I am truly amazed at the power of the internet. Our website has made its way to so many people, including old camp friends, friends-of-friends, and random web surfers. The responses continue to put a smile on our faces, which is incredible because as recently as one year ago, we thought we would never smile again. We are eternally indebted to Studio Two in Lenox, MA, the talented and generous creators of our website.
Many friends are taking advantage of the internet to help us. This morning, Debby Freedman Belt e-mailed a cover letter and a link to our website to all of her friends and acquaintances. Within fifteen minutes she raised $750!! If you would like a copy of this cover letter, please e-mail me at: info@charleysfund.org.
It’s good to know that the old-fashioned methods of fundraising are still effective. Annabel Edelson, a friend of my nephew, pounded the pavement selling Charley Pops (coming soon to the “shop” section of our website). She also set up a lemonade stand with her friends from the Spence school. Using these age-old tactics, Annabel raised over two hundred dollars and helped spread awareness about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Karen and Ted Philip, close friends of my sister, had another great idea. Their daughter Nikki is having a birthday party next week. Nikki sent a letter to all of her invited guests asking them to bring a check for Charley’s Fund in lieu of gifts. Karen and Ted have offered to match whatever Nikki raises. They also ordered bunches of Charley Pops for the goody bags.
All of these ideas — from the traditional to the cutting-edge — are fantastic ways to get the word out and raise money for the exciting research that could lead to a cure or treatment for DMD.
Yesterday evening, at a school picnic, I watched Charley run around and play with his friends. He was right in there playing hide-and-seek in the woods, jumping off rocks, and pushing his way to front of the cake line (all of this with a broken elbow, no less). All I could think about was how amazing it would be if he never had to sit out of the activities that he loves so much. If I could freeze time, I would live in this moment forever. But since that isn’t possible, I need to focus my energy on what IS possible. Moving the research to a faster timeline is something we can accomplish with your help. Please continue to come up with ideas that will help us fund the research to make a real difference in Charley’s life and the lives of all the other kids who have so unfairly been hit with this awful diagnosis.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.