I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  Until tomorrow, friends.