Blog with a purpose – Giving Tuesday

What I’m doing two blog posts this week!? It must be a holiday that … or I’m avoiding cleaning. I’m not really sure why holiday’s make me remember that this thing exists, but they do and here I am.

One of my all-time favorite shows, Sports Night, did a show called “The Quality of Mercy at 29K.” It’s truly a fantastic episode (then they all were really) that was about these guys climbing to the top of Mt. Everest which the sports network CSC, that hosts “Sports Night,” is covering. However, it’s the side stories that stay with me. One of the main characters “Dan” had some “extra money” that he needed to use or be taxed on and walked around the office all day asking people what do they like to give their money too. The show, which I really suggest you find and watch, highlighted a lot of charities and organizations that are worthy of your time and your money. Some said homelessness, some said cancer research, some said the arts (shoutout to Montgomery, AL), a few jokingly said food and rent, and some just gave money to the guy down on their luck as they walked to and from the office which is based in New York. Then one of the characters, Natalie turns to Dan at some point and says, “The Key is to get in the game.” Meaning it didn’t matter where he decided to put his money to but he just needed to give. Every little bit makes a difference, and you just need to find a group you are passionate about and give to that. You can’t give to everything, but you can give something. That always stuck with me. . . . I mean to this day I had forgotten all about the Mt. Everest business until I looked it up for this blog. So Nat…. I’m getting back into the game.

As I have mentioned before I decided that this blog needed more of a purpose than a place for me to list journal entries which is what this thing has pretty much become. Interesting enough but I could be doing more with this space. At least every once in a while. In between some computer issues and life, I ended up with 2 ….. 2 of these “Blog with a Purpose” postings … and well that’s just sad. There are 265 days, 12 months, and roughly 30 days each month and I only came up with 2 of these … well I can’t have that. So here’s the next one … oh 3 … :D go me! Heck by the end of the year I might make it 4 … but no promises.

Incase you are wondering the postings so far have included: 

Triumph over Tragedy 

DEBRA 

As many of you know Thanksgiving was last Thursday, then we had the holy grail that is Black Friday, a wonderful day of knocking your fellow man down for a TV or the hottest toy of the season etc., and of course we will then have Cyber Monday and in the last ten years or so that’s all followed by #GivingTuesday. The theory being that you have now spent enough on yourself and others that if there is any left it would be good to give it back. Giving Tuesday has taken on many forms …. Online donations … volunteering at local food banks and shelters…whatever you decide to do is fine as long as you do….. something. Much like Dan you just have to get into the game. Not saying a blog posting by me here would boost anything, but at least I can say I gave it some spotlight if only for a small moment in time and with the tiniest bulb out there. What they do with it after that … well that’s on them!

So here are a few organizations that I feel are worthy of your time and dollars if you are, like Dan, looking for something to give those extra dollars to this time of year.

Triumph over Tragedy

The Brother’s Trust

Make-A-Wish     this link is to the account that a friend of mine runs to raise funds for Make-A-Wish (for full disclosure)  

Kids Need To Read

Cause we are a duo … I asked Golden what she’d add to this list and these are her suggestion for charities/organizations worth your time and possibly your dollars …

Trevor Project

True Colors United

Doctors Without Boarders/Medicins Sans Frontiers

NAMI

Reading is Fundamental

Dolly’s Imagination Library

Many of these organizations are having matching funds to really maximize your donation. 

If you are looking for something closer to home .... You can go to your local elementary or high schools and see what support they need or pay of a student's fees so they can start off the new year without that hanging over their head. Don’t get me wrong I know that this time of year it’s hard to scrape together a few extra bucks for anything but just know that your money is not the only thing that these organizations need. Donate time to animal shelters or drop off food, toys, treats, clothing, puppy pads. You can also drop off newspapers or gently used blankets/comforters/towels and donate those items as well. Find and support your local little libraries found in your town (locate one near you by going here …. ) by dropping off books or reaching out to the person who stocks them to see what they need. Food banks, blood banks, nursing homes, there are various ways to get involved that only cost time you just have to look for them. Time is very valuable, but the reward is also very high. Again, it’s all about getting involved in any way that you can. 

Then there are Angel Trees, Sock Drives, Hat & Glove Ministries, Toys for Tots, Salvation Army buckets at every major store this time of year... once you fall down the rabbit hole you end up like Dan and paralyzed to do anything. So just leap cause it really is true ... any amount no matter how small or how large makes a difference. That's really the point after all ... making a difference. 

Who are you reaching out to this year that’s not in the list above but should be ?

Marcy

LENT - SOCIAL MEDIA BREAK – TIGER GIVING DAY

So, my social media break came at just the worst time. First my Auburn Gymnastics team beat Rutgers, very handily I might add, with some stuck landings and great performances (at least as far as I could tell on my phone since the Watch ESPN ap gave my lap top the middle finger) by my Tigers in pink for their 6^th win of the season. A little shout out to Drew Watson who picked up the All-Around Title. Auburn faces Alabama this Friday for Senior Night and I hope the momentum of the last few weeks carries them through. 

