Life is busy and overwhelming at times.  I promised myself while undergoing treatment for breast cancer that I would ‘stop and smell the roses’ and focus on living my life versus getting sucked into the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  I have failed miserably in achieving this promise time and time again, working extra hours, forging ahead with house work and errands; when really I should be taking a walk with my toddler or sharing a glass of wine at sunset with my husband. 

So after a few of the busiest weeks ever at work, our family happily packed up the car and headed to a lake up north to stay with family for a few days. Being new to the Milwaukee area, a visit to a lake up north is a totally new experience for me.  I often wondered why people were so excited to head north, who would want to go north when Wisconsin is so cold already?  Why are we not heading south? Well now I know, the northern parts of Wisconsin encompass some of the greenest tree lines and bluest waters I have had the pleasure of viewing.  We were only at the lake for a few short days, but I am officially hooked. Plenty of rest, relaxation, a few cocktails and an exhilarating tubing ride later – I feel refreshed. And don’t worry, I did not leave my race recruiting behind, I am working on one additional team member and added donation support from family.

It is amazing what people will commit to after a cocktail…

This year's Susan G Komen Milwaukee Race for the Cure is just around the corner on September 28th.   Visit http://komenmilwaukee.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp for more information.

Story #2:

Fundraising can be hard.  It is often awkward to solicit donations from friends and family.  I tend to feel bad hitting the same folks up for donations every year.  Here are a few tips I have employed to help increase my fundraising power:

1.)    Start a team, so you can spread the fundraising efforts out amongst a group.

2.)    Send out pertinent information to friends and family. I like to send the latest statistics for diagnosis/survival rates for breast cancer. In addition, I e-mail updates regarding my fundraising progress and how the team is doing. These e-mails are more informational and less of a solicitation. 

3.)    I talk about the upcoming race in everyday conversations.  I do not solicit a donation, I merely remind people about the upcoming race and my team’s participation in the race. People receive e-mails and forget about them; often a casual conversation will remind someone of their interest in contributing or joining your race team.