What Contribution
Size is Appropriate?
Folks often ask me: "What is an appropriate contribution?"
Well any size contribution is welcomed and very important. Knowing what
other people contributed is often the clue that people need to pick the
"right" contribution size. The following table shows the contribution amounts
and numbers of contributors from the year 2000 Bike-A-Thon. I hope this
helps you make a decision. You can see that the contribution size range
varied widely from $10 to $1000. How To
Make A Contribution
How $6115 Was Distributed for Year 2000
Contributions
| Amount |
Frequency |
|
Amount |
Frequency |
|
Amount |
Frequency |
| $10 |
14 |
|
$40 |
4 |
|
$125 |
1 |
| $15 |
6 |
|
$45 |
1 |
|
$150 |
1 |
| $20 |
12 |
|
$50 |
16 |
|
$200 |
1 |
| $25 |
34 |
|
$70 |
1 |
|
$250 |
2 |
| $30 |
10 |
|
$75 |
1 |
|
$300 |
1 |
| $35 |
2 |
|
$100 |
10 |
|
$1000 |
1 |
The net income to the American Cancer Society from
the 3000 riders that raised money for this past year 2004 Philadelphia Bike-A-Thon
was $1.1 Million. You can see that this is a very effective and efficient boost
to American Cancer Society efforts.
I am sending direct letters with return envelopes
to approximately 350 neighbors, greeting card lists, friends, coworkers and company officials.
I will then followup with thank you letters. (approximately 110 letters)
I also design and create neighborhood fund raising thermometers for the purpose of charting
our success.
I'm contributing
the $100 entry fee for the bike-a-thon so none of your contributions is
used for the entry fee. Also I'm paying the cost of postage for solicitation
and thank you letters which is estimated at $150 at this time. Here's a
list of what else I hope to have time to accomplish this year.
-
Personal challenge note in solicitation letter. (Potential cost to me of $300.)
-
Kickoff donation by me of $100 ($50 already done).
-
This web page (cost $240)
-
Posting this web page on search engines (Cost TBD)
-
Anonymous solicitation letters dropped on driveways with return envelopes.
This is a fun project and hopefully you'll appreciate
the efficiency aspects of pooling your support to give the American Cancer
Society a really efficient collection of funds by supporting us in this
bike-a-thon. Family, friend, and neighbor illnesses were and still are
my main motivators but the obvious efficiency improvement effects to the
American Cancer Society of our support become more important each year
as we all strive to succeed here.
What didn't work for fund raising in 2001? A $180 ad in the advertising
section of a weekly church bulletin that ran for 3 months produced no new contributors
but may have caused previous supporters to contribute more. A $50 1/2 page sponsor ad in
a school youth athletic function produced no new contributions. A free 1/2 page
interview and article in a local newspaper produced no new contributors. All these
lacks of positive results seem to point to the importance of making direct solicitations
to people that you know personaly. Please don't generalize from these
observations to make a rule of thumb that anonymous contacts are not
productive. Under different conditions, anonymous contacts may work.
What did work for fund raising in 2001? I dropped about 40 solicitation letters
on peoples driveways on early Sunday morning and received three supporting donations
yielding about $75 in contributions from new supporters. Sunday mornings is good
because folks are getting
up early on a quiet morning to retrieve their newspapers. The letters were folded
in to zip lock sandwich bags and included return envelopes addressed to me as well as
a few ACS cancer awareness pamphlets. Each of the three contributors included a note that
explained that they had personal involvement with cancer.
Also although I have no proof that this web page produced a single new contributor, it may have inspired past donors to provide more support.
