Day 278 - $15,890

I've been training for the walk-a-thon. Here's my outfit. Like it? :) Today I walked 5 miles. It was pretty easy.

So I'm not sure what's up with my little Facebook button. It's been stuck on 672 for a couple weeks now... even though we're up to 685 fans. Oh well.

Thanks for all the donations coming in!

So I have a plan... listen up! So here's what I want EVERYONE to do. Since New Year's Day is 1.1.11 this year (all one's) On New Year's Day I want everyone following GOM to donate $11.11. K? OK don't forget! January first... $11.11

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Day 274 - $15,736

I hope everyone's holiday is fun, happy, and safe. During this season, I am very thankful for my family. I have a beautiful wife, and two beautiful kids that are healthy and happy. I have a good job. I have a roof over my head. I have good friends and a wonderful family. I'm truly blessed.

As we celebrate the birth of the Savior today - I know it's because of him that my life is so blessed. And for that I am thankful. He led a life of service, and I guess this whole GOM thing is somehow my little way of trying to follow his example. Thank you to everyone for joining with me to help these kids of St. Jude that have cancer. Even though it may not feel like you're doing much by just making a donation - trust me... we are helping people that need our help. My kids are 100% healthy right now (knock on wood!), but just imagine for a minute how thankful you would be if you were in there situation! Doing that is what got me and Melissa started with all this. Think of how grateful you would be if someone did something to help your son or daughter- or gave a donation to help your child fight cancer. Just think about that for a minute...

Visit a couple blogs for me. This will show you the kind of people we are helping. And let you see what they are going through.

http://crystalandskyler.blogspot.com/

http://www.kissesforcami.com/

I hope I can count on everyone's support as we finish out the last few months of GOM. I know we can reach our goal. We just have to believe and keep working. Thank you all... and...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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Day 271 - $15,711

The $500 check from Kohl's went through! As Napoleon Dynamite would say: Yessssssssss!

Last night I wrote a bunch of emails to running/walking clubs here in KC to see if they would like to participate in our Walk-A-Thon. Haven't heard back from anyone yet :( Hopefully someone will want to walk with me. If not, I guess that's OK. I'm up to $47 a mile so far, and I'm going to try for $100 a mile. So even if it's just me, I still think it will be a successful event. I should say I do have one person that is planning to walk and a couple other maybe's (not from my emails last night... from talking to people previously)... So hopefully I won't be walking alone.

You know... one of the hardest thing about fundraising, is putting so much effort and energy into something and trying your hardest to help, and do something good - and then not getting much response or wondering if anyone is even paying attention or cares. Now mom... don't worry. I'm not down in the dumps - I'm actually quite optimistic right now. I'm just making an objective and realistic observation. Over the last 9 months - I've found that one of the hardest things is to keep motivated and pressing forward, when it seems nobody else but you cares about what you are doing. Now... Everyone don't get me wrong. I know there are people out there that care... and many, many people have supported GOM and what I'm doing. But I think every person that sets out to do some sort of long term fundraising has grand ideas, but usually gets a little bit of a rude awakening at the actual response. I can see why people just kind of give up and fade out. That's all I'm saying... It's hard.

But I haven't given up, and I'm not going to give up! So far we've raise almost sixteen THOUSAND dollars for kids with cancer!!! All because we haven't given up! And even though it may be hard, and seem like not very many people are paying attention and supporting GOM ...or as many as I think there should be... which would be the whole world in my dreams :) we ARE making a difference. So to all my supporters from the biggest to the smallest:

THANK YOU!

We can still reach our goal. Let's not give up. We're coming down the home stretch... Now is when I need everyone on board more than ever.

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Day 268 - $14,916

Only 97 days left folks...

So this walk-a-thon thing is going great. I'm up to $47 a mile! Now... I have to start training, so I can actually walk as far as I want to. The Little Blue Trace Trail is 13 miles. So if I walk up and back, that would be 26 miles.... Basically walking a marathon. hmmmm. Sounds nice, but I'm not sure it's going to be that easy. I can do it though. It's all in the mind baby!

