One of my goals in starting up this blog was to inspire readers to donate to their favorite melanoma cause (and particularly to mine, the melanoma treatment program at the University of Colorado Cancer Center). Thus far, at least as far as I know, I’ve been quite unsuccessful at fundraising through this medium.
So, I’ve been thinking about boarding up the Hotel Melanoma and taking another tack. I’m more than willing to resort to cheap tricks like shaving my head, sporting pink zinc oxide instead of hair, and standing outside the tanning salon down the hill begging for donations. Or maybe I’ll just keep on blogging, in hopes of providing my fellow guests with a musical break from the reality of life at the Hotel. Let me know what you think is the right move.
Meanwhile, I think I need to take a break to recharge (taking a life lesson from my golden retriever) so I’ll leave you with a new version of Bob Seger’s “Night Moves”…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN1_3zHjhW8
Goal was a little too tall
Could've used some new sounds
Blogging posts hardly renowned
Blog does some black-themed ditties from old rock guys
And rants all my own aiming less than high
Always less than high
Outside of good taste when my jokes get heavy
Often to the sounds of my 60’s bevy
Writin' bout mysteries without any clues
Searchin' for the right moves
Tryin' to make some Black C funding news
Searchin’ for the right moves
In these blogspot lines
In these brief blogspot lines
Black C’s not loved, oh no, far from it
I’m not askin' for some pie in the sky bucks hit
I am just mad my ox has been gored
Lookin’ for a sword
And I'd steal away every song I could
To the chat room, to the facebook, with the hope they’re good
I use them, they muse me
’Cause all of us care
We aren’t gettin' our share
Searchin' for the right moves
Tryin' to lose the Black C funding blues
Searching for the right moves
And I keep bloggin’ lines
And oh the hunger
We want the right things
And we’re waiting for the funders
Waiting for the funders
I pray each night about this cancer’s plunder
How far off I sit and wonder
Started humming a song that’s 1970’s news
Keep on searchin’ for the right moves
’Til we just don't seem to have as much to lose
Aim for the right moves
With autumn closing in
Right moves
Searchin’ for the right moves
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I think you have a great site that people look at everyday to give us a break from BIG C. As far as fundraising-you being a lawyer should know better how people are. Do you know how many times a day you get solicited for donations. Here are just some and even for good causes it gets so annoying. Every supermarket for whatever cause, pet stores, all the sites on the internet and so on. People should pick the cause that moves them and donate. Im surprised you put this in your blog. We all live in different parts of the country and also have our own melanoma research centers to donate too. How would you know if we were donating or not? Sounding a bit like "our government" very surprised at this post! That being said I think your blog makes people happy. randi-lasvegas
ReplyDeleterandisohnomelanoma.blogspot.com
Rich, what am I going to do for a fun insight of the melanoma world if you stop blogging?! I understand needing a break though. You deserve one.
ReplyDeleteAs far as fundraising, I understand. Have you thought about sending out a letter to some of your lawyer buddies? My friend sent a "I was diagnosed..." letter to raise money for her melanoma walk and raised $2,000 in a week. Unbelievable! Good luck. I need to sponsor you now! :-)
Randi, Chelsea, thanks for the feedback and encouragement. As you two fellow bloggers know, it's always good to provoke some comments-- otherwise we're never quite sure whether anybody is reading our posts! Randi, I hear you, but don't take me too seriously on my fundraising pitches. They're not aimed at readers like you. I really don't expect anyone living halfway across the country (or world) to donate to the University of Colorado Cancer Center, even if they really, really like my blog. At most, I'm just hoping to maybe plant a seed with those readers by occasionally blogging about treatment research advances funded in part by donations and get them thinking about how they might help support their own cancer treatment center or a national organization like AIM at Melanoma; and I don't expect to ever know whether I have. But I also have very local readers, and friends and family readers, whom I naively thought might support "my" UCCC cause and use one of the donation links on my blog since I've responded over the years when solicited to donate to "their" favorite cancer or other charitable causes. So, if I sound a little grumpy that they (with one very notable exception) haven't responded to my likely irritating and annoying solicitations herein, please forgive me; and whining and trying to make people feel guilty sometimes works when it comes to fundraising! Take care.
ReplyDeleteKeep on blogging on, Rich. However, many who really need the insight you provide will never go looking for it. As a returning school teacher who thought my very tan colleagues would have received my message loud and clear 2 years ago after they witnessed the hell I went through, I have elected to shut my mouth and stop posting my rants and raves or requests for donations on FB. Instead I wear capris pants and cross my legs in such a way that my lovely skin grafted shin is in plain sight. I also wear t-shirts that read "Protect Your Largest Organ" and "Protect the Skin You're In".Hope that at least gets some one thinking. I have become so disheartened. I teach sun safety to all my classes and still the kids return from summer break with their brown skin. Hell, even my own family members sport a tan turing the summer months. Wonder if I were diagnosed with lung cancer due to cigarettes if they'd all smoke and blow it in my face? I surrender unless someone has an alternative for me to get my message across. Perhaps my obituary will-scary and sad thought. Really, I'm not depressed just f***g angry at others ignorance and complacity. Thanks for letting me vent;)
ReplyDeleteMary, thanks for the feedback. You are always welcome to vent! "Disheartened" is exactly how I'm feeling right now. E.g., just the other day an adult nephew hit me up to sponsor him in that pink cancer race for the cure. And NOBODY in his extended family has been touched by breast cancer, while he has TWO uncles on both sides of his family who've fought melanoma. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteRich
ReplyDeleteI swear everyone I thought would be there or donate after I was diagnosed 6 years ago has pretty much disappointed me-except for a couple people. I am always amazed how many people ran for the door. Aim is great site and I wish they had something in Las Vegas. I am going to back Chelsea-let her do the walking there! Thanks for the response-sorry if i sounded grumpy too-It is frustrating.
randi
The next time somebody I know hits me up for a donation to their favorite cause, I think my response will be: "I'll support your cause if you'll support mine".
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