People have been so charitable in supporting my ACS fundraising efforts
that I feel I have an obligation to list specifics of what it is I do to help people see how I
obtain supportfor the ACS. This section of the web page lists my 2002 fund raising season
activities to show what I did to prepare for the past July 2002 Bike-A-Thon. This will
hopefully help others with successful fresh ideas about fund raising. I definitely feel that
support grows over time and having done this for 7 years helps supporters to warm up to the
idea of increasing support.
| Date Of Activity
|
People Hours
|
Description of Activity
|
| Jul 19 to Aug 13, 2001
|
15
|
Prepared, copied, stuffed envelopes and mailed
about 130 thank you letters. I think thank you letters are part of the success
of fund raising in following years.
|
| Sep 23, 2001
|
2
|
Added this section of the web page.
|
| Oct 6, 2001
|
3
|
Make the 6 year graphic for showing
collection progress and install the graphic on this web page and use for
solicitation letters yet to be written.
|
| Oct 10, 2001
|
6
|
The ACS staff organized an awards
celebration at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Penns Landing and this was a great opportunity
to talk to other fundraisers to see what worked for them in fund raising. Numerous guest
speakers inspired us with positive results and appreciation.
|
| Nov 5, 2001
|
3
|
Miscellaneous adjustments to about 7 mailing
addresses in the excel spreadsheets that I keep updated to use in a mail merge for printing envelopes
or labels out of Microsoft WORD. For example, two people that moved out of my neighborhood this year sent
me their forwarding address and specifically requested that they be kept on the mailing list. This is
a very inspirational act. I also tweaked the web page to prepare it for the July 2002 event. I feel the
primary benefit of the web page is as an inspiration to other fund raisers by sharing ideas.
|
| Dec 31, 2001
|
10
|
A year end stay at home vacation provided
many opportunities for small bits of time to accomplish: final writing of the general solicition
letter to be sent out by me to about 400 folks in June, 2002; printing of about 60
personnaly addressed envelopes for folks in my immediate 110 home neighborhood; printing of
about 20 return envelopes for including in my solicitation letter. These return envelopes
include my home address and include the name and address of the solicitation contacts as a return
address. I think these
return envelopes are important; I updated this web page to include a link to the ACS Philadelphia
bike-a-thon web site at www.acsbike.org; I added some text to this web page that included
fund raising techniques that were or were not productive in 2001.
|
| Jan 8, 2002
|
15
|
Picked up mail supplies at Office Max: five
hundred small and large envelops and printer cartridges. Updated local neighborhood excel address list of 110 homes. Finished 110 letters, 110 large envelopes and 110 small return envelopes.
|
| Feb 22, 2002
|
10
|
Updated personal family and friends Excel spreadsheet of 85 names. Included
new names from handwritten notes accumulated through past year of
new and continuing contacts. Set "print" flag for about 60 of the names. printed about 20 letters for this group.
|
My Picture
Here's a picture of me in my bike duds for 2000 and one of
the neighborhood collection progress thermometers showing progress to $5860.
Also here's a group photo at the finish line
of me and about one half of the Lockheed Martin coworkers that participated
in the 2000 American Cancer Society Bike-A-Thon. I'm in the front row,
3rd from right side with red hat. All together in 2001 the 97 members of
the Lockheed Martin team collected $37814 of support from folks like you
and me and we came in 4th place as a team.
This is a great accomplishment made possible by your support. Thank You.
 
How
Many Folks Have Seen This Web Page?
In case you are as curious as I am, here's a counter
that shows how many times this web page has been visited since October
23, 2000.
Except for you and I, I'm not sure who all those
other visitors are and unless you send in a check I'm not even sure of
who you are... You know who I am... doesn't it seem fair that I should
know who you are? Join in and lets help our friends and ourselves by supporting
the American Cancer Society.
OK, I'm ready...
How do I support this Bike-A-Thon?
A Bike-A-Thon Poem
I work at Lockheed Martin and in 2000 was one of
the 97 coworkers that rode in the Bike-A-Thon. One of our coworkers,
Robert J.Krass, wrote an inspirational poem in 2000 to commemorate the event and
I'm glad to share it with you here.
In Honor of Those Who Rode and Those They Rode
For:
Ninety-seven stood the test, they demonstrated
Lockheed's best.
They cycled hard to find a cure, through strain
and sweat they did endure.
They hit the road from Freedom's door, from city
streets to rustic shore.
Through piney woods and Jersey towns, they rode
with smiles and never frowns.
They rode against a dreaded foe, remembering folks
that we all know.
The team rode proud with spirits high, beneath
the Jersey summer sky.