BTW... who is going to walk with me? You will get a GOM t-shirt, and a St. Jude pin for walking. You can either pay $15 and just walk, or you can get sponsors like me. And it's not really that hard to get sponsors. Pretty much every person I've asked has said yes. It's been awesome!

It's not a timed event. I'm just going to see basically how far I can walk. (I told my sponsors, I wouldn't walk more than 26 miles though. So they would have an idea of how much they were actually donating.) I'm going to look into getting some people to donate some muffins or donuts for the startline. I'm planning on starting at 8 A.M. So that's the plan people. Now I just need more sponsors!

Thank you to everyone that has been organizing events over this holiday season! I really appreciate your support! But it's not really me that appreciates it. It's the kids with Cancer at St. Jude. They are the ones we are helping.

Just a few reminders... Follow this blog. Follow on FB. Follow on Twitter. Email your friends this blog. Try to organize a GOM for St. Jude event in your area.

P.S. We're so close to the $15,000 mark. If you've been thinking about donating... now is the perfect time! Donate today, and put GOM over the $15K mark :)

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Day 264 - $14,509

I am now up to $23 a mile. I asked a few more people at work today. Basically everyone I ask is signing up to sponsor me. And a few are even thinking about walking with me! I'm sort of surprised at how much everyone is willing to sponsor. I have two sponsors for $4.25 a mile, one for $4.50, and one for $5.00 a mile! Thanks you to my very generous co-workers!

I'm reading: Day 264 - $14,509

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Day 263 - $14,509

I'm already up to $8.50 a mile in sponsors for my walk-a-thon, and I've only asked 5 people!!! Two actually signed up to sponsor, two said they will, one didn't seem very interested and just gave me a bunch of excuses. But I think this whole walk-a-thon thing, is going to be a great way to raise money, and this is why: It gives me an excuse to go up to people, and just straight up ask if they will donate. It's kind of hard to do that normally... but when you can say "Hey! I'm doing a walk-a-thon to raise money for St. Jude. Will you sponsor me?" It works really well. I wonder how much sponsorship I can get per mile???????? This could be gooooood!!!

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Day 262 - $14,509

So I was doing some calculations tonight...

So far I've had 3,800 hits on my blog. We have raised $14,509. Let's do some math.

$14,509 ÷ 3,800 = $3.818158 dollars raised per hit on the website.

$1,000,000 - $14,509 = $985,491 left to raise before March 25th.

So if we keep this ratio going...

It will take $985,491 ÷ $3.81858 = 258,107 more hits to the blog to reach our goal.

Since we have 103 days left...

That means 258,107 ÷ 103 = 2,506 hits per day.

We're averaging 13 hits a day over the last 262 days. Hmmmm.

It's OK. We can still do it! Please send emails to your friends. Post links on FB and Twitter. Put a button on your blog. Anything to help drive traffic! The more traffic. The more we can raise. Help me if you can :)

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Day 261 - $14,509

Attention! Attention!

I would like to officially announce my next big event...

The Give One Million for St. Jude Walk-A-Thon

Ok.. So here's how it will work. On January 22nd I'm going to walk as many miles as I can for the kids of St. Jude. I'll be walking on the Little Blue Trace Trail here in Independence, MO. It's not just me walking though. I'm inviting/asking anyone else that can - to join with me and walk to raise money. If you choose to walk with me there are two ways you can raise money:

1. You can do what I'm going to do: Get Sponsors! I created a sign-up sheet for people to sign up to donate a certain amount for each mile I walk. I will get you a copy so you can have your friends/co-workers/family sponsor your walk.

2. You can pay $15 and just walk with us! All $15 will be donated to GOM for St. Jude to help us reach one million dollars. (I guess you could pay $15 and get sponsors as well!)

