Wednesday, October 22, 2008

A Little From A Lot Campaign Roll-Out!

Admit it. You knew it was coming. Many of you had already asked me about it. Yes, I am asking you to help me. Financially.

I need to raise a minimum of $210,000 in order to receive a bone marrow transplant. I will have to write a check for $179,000 to cover the portion of the transplant that my health insurance does not cover. I will need approximately $30,000 for living expenses and out-of-pocket medical costs during a four to five month stay in Seattle. There will also be numerous additional medical expenses as my deductible, co-insurance, and max-out-of-pocket begins in the new year and a whole new prescription regime becomes the norm.

I am asking you, my friends and family, to donate. I am asking you for $1. If you are able to give more, please do.
It would take less than everyone in Spokane giving me $1 each to raise the money I need. So after great thought, I came up with the "A Little From A Lot" campaign. I am starting with you first. Please donate "a little". Whatever is comfortable. But I will do whatever it takes, one dollar at a time, to raise this money. And I have some pretty creative ideas!

I am unable to get a tax-exempt status because I am fundraising, at this point, only for me. I have been told, however, that a person may make a once a year tax-deductible gift to another person of up to $10,000. If you are able to give on a large scale, please confirm this information with your accountant before giving.

Checks can be made payable to the Sally Robertson Benefit Fund and mailed directly to the bank, Numerica, 2202 E. 29th Avenue, Spokane, WA 99203.

There is also a Donate button to the right, utilizing Pay Pal. Please note that I am charged a 2.9% plus 30 cent fee per donation. Pay pal deposits the rest directly into the Sally Robertson Benefit Fund.

You can track my success with the fundraising thermometer, also to the right.

Again, I am asking for your help. We simply can't do it alone. Anything and everything helps. I know that times are hard everywhere. People have even less money today than they did a month ago. The holidays are coming. So I am asking you to give what is comfortable, nothing more. At least $1.

You are a part of my new mission, to raise at least $210,000 and to educate others about the shortfalls of health insurance coverage for transplants. I will be contacting local and national media, philanthropic groups, community leaders.....Anyone and everyone I can think of who can help with my campaign and help me deliver my message. If you are part of a group, any group, and feel that its members would be willing to each give $1 to help save a life, I challenge you to take my message to them and ask. I will help you in any way I can, ie. pictures, letters, medical documentation, video, speaking appearance, etc.

Ultimately, after I have had the transplant and recovered, it is my intent to create the A Little From A Lot Foundation. This experience has taught me so much and I intend to take all the help, support, and experience and pay it forward. I plan to help others who face this gap between what health insurance covers and what it actually costs to get a transplant. So any unused funds will go into my Foundation. Should I be unable to obtain a transplant, or not need one, I will gladly refund your money. In the event that I should die between here and success, all funds will go into a trust for my children or will be refunded at the donor's request.

Thank you for being on my team, and Welcome to Sally Land!

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