Hoping this could be the last, and cancer's threat
would soon be past.
We're proud to be among the crowd, that bore
the name of Lockheed proud.
What Was Year 2003
Bike-A-Thon Day Like?
A glorious low humidity sunny white puffy cloud July day welcomed all at the Philadelphia start point. The 3000 active, multicolored bikers filling the streets contrasted with the bold, crisp splendored newness of the magnificent new Constitution Center. The atmosphere was at the same time contagiously enthusiastic and seriously contemplative of the cancer problem we all face and are united in fighting. A few brief comments from the announcer and 3000 bikers were off once again to Rocky’s Theme on a 62 mile journey started by crossing the car-less Ben Franklin Bridge. The DRPA covered the expansion joints on the bridge to avoid bike tire damage as some bikers at speeds of 35 or more MPH zoomed down the New Jersey side of the bridge. The NJ police stopped all auto traffic on the roads off the bridge for a distance of about 6 or 7 miles where my son-in-law Jason and I kept up a steady 22 MPH pace. We briefly stopped at the 1st rest stop at 13 miles and saw our average speed was 21 MPH from the Constitution center.
The next 30 miles or so were in tree shaded roads. Police waved us thru busy intersections where curious folks got out of their cars to watch the scene. Large groups of bikers (10 or more) line up single file and travel within inches of each other’s tires to take advantage of the draft effect and these groups would fly by the single bikers. The leaders of these lines faded back to last place when they were spent and number two would take up the lead. Jason and I got a 4 person line going for about 10 miles and that helped a lot. Biker’s 2 thru the tail have an easier time then as a single biker due to decreased wind resistance.After a brief stop at rest stop 4, we resumed the 3 hour and 51 minute journey arriving at the end point in Mays Landing at 10:56 AM having departed at 7:05AM from the start point. Our average travel speed was 17.4 MPH. (As a comparison, the Tour De France bikers average 31 MPH over 125 miles!) We traveled for 3:30 hours and rested for 21 minutes. My heart rate was often above 150 trying to keep up with Jason who graciously paced himself to not get too far ahead. This must’ve been all due to his faster bike as the 30 years of age difference between us likely had negligible effects. Jason and I were greeted by my daughter Kristen and my 8 month old grandchild Cora this year and a great time was had by all at the end point. (We don’t call it a finish line because the race is not finished until cancer is gone.) While Kristen was photographing us, Cora was busy eating a baby biscuit which she managed to get all over her face, hair, arms and clothes in about 5 minutes of contented, focused, happy munching. A picnic lunch of hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken cutlets, salads, corn and other stuff really made a nice ending before the car ride back to Philadelphia to pick up the parked car. I tacked the
memory/motivation list for year 2003 up at the finish line.
Memories and Motivations
for Bike-A-Thons
Here's a list of the friends that
wished to have memorial or motivations posted for the American Cancer Society Philadelphia
Bike-a-thons. If you've sent me a contribution and didn't realize a memorial was possible,
and you still wish to be added to a list, then let me know and I'll add you here along with
your intentions. Also if you are not able to send a donation this year but wish to include
your memorial, please send me a note or email and I'll be honored to add your memorial.
I'll carry a copy of this list during the bike ride and
tack it to the Memory/Motivation board at the Bike-a-thon finish line.
I'll also place a copy of these intentions in to the prayer intention
basket at our church after the Bike-a-thon and include copies in thank you letters.
2001 Memorials 2002 Memorials 2003 Memorials
How Does One Get Included in These Lists?
Bicycling Related Helpful
Hints
The Tour De France
This American Cancer Society bike ride every year
coincides with bicycling's premier yearly event the Tour De France, a 23
day grueling ~2300 mile mountainous biking event that was won again on July 28th of this past 2002
year (for the fourth year in a row) by American Lance Armstrong who many of you know as a cancer survivor
(testicular cancer that significantly metastasized to lung and brain cancer).
The official web site of the Tour De France is www.letour.fr and it gives
minute by minute real time descriptions of the race while it is going
on. All other news media use this web site to obtain official information.
