I did it!

I did it!

I mentioned in a prior post what a fiasco the 2007 Heart Walk was, right? Well today I got (yet another) email from the Charlotte Heart Walk organizers (form letter that goes out to all members) all but begging (in a rather panicked voice) us to send out 10 emails recruiting more walkers, thereby boosting our fundraising potential. Well, they've always sent out this type of email, but they've begun to sound deperate, which I'm sure they are, since the event has fallen so short of it's goal.

Well I believe that their lack of success this year has everything to do with the way it went last year, and the fact that this year seems to be headed the same way. The smaller teams have been made to feel totally discounted, unimportant, and passed over in favor of the big matching-shirt corporate company teams. It's all about the money, and while I fully understand that this is, in fact, a FUND RAISING event, I feel that they've shot themselves in the foot by taking this new tact.

Donors from previous years have very little confidence in them. *I* have very little confidence in them and even less motivation, and that's scary because this was my absolute life line for 2 years. But the way they treat us now, well, they aren't so muc making me feel like Team Nova doesn't count as much as inadvertantly saying that Nova and Alexis don't count.

Anyway.

So I responded to the email and gently, and as politely as possible, explained all of this to them. I don't know that I'll get a response, or if they'll hear what I said, but I've stood up for myself, and it feels good to have voiced my opinion, because ever since last year I've held my tongue.

April Fool's '08

Ha! I didn't fall for ANYONE'S practical joke today.

Primarily because no one tried to put one over on me.

I started a new job today. I wasn't thrilled about going back to work to be honest, but you know, you do what you gotta do... but I got there, and 45 minutes into the shift, I go out to smoke with Karissa and Rick (The owner's son and his fiancee) and listen to 10 minutes of them ranting about the fact that anyone who isn't white and American born is trash, no good, nasty, useless and doesn't deserve to breathe. Not a great way to start out. I'm a little weird about bigotry, ignorance, racism and blatant stupidity. But I figure I didn't want to go back to work, and maybe I'm judging too harshly, you know? I should stop jumping to conclusions and give them a chance right?

I mean, it's part time night work running a register and delivering food, not a lifelong career...

Did I say night shift? Yes, I MUST have said night shift, because I don't have a sitter for days... except that I work DAY SHIFT Thursday through Monday!?!?!?!

*sigh*

So, whatever. I'll see how it goes.

Tonight my goal is to send AHA donation requests to all the teachers at Kassi and Brendon's schools. So I better stop yacking and start emailing!

Team Nova 2007 Kicks Off for real

This post will float until the 2007 Heartwalk on September 15th. Look below for new posts

Team Nova 2007 has had a slow start this year, but I'm hoping that's abut to change. I've finally had the meeting with the AHA Rep. Her name is Brenda (Laurie from last year is blissfully married and left the AHA to enjoy being a family :) Congrats Laurie! I'll miss you!)... and meeting with the Rep is always a bit of a kick in the pants. I can't believe how fast this year is flying by! We're halfway through June already! September 15th will be here before I know it!

So far, I've personally raised $650... a far cry from my $5000 goal! But Ang has joined Team Nova from Indianapolis and raised $300 (as well as creating her own team, for which she's raised another $300! Amazing!)

And Gretchen, dealing with her own child's medical issues, is running a yarn raffle again this year, and has raised $1270 $1300 for Team Nova! Gretchen is such a wonderful woman... Not just because she's such a avid supporter of Team Nova, I mean, she was going to work out an agreement to arrange the marriage of her 7th child Lydia to my 7th child Nova... without ever even meeting me! (Cuz that's what's important ya know, knowing the other inlaws... LOL) I still maintain that they'd have been a beautiful couple!
Lydia

Nova

So, in all actuality, the running total for Team Nova 2007 is $2275... Just $2725 short of the goal! And only 3 months to make up the difference!

So I'm going locally, to businesses, to ask for donations, I'm planning a raffle of my own as well. And I'm hoping that, when the new school year begins, the childrens' schools will support us again the way Kassi's supported Team Nova 2006!

And yes, you guessed it, I'm going to start at it here as well. ;)

So, want to help me squelch this sinking feeling that I'll never meet my goal?

You can help by donating to Team Nova 2007 via the American heart Association's Web Site.(Don't forget to check the Matching Donations list to see if your company is one that matches charitable donations! If they are, your donation could be doubled by your employer! There are 185 pages of companies that match donations, so there's a good chance yours does!

Or you can snail mail a check, made out to The American Heart Association of Charlotte NC, and mail it to me at
Erin Monahan
2509 Old Charlotte Hwy
Monroe NC 28110
And I will forward it with my other cash donations to our AHA representative, to be added to our Team Nova donations amount.

r blog

Rosie O has a blog. I love her, and her blog, and her poetry, and her photos...

You can ask Rosie questions, and she comes through and answers selected ones. She gets so many in a day she can't answer them all. I asked her a question today. I've asked it before. I asked for her support in the Heart Walk. Who knows if she has even read mine. Seriously, the volume is staggering.

at 12:09, I asked Rosie question #1304:

even if you don't donate, please post this, so others can? https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=211173&supId=160575062

She's big on children's charities. But the AHA isn't really a children's charity now is it. I hope she posts it, or that I get some sort of response. I doubt I will.

Amazing!

Last year, after we lost Nova to a Congenital Heart Defect, when I started getting involved with the American Heart Association by joining the Heart Walk, I knew I had the freshness of Nova's death to move people. I never imagined so many people would be so moved, but I knew that I needed to make a difference in this world in his and Alexis' memory, and that his recent death was going to be a motivating factor, not just for us, but for everyone else as well. But I have to be honest here, I never believed that Team Nova would raise $5000+ dollars like we did!

So this year when we signed up again, a year out from Nova's death, nearly 6 since we lost Alexis... I set my goal high enough to intimidate myself, and convinced myself that the time span was going to hinder our fundraising efforts. I overwhelmed and discouraged myself. Bad Erin!

But in the last 2 or 3 days I have had so many people suddenly come to me with support and encouragment! I've (as you can see with the badge at the top of this post) been nominated for Best Charity Blog, and several of my Blogger friends have made posts and started raffles in Nova's memory that will benefit Team Nova's awareness and fundraising efforts. They've added links in their sidebars and posted about one another's support So I'm thinking it's time I get off my butt and post our donation page link - and let Nova's life continue to make a difference.

So here's that link https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=211173&supId=160575062 and if you feel moved to support us in our fight against Congenital Heart Defects, please, donate there, or join the yarn raffle... and please vote for my blog, and do it in memory of my babies, Alexis and Nova.