Last year I was heading for the hospital, for a rather significant procedure and my efforts raising money for The MMRF were rather simple. I just kept talking about shaving heads and a bunch of people came through for me. We raised $60,000.00 for The MMRF and I had a stem cell transplant. I didn't know what to do this year and as I was running, and feeling good, I decided I could do this crazy thing and run up the empire state building.
But the difficult thing here is asking all of you that came through for me last time to come through for me again. I started to realize this year that there are a whole lot of charities out there asking for donations. I realized this year that I can only go so far personally, there are charities that I have donated to in the past that I've had to cut back or not donate at all. And I realize a lot of you face the same challenge. I am not doubting my commitment to the charity, rather, how I phrase my request to you this time. It's sort of like being a kid, you don't think about a lot of stuff. Now I've grown up and I'm realizing the request I'm making of you - financially - is, or potentially could be, taxing on your charitable giving limit.
So my challenge is two-fold. First, pulling the heart strings, just so, to illicit a response resultant in the opening of your checkbook and a donation to The MMRF. Second, is to provide enough of a value for your donation so that you deem this to be credible and worthy. I am breaking this down in a much too black and white manner, and there are too many shades of grey to take this lightly. Some of you make donations as you're close friends of mine. Some take a further step and make a significant donation because you can. Some of you make a donation, similar to what I do for those requests that come throughout the year, that are what you can do and you do it for me but you also realize you have to do it for a few others. I am thankful, equally, for all of you. Obviously, where you can make a big donation I am overly grateful and appreciate how much closer that brings me to a cure. For those that are close friends, you know my feelings. We've been through a lot, good and bad, and some, worse and bad - but we've been through it. And I appreciate your support. For those that include me in the list of charities you support each year I really appreciate that effort. And I want to find a way to help you realize that appreciation. I want you to feel like the charitable investment has an association and import that carries meaning with you.
Each of you have a reason for supporting a charity or charities. I support or have supported our school foundation, the archdiocese of New York, the American Cancer Society, the Dana Farber Institute and, one of my favorites, Make A Wish. My job is to convince you of the need to support my charity and the benefit that charity brings. There are a few charities that will actually outline what percentage of your donation makes it to the charity. What I've found with The MMRF is a group that is thinking well outside of the box when it comes to addressing a disease that is currently considered incurable. Their concept of no silos, data that is shared by all and results that benefit all that share, it just makes sense.
But past all of this, I have this disease. I have this disease that is incurable and I have The MMRF that is watching my back. More importantly, I have you - all of you - watching my back. I still feel uncomfortable asking you for your support, again, this year. But i'm going to have to ask for it. The money we raise will make a difference. I expect, and predict, that my disease will become "chronic" in my lifetime.
The difference between incurable and chronic is massive - and I apologize but you can't understand what that means till you think about how you talk to your 9 year old about that thing you have.
For that reason, among many others, I'm going to do my best to actually run up the Empire State Building. And I'm going to ask you, AGAIN, to donate to my cause.
Thank you in advance, thank you always,
Bill
aka Promoting Global Hair Loss
@PromotingGHL
http://bit.ly/pghlESBRU
But the difficult thing here is asking all of you that came through for me last time to come through for me again. I started to realize this year that there are a whole lot of charities out there asking for donations. I realized this year that I can only go so far personally, there are charities that I have donated to in the past that I've had to cut back or not donate at all. And I realize a lot of you face the same challenge. I am not doubting my commitment to the charity, rather, how I phrase my request to you this time. It's sort of like being a kid, you don't think about a lot of stuff. Now I've grown up and I'm realizing the request I'm making of you - financially - is, or potentially could be, taxing on your charitable giving limit.
So my challenge is two-fold. First, pulling the heart strings, just so, to illicit a response resultant in the opening of your checkbook and a donation to The MMRF. Second, is to provide enough of a value for your donation so that you deem this to be credible and worthy. I am breaking this down in a much too black and white manner, and there are too many shades of grey to take this lightly. Some of you make donations as you're close friends of mine. Some take a further step and make a significant donation because you can. Some of you make a donation, similar to what I do for those requests that come throughout the year, that are what you can do and you do it for me but you also realize you have to do it for a few others. I am thankful, equally, for all of you. Obviously, where you can make a big donation I am overly grateful and appreciate how much closer that brings me to a cure. For those that are close friends, you know my feelings. We've been through a lot, good and bad, and some, worse and bad - but we've been through it. And I appreciate your support. For those that include me in the list of charities you support each year I really appreciate that effort. And I want to find a way to help you realize that appreciation. I want you to feel like the charitable investment has an association and import that carries meaning with you.
Each of you have a reason for supporting a charity or charities. I support or have supported our school foundation, the archdiocese of New York, the American Cancer Society, the Dana Farber Institute and, one of my favorites, Make A Wish. My job is to convince you of the need to support my charity and the benefit that charity brings. There are a few charities that will actually outline what percentage of your donation makes it to the charity. What I've found with The MMRF is a group that is thinking well outside of the box when it comes to addressing a disease that is currently considered incurable. Their concept of no silos, data that is shared by all and results that benefit all that share, it just makes sense.
But past all of this, I have this disease. I have this disease that is incurable and I have The MMRF that is watching my back. More importantly, I have you - all of you - watching my back. I still feel uncomfortable asking you for your support, again, this year. But i'm going to have to ask for it. The money we raise will make a difference. I expect, and predict, that my disease will become "chronic" in my lifetime.
The difference between incurable and chronic is massive - and I apologize but you can't understand what that means till you think about how you talk to your 9 year old about that thing you have.
For that reason, among many others, I'm going to do my best to actually run up the Empire State Building. And I'm going to ask you, AGAIN, to donate to my cause.
Thank you in advance, thank you always,
Bill
aka Promoting Global Hair Loss
@PromotingGHL
http://bit.ly/pghlESBRU
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