The site has data on every Tour De France since 1903. Lance's winning example was what prompted
President Bush to invite him onto a board created to fight cancer. What will this achieve?
Not even Lance knows the answer to that. But he can inspire those who suffer to persist
with the pain of chemotheraphy and the other treatments required to kill off cancer.
And that’s a good start.
Endless Accomplishments
of the American Cancer Society
The list of patient service programs run by the American
Cancer Society is extensive. Here are a few:
-
Tell A Friend
-
Man to Man
-
Reach To Recovery
-
Nutrition, Symptoms and Solutions
-
Road to Recovery
-
Childhood Cancer Programs
-
I Can Cope
-
Look Good.... Feel Better
-
Camp Can Do
-
Hope Lodge
-
CanSurmount
The list of early detection and prevention education
programs run by the American Cancer Society is very familiar to most of
us testifying to the effectiveness of another facet of the American Cancer
Society:
-
Great American Smokeout
-
Comprehensive School Health Education
-
Advocacy/Government Issues such as tobacco and alcohol
awareness
The funding of research and training of new treatment
and cure processes for cancer is where the American Cancer Society truly
excels and here are a few excerpts from the research budget plans of the
American Cancer Society for Pennsylvania. Keep in mind that the American
Cancer Society has comparable research and funding goals for organizations
throughout the country.
Recent Grants for American Cancer Society
Research and Training in Pennsylvania
| Organization |
Funding amount and Timef rame |
Examples of Activity Being Funded |
| Fox Chase Cancer Center |
$2,697,000 7/1/98 thru 6/30/02 |
Aberrant products of Pigment Genes as a Basis for
Anti Melanoma Therapy
Structure/Function Studies of the Docking Protein
HEFI
HEFI Regulation of Cell Cycle and Adhesion in Cancer
|
| Pennsylvania State University |
$2,981,000 7/1/98 thru 6/30/02 |
Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment
Mutagenic Processing of Carcinogen Treated DNA by
Human DNA Polymerases
Insulin-Like Growth Factors in Breast Epithelial
Proliferation
|
| University of Pennsylvania |
$7,375,000 1/1/97 thru 6/30/02 |
Immunochemistry and Molecular Biology of GM-CSF
Mechanisms of Restriction Point Control by Cdc42
A Novel Peptide Pulsed Dentritic Cell Vaccine for
Treatment of Melanoma: A Phase I Trial
Cell signaling and Cell Fate in Drosophila Embryos
Mechanism of Action of the Tumor Suppressor p16 cdkn2
|
| Temple University |
$902,000 7/1/97 thru 12/31/01 |
Cloning of Chromosome 16 Gene That Restores Senescence
in Breast Tumor Cells
Characterization of an Apoptosis-Associated Tyrosine
Kinase
|
| University of Pittsburgh |
$4,576,500 7/1/98 thru 6/30/02 |
Genotoxicity of Tamoxifen Adjuvant Therapy for Breast
Cancer
Endocytic Traffic in Bladder Urepithelium
A Randomized Trial of Epidural Versus Intercostal
Nerve Catheter After Thorocotomy
|
| Thomas Jefferson University |
$1,985,000 7/1/97 thru 12/31/01 |
The role of Bcmd locus in Positive Selection of Peripheral
B Cells
Therapeutics Design Targeting CD8-MHC Class I Interaction
How is Antigen Targeted to the MHC Class I-Restricted
Processing
|
|
J
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y
9
,
2
0
0
6
As of May 31, 2006 I have not yet sent solicitation letters. Please consider being
an inspirational contributor! One of the big starburst "Pledge Now" tokens on this web page
will take you to the ACS's secure on line donation system. Thank You.
Your
support in the collections you've given through me for the past 9 years
are shown in the figure. Over this 9 year period we've contributed
$35,550! In 2004, our total collection on behalf of the American
Cancer Society was $6575 representing recognition as 14th place individual
fundraiser out of about 3000 bikers. The chart shows results of our working together
to make this accomplishment and shows the promise of extending ourselves
for 2006. Based on this chart, I think it's realistic to pick an $8000
goal for 2006.