Take Your Mark, Get Set ...

Well, after about a two week delay, I am ready to kick off my fourth Team in Training Campaign. I had really hoped to be ready to start fund-raising a couple of weeks ago, but everything going on recently, including the death of my step-father Stuart from cancer, delayed me a bit.

But now I am ready. I’ve updated my fund-raising email list. I’ve organized email groups so that I can send out emails one group at a time instead of one person at a time. I’ve set up my TNT fund-raising page, and even have my first donation (thanks, Kristi!):

http://pages.teamintraining.org/va/cmc09/aritter

I have edited my initial solicitation message, and it is ready to go. I have definitely decided to go with the approach I came up with during an early morning walk exactly a month ago (see “Like a Fur Ball in the Night”). I have pretty good first and second messages out of that idea, but will have to start planning my third and subsequent messages. And I have come up with my fund-raising goal, $14,645. Why that goal? Well, check my initial message in a couple of days and I will tell you! It is a tough, scary, and ambitious goal, especially in today’s economy. But all I can do is give it my best shot. If I reach it, it will be a personal record (PR)!

Plus, I got in a nice five mile walk yesterday morning. It was the furthest I have walked since my hike three weeks ago, and I only feel a little sore. It felt great to walk that far, and pretty close to my normal walking pace, after a long layoff.

So this week, probably Tuesday night, I will send out my first mass solicitation for funds. I am poised at the starting line, waiting for the gun to go off. And then I will GO! My fourth TNT Campaign will be underway!

GO TEAM!