However, the awesomeness … or should I say AUsomeness ... of the Auburn Gymnastics team is not the focus of this post. This “social media break” also happens to fall in the middle of Auburn’s RISE campaign. Which is a 24-hour fundraising event known as “Tiger Giving Day” #TigerGivingDay

Basically, they choose 20+ worthy projects that deserve to be highlighted and supported and put them on the site for AU fans, family, alumni to throw their support behind. Some are very worthy causes, others are, in my opinion less worthy, but they all made the list. What I love most about this event is that you can do a LOT of good on campus with very little spent. Some organizations get more of my dollars while others get enough to help them get a percent closer to their goal.

After I donated to a few of these programs I was hit with the share with your friends and family to help support #TigerGivingDay and of course I can't do that but I can post about Tiger Giving Day which lasts until Feb. 21^st at Midnight and features tons of programs you can put your support behind, if you are interested.

Check out the site below …

https://rise.auburn.edu/

Questions about this event can be directed here : because@auburn.edu

WAR EAGLE!!!!

Marcy  

Kick it with Karsyn

Back in February I started a plan to celebrate the return of NASCAR for the 2015 season, support my favorite driver Jeff Gordon, and help out one of my favorite charities all at the same time. I figured now that we were well past half way through the season it would be nice to update you guys on how it’s going and tell you how you can get involved.

I’d love to tell you guys that Jeff is burning up the track in his final season, I can’t ... however there is a lot of racing left; he's still in the running for the Chase and he's had some good promising finishes for a final season of racing. Plus not all of the issues have been in their control and that's just racin' though I'd love to see him pull into Victory lane one more time! The best part of this "subpar" season is that due to the season he is having the charity is a big winner, as least as far as my challenge goes!

To RECAP: I decided that a win by Jeff was worth $24 dollars to the Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation through my friend Larry. If Jeff starts on the pole I’d add 5$ to the final total. The finish of the day dictates the amount of the donation for that week. AKA – if he finished 1^st and started on the pole, then the donation would be at best $28 bucks, if he finished 12^th but did not start on the pole the donation would be $12 dollars, 12th with a pole start would be $17 bucks and so on..... The goal with this project was to show people that it’s not the “big donations” that make a difference, though I’m sure Larry appreciates those, it’s the small amounts that add up to big donations overtime. The average donation has been around $15 bucks a race, I spend that much on lunch, sometimes.

I realized early in this process the worse Jeff does the higher my donation became, which was bad for Jeff but after several rough finishes has been great for the charity. Who knows maybe Jeff is doing it on purpose, nah he's an athlete, he wants to win. Win he shall I'm sure, but so far this season, based on Jeff’s results so far, I have donated $372.00 to support my friend Larry, who runs Gordonline.com and his fight against pediatric cancer through the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation. My latest donation went straight to the Kick it with Karsyn event coming up in September in Wabash, Indiana and that's where you guys can join in the fun. 

This is the 2^nd annual kick ball tournament to benefit childhood cancer research. Every dollar raised in the event will benefit the Jeff Gordon Pediatric Cancer Research Lab at Riley Hospital where Karsyn and others like her receive their treatments. The most exciting thing about this event is that Jeff has pledged to MATCH ALL donations to make a larger impact through this event.

 

If you can PLEASE donate to this event via the donation site here Kick it withKarsyn and let’s help fight Pediatric Cancer! At 12 years old, Karsyn has been battling cancer since she was 4 years old, it’s crazy to me that the tools and medicine used in her battle are older than her parents.

In honor of all who continue to fight, in memory of those who we have lost, and for the future children whom I hope will have an easier time because of events like this, I beg you to visit the links throughout this post (and below) then consider donating to this cause. Funding research to fight pediatric cancer is important and the Kick It Event is a fantastic way to allow a small donation to have a HUGE impact.

  

Twitter: @KarsynKickIt

2^nd Annual Kick It With Karsyn Donation/Details page: http://www.kick-it.org/games/2015/09/second-annual-kick-it-with-karsyn
Hospital Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/RileyHospitalforChildren
Benefits: Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation / Kick-It)
Gordonline Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeffgordononline
Larry's Essay on Karsyn: http://www.gordonline.com/karsyn.html
The Inspiration for it all: Jackson Panzarello

Thanks for your time, please consider a donation, if you can, and if you can't at least share this post so others who can donate might be moved to do so.

If you are in or near Wabash, IN and want to volunteer or just see a fun event check out the links above and get involved! If you aren't in Wabash, IN check out the Kick It With Jeff Gordon website to see if there are events closer to where you live!

Fight on! 

-Marcy (@beaslma)

NASCAR is back!!!

