Starting My Fundraising Campaign

I feel guilty.

I hate asking people to give money. I know what is it like sitting on the other end of a fund raising campaign and wishing I had money to give but knowing there is no way I could give a substantial amount of money for several different people. I would certainly give less but I don't want the donation to appear insulting so I don't give. Well I am trying something a little different this year and I am excited to see how this might work.

My goal is to ask over 200 people if they would be willing to give $5 each to support me as I run the Memphis St. Jude Marathon on December 5. My goal is to raise $1,000 for the St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. I tried to think of an amount that would not be perceived as being burdensome and had the potential to be quite substantial if enough people felt compelled to give $5.

My prayer is that an amount, equivalent to sacrificing two soft drinks at a restaurant, would help make a substantial difference in the lives of children who are fighting for their lives. In a world where we are constantly reminded of the rising burden of health care costs, St. Jude refuses to ever turn away a child based on their inability to pay. Because of this the hospital relies on donations from people all over the world. The donations come in many forms including giving money to a short fat guy trying to run a marathon.

I know there are some that don't feel like they can give or have other causes they are giving to and that is fine. Please follow my blog and pray for my training and fund raising campaign. My goal is not to make anyone feel "obligated" to give. I am sure there are some that will give more than $5 and some that can't give at all. However my desire is to raise awareness and hopefully find enough people who have similar convictions and resources to contribute to this great cause.

If you have $5 and would like to sponsor me as I raise awareness for St. Jude, I would be honored for you to donate in my name. You can click on the banner near the top of this page to give your donation.

Time to go. Fat man needs to start training.