Blog-A-Thon

[shadesong]

I won't be doing Blog-A-Thon this year.

I hate that. First time since I became aware of Blog-A-Thon that I haven't done it.

Why?

Body can't take it. I'm still trying to recover from staying up til 2 Saturday night. There's no way I can pull an all-nighter. It'll take me out for at least a week afterward. The meds are making this progressively worse, I swear. Last year, staying up late wouldn't've fucked me up this much. Cleaning Elayna's room wouldn't have had me in pain for two days afterward. australian_joe said, "This sounds like disability..."

But this is not a bitching-about-health post. I'm just telling you why I'm not pulling an all-nighter.

The thing is this: In past years, I've raised almost $2,000 per year for charity.

That's kind of addictive. And I still want to do it.

And I was planning on changing charities this year. In the past, I've fundraised for RAINN.

But earlier this year, one of my LJfriends, tx_db8r, died of complications from probable viral meningitis. Liz had MS, and I was planning to raise money for her chosen charity, The National Multiple Sclerosis Society, in her memory.

I would still like to do a fundraising effort in her memory. Possibly coinciding with her birthday - July 13. Next week.

So my question for all of you is this - what would it take to get you to make a donation in Liz's memory? What can I do?

Comments

[moonfire77.livejournal.com]

If only I had the money....

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

I will very happily donate if you can find a way for me to do it to a charity registered in the UK. Can't do it in the US for tax-related reasons.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

This (http://www.mssociety.org.uk/) looks like the UK branch...

Send me your e-mail receipt so I can send you whatever incentive I end up giving out. Thank you!

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure if I can donate via email - much more likely to send a cheque. Also, I know this sounds horribly pompous but I don't really want an incentive (although I'm sure it would be lovely) because it's, well, a charity.

Very happy to email you with the amount of my donation if you're planning to keep a running total of the amount you've raised, but please don't share with anyone. Sorry to be so neurotic about this.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's okay - I never share amounts. Would like to keep a running total, yes! But I'm not going to post individual donation info.

Thank you. *hug* I'm glad that it seems like I'm actually going to be getting donations!

[ckd]

I have no specific information on these folks, so I can't vouch for them; whatever usual means you have for checking on the legitimacy of UK registered charities would be in order.

They do get the Gift Aid tax benefit.

[widgetfox.livejournal.com]

That would be exactly the way to check. Thank you so much.

[zarhooie.livejournal.com]

Have e-mailed proposal re:this to your gmail.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Can I post that here? Or do you want to post it here? It's a good idea...

[zarhooie.livejournal.com]

Post it wherever you'd like, love.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

zarhooie's idea: I know this won't be *quite* the same, but, well... you're going to have a rather massive number of people with you in a weekend or two. Who is to say that it has to be JUST you who's blogging for the whole 24 hours? Maybe people could take shifts? I'd gladly help out while I'm there.... Maybe between then and now, you could try to write a few little pieces, snippets, whatever, for other people to put up every x number of hours, just so the people who donate for the Shayara bits can get some of that.

I'm going to be insanely busy that weekend, so I'm only rarely going to have 'net access, is the thing. I can pre-write some Shayara posts...

[zarhooie.livejournal.com]

I'll be able to do it for most of the day on Friday...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

*handwavy* I dunno. We shall see.

[amywon.livejournal.com]

Yeah, my suggestion was going to be along those lines. Like doing Prompts and then having your reader/writers post comments. Possibly re-posting some as promts so you get to guide the story as we tell it.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Hm! Interesting...

[rosefox]

You could also write 24 snippets and ask 24 people to post them, once an hour, with snippets of their own writing that's in some way inspired by what you wrote.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

See, I'm glad I asked you guys. :)

It's been really difficult, this decision. I just told docorion over the phone that I'd made this post, and he was relieved - he thought he was going to have to step in. He'd been standing aside, letting me work it out for myself. The body is fucked.

But that doesn't mean the spirit has to give up. Just have to change up the format. *determined nod*

[aki-dreaming.livejournal.com]

That'll work. Tell me where/how.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[whitecrow0.livejournal.com]

Looks like you already received some good ideas; I was going to suggest just writing a special story available to those who donated.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

My mom has MS, so it wouldn't take much to get me to donate. But as for suggestions:

Hold a mini-Live8 thing in someone's lving room, either in Boston or Atlanta (or really do the Live8 thing, and do both!), with performances by several musically-inclined LJ friends in the area. Regular posts from the concert will get people's attention, especially if you include some photos and maybe a few phone posts along the way.

You can charge a small fee at the door to get the donations rolling, but the real focus would be in the aftermath: Get someone with recording equipment to donate their services, and compile either a CD or a bunch or mp3's of the best stuff as an incentive to donate (just like PBS! *grin*).

Just thinkin' out loud here....

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

That's an excellent idea for next year! This year... well, Adam doesn't want to be overwhelmed on his visit.

[slipjig.livejournal.com]

Actually, I wasn't thinking of this visit in particular (there would be a metric ton of necessary advance preparation, and your visit approaches very rapidly). This was more of a somewhere-in-the-autumn-maybe type of idea. Like I said, just thinking out loud. *reboots brain*

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Next summer!

[enderfem.livejournal.com]

I'm inclined to go with rosefox's idea of snippets. After all, you're definitely someone who can inspire writing. Maybe even have twelve snippets, and 24 people, just to see where the same snippet takes different people.

Regardless, I'll donate. Your friend Liz and I shared not only a birthday, but a disease (though my meningitis was bacterial, not viral).

[wolflady26.livejournal.com]

Offer to write a short story for each person who donates, either about them or inspired by them, or inspired by a topic they choose (your choice of which of the three prompts to take). Not only will this help fundraising, it will also stretch your writing.

Offer a cameo role in Shayara to the highest bidder.

Look for offline ways to help - organize a bake sale at work, or have a garage sale with all proceeds going to that charity.

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Offer to write a short story for each person who donates, either about them or inspired by them, or inspired by a topic they choose

Dude. Carpal tunnel, dude!

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

Possibly coinciding with her birthday - July 13.

*blink blink*

Okay, spooky. I know it's silly to be spooked by that but aie.

(That's my birthday too.)

[ysabel.livejournal.com]

(Oh, and you don't have to point out how shallow I am to respond like that.

I already know. I'll live with the shame.)

[enderfem.livejournal.com]

Mine too! I mentioned it in my comment as well.

[fearthainnlent.livejournal.com]

If donating, how will one do so?

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

The National Multiple Sclerosis Society's website. (http://www.nationalmssociety.org/)