NASCAR is back let’s celebrate by making it … interesting and helping a good cause.

Today is the official start of the 2015 NASCAR season. When Jeff Gordon, the pole sitter, leads the drivers to the start finish line it will kick off the new season which will end with a new champion crowned in November. That’s 36 official races spread out over 10 months with a kabillion variables affecting each outcome. The start of the Daytona 500 also marks the start of Jeff Gordon’s LAST full season driving a racecar. 

I’ve been a Jeff Gordon fan since his Sprint Car days. I lived for Open Wheel Wednesday’s on ESPN. To watch a man whip a car into a full turn completely sideways and come out of it straight always impressed me. The first time I watched I was pretty sure the driver was about to crash, it fascinated me when they didn’t. I still enjoy watching Sprint Cars, but my love is Stock Cars. Indy cars seem fragile to me, Trucks seem too boxy, and the Nationwide series seems like watching the kids play ball. It’s fun and entertaining, but it’s more fun when they get to the big show on Sunday.

 

Last year my dad and I were at Daytona for the 500 and it was quite a show, with a long rain delay in the middle of it causing it to end at night. It’s true what they say there is NOTHING like Daytona at night. I’m glad I got to experience it. I’ve always associated racing with my dad. We’ve been to Talladega (in the infield and in the stands), visited Darlington (a personal favorite of mine) and of course been to Daytona. We’ve also visited the various shops in Charlotte, and dad’s even done the Richard Petty Ride Along in Charlotte. We are planning our next trip just haven't decided which track to visit next.

To people like Golden that just “don’t get it” I say there is nothing like watching a team battle a stock car all day long and come out with a decent finish with a car that looks like it’s been in a demolition derby all day long. They never give up, each point, each position on the track is too important to the year-end standings as well as the dollar amount on their paycheck at the end of the day.  

My buddy Larry has had a Jeff Gordon dedicated website since 1998. When there were only a few of us it focused on the young driver and his antics on the track. As his popularity grew the site changed and Jeff Gordonline was born. It was your one stop shop for all things Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, and the 24 team. When Jeff’s crew chief at the time, Ray Evernham’s son was diagnosed with Leukemia the 24 team decided to join up with the National Marrow Donor Foundation to raise awareness. When Jeff’s car owner Rick Hendrick was also diagnosed with Leukemia the focus grew brighter.

As Jeff’s career expanded so did his knowledge of pediatric issues and ways he could help. He started the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation in the hopes that “there will be a day when no child will face the uncertainty of cancer, and that successful treatments will not result in negative, long-term effects”.

Larry too has taken up the pediatric cancer cause and used his Jeff Gordon website to truly make a difference while also posting NASCAR news. While Jeff is inspired by the children he meets at the track, during Make-A-Wish visits, or through hospital visits, Larry’s biggest inspiration has come from Jackson Panzarello. He was 10 years old when he passed away in 2012 after diagnosis of glioblastoma -- an aggressive brain cancer.

As Larry’s fundraiser site reports “7 children will die every weekday from cancer. 20% of children diagnosed will not survive and for the 80% that do there will be long-tern health complications” due to treatment. Since 2011 Larry alone has raised over $100,000 to fight pediatric Cancer. Amazing when you think it’s really just one man, behind a keyboard, putting in the effort to bring awareness of this cause to his readers and those readers reach into their wallet to support him. He does this through raffles, and Kick It events that he posts online via his facebook page or his website. He has a twitter account @JGInfo too but it’s the facebook page that connects him the most with his “teammates.”

Several times a year I donate to Larry’s fundraising page. This year I’ve decided to make my donation a little more … interesting. Instead of a random amount of my choice to celebrate Larry's birthday or to try and push him over a fundraising goal, I’m going to try and show that large or small the donation makes a difference at the end of the day.

As stated there are 36 official races this year, there are some non-point races peppered throughout but I’m focusing on “official” races for this because the non-point races seem to be more spontaneous as guys try things they wouldn’t normally. So for this experiment I’m going with official races.

I have decided that a win by Jeff Gordon is worth $24. If he starts on the pole I’ll add $5 to that total. Anything less than a win will dictate the amount I’ll donate that week. So if Jeff finishes say 8^th in a race that he started on the pole I’ll put $13 bucks in a pot. If he were to win the same race he’d get $29 bucks. So really this experiment comes down to how Jeff does on the track.

So Jeff tighten up those belts, and LET’S GO RACING!!!!! Let's make this last season a great one and raise some money for a fantastic cause!!

Also if anyone is looking for a charity to support I’d definitely encourage you to check out  Larry’s fundraising page. You won’t find a more dedicated man who is literally doing everything he can so that another parent doesn’t have to be devastated by the word cancer. The sad truth is that while Jackson’s fight is now over another 10 year old’s fight is just beginning.

Fight on!

Marcy (@beaslma)