Each person that walks will get a GOM T-shirt. So if you are in the KC area... PLEASE join me in this walk-a-thon! Let's get all of our freinds to sponsor us and raise tons of money for St. Jude!!! Just email me if you plan to walk. If you are planning on getting sponsors, I'll email you the sign-up template to use.

COME ON EVERYONE... I know it will be cold, but let's make this a great event! I can't wait to see everyone on the 22nd! As it gets closer, and I learn more - I'll give details. But until then... bust out that treadmill and start getting in shape :) We have a long way to walk!!!!

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Day 258 - $14,349

Having a hard time figuring out what to get that special someone for Christmas?? Why not make it easy on yourself and donate to St. Jude in their name? This works especially well for "those" people that already have everything, and you don't know what to get them :)

We've had some donations hit from the donation can's we've had out around town! SWEEEEET! That is something you can do in your city.... Make a donation can and take it to the local store, movie theatre, etc, and then check back on it once a month or so and donate the money online. That's something you can do to help us reach one million in one year for the kids of St. Jude!

I'm reading: Day 258 - $14,349

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Day 256 - $14,120

Ok... I wanted to post last night, but my Internet went out :(

The $1,000 check hit from ATK! So we are over $14k now! Melissa and I are going to be sending out Christmas cards this week. We are going to be asking our friends to donate in our "update" letter. Good idea right?

Don't forget we have GOM T-shirts for $10. They make great Christmas presents! And all the proceeds go to GOM for St. Jude.

So I haven't heard back from all the famous people I've been emailing about GOM. Still nothing from Jessica. I was hoping that waiting in line for 4 hours and giving her a letter and GOM shirt would persuade her to help. Wouldn't you be impressed if I waited in line for 4 hours to see you and then gave you a T-shirt?? I'm still trying to get anyone/everyone to listen though. Still writing emails. Still posting on FB walls. If anyone out there can help by sending an email to someone they might have some sort of contact with that could help - that would be awesome. Just do me a favor and send an email today. right now. You're already on the Internet!

We still have the Jonny Harline footballs for sale too. It's not too late to get one for the BYU fan in your family.

P.S. Better than Ezra... if you're reading this... It's not too late for a benefit concert!!! :)

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Day 252 - $13,026

We sold a football! The multiple signature football is sold, but the Jonny Harline footballs are still left for sale. ALL proceeds to to Give One Million for St. Jude and count toward our million dollar goal.

Thanks to all our good friends who are supporting us and donating. Maybe people don't realize it... but it literally makes my day when I see a donation has come in! I know that may sound funny - because, it's not like any of this money is going to me or anything... but I guess it's just the fact that we are putting so much time and effort into reaching this goal. It just feels good to know friends/people out there support us and what we are trying to do for the kids of St. Jude :)

So in about two weeks we'll be to the 100 days left mark. Can you believe it!?!?! Everyone please keep doing what you can to spread the word about GOM. Become a follower of this blog. Become a fan on FB and Twitter. Email your friends. Organize an event in your area. I'm working on organizing events here in KC... but I need other people to just organize events and take care of everything and just donate the money. That's our only hope. I kind of sounded like Princess Leia there didn't I? :)

Anyway... Thanks again to everyone. I just got news today as well that Kohl's put the $500 check in the mail. So that should be hitting here in a week or two as well. Things are looking up everyone! Let's just stay with this a little longer. Something big may happen tomorrow - and maybe we'll be at a million!

Oh yea... and dont forget!!!:

The Greater Idaho Falls Association of Realtors Holiday Open House and it will be on Friday December 3rd from 6pm-10pm at the Shilo Inn. The Ticket cost is $17.00 and a dollar seventy of each ticket will be donated to the Give One Million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital fund.

EVERYONE GO!!!

I'm reading: Day 252 - $13,026

Help me reach one million in one year. Donate now!