Kara | MS Challenge Blog

Posts by Kara Kelley

Kara is the former Development Coordinator for the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

MS Challenge Walk: August update

Written by Kara on August 21, 2009 at 1:50 pm

Dear MS Challenge Walkers and Crew,

The MS Challenge Walk is only a month away! Try to think back on all the hours of training you've completed and all your efforts in fundraising to fight MS. The MS Challenge Walk weekend is the culmination of a tremendous amount of work and a celebration of all that we have accomplished together.

As event weekend quickly approaches, we are putting the finishing touches on all details. Please let the MS Challenge Walk Team mschallenge@mam.nmss.org

know if you need any last-minute fundraising help or have any lingering questions about the weekend. We look forward to seeing you all very soon.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Training Walks — THIS WEEKEND!

For each Challenge Training Walk you attend, your fundraising account will be credited 50 "bonus bucks!"

THIS SATURDAY, August 22: 8:00 am — Cape Cod Canal Training Walk, sponsored by EMD Serono! Start/Finish at the Buzzards Bay Recreation Area for a 14-mile walk.

THIS SATURDAY, August 22: 8:00 am — Minuteman Bike Trail Training Walk. Start/Finish at the Greater Boston Running Company, Lexington, MA. 20% discount on all purchases made that day and 10% off all purchases made during the summer! Walk along the Minuteman Bike Trail for a 13 mile walk.

If you are interested in walking in any of these training walks, please contact the MS Challenge Walk Team to sign up. If you are a Crew member and would like to help out at one of these MS Challenge training walks, please contact the MS Challenge Walk Team mschallenge@mam.nmss.org

September 10th Early Check-In & Party

For those of you arriving to the Cape Thursday evening, please join us at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa for an early check-in gathering. Pick up your walker/crew credentials and sign the appropriate waiver forms, drop off your change of clothes bag, and meet other walkers and crew! Enjoy catering provided by the resort on the outdoor patio! We hope to see you there.

6 pm — 9 pm

Cape Codder Resort and Spa
1225 Iyannough Rd., Hyannis, Mass.
Route 132 & Bearse's Way
(888) 297-2200

Travel and Information Guide Mailing

The last mailing for the MS Challenge Walk should be in your mailboxes next week. This mailing will include the Travel and Information Guide, luggage tag, and change of clothes bag (walkers only).

The Travel and Information Guide has all of the who/what/whens of the MS Challenge Walk. Use this guide to find directions down to the Thursday evening check-in party and the Kalmus Beach Parking Area in Hyannis (where all walkers and crew park their cars for the weekend). The guide also has useful information on packing and the schedule for the weekend. The Travel and Information Guide is also available on the Challenge Walk webpage. You can also download this document from our Web site.

Walker's change of clothes bag should be used for items (extra pair of shoes, clothes, sunblock, etc.) that you wish to have at the 1/2 way point (lunch rest stop) of each day's walk. We will take your bag Friday and Saturday morning and transport it to the 1/2 way point for you. When you are done with your bag, you will return it to the Crew representative overseeing the change of clothes area and it will be transported back to the Cape Cod Sea Camps. Don't for get to write your name and walker number on the bag! You can view your walker number online.

Please put the luggage tag you will recieve on your luggage and write your name and walker number on it. You will drop off your luggage at the Kalmus Beach parking lot and it will be waiting for you after your walk at the Cape Cod Sea Camps. Depending on the color of your luggage tag, your luggage will be placed in a certain zone depending on your cabin assignment. If you have made housing arrangements off-site, your luggage will be waiting for you by the check-in tent at the Cape Cod Sea Camps.

Every Crew is a Super Crew

We are encouraging all crew members at the Challenge Walk to become a member of the Super Crew. A member of the Super Crew is someone who raises at least $200 for the MS Challenge Walk. Last year, crew members raised over $50,000 for the MS Challenge Walk. Members of the Super Crew will receive a Super Crew cap and 2009 pin to commemorate their success. As of right now, we only have a handful of Super Crew and would like to add more, so please send in your donations!

Challenge Has Talent

Time to dust off your tap shoes and find your baton. New in 2009 – "Challenge Has Talent." Join us on Friday afternoon, September 11th under the big tent for a Challenge Walk Talent Show. Walkers and Crew members are invited to show off their talents (karaoke will be available). If you and/or your team has a talent they would like to show off, please contact the MS Challenge Walk Team at MSChallenge@mam.nmss.org with any music you may need and we will put you on the schedule!

Team Contest!

The MS Challenge Walk Team that recruits the most NEW WALKERS to their team will receive special benefits the weekend of the walk. Benefits will include recognition at the Challenge Walk start and reserved tables at the evening programs. Only a few weeks left!!

Here are the standings as of today:

EMD Serono Striders: 9 new walkers
Bonnie's Believers: 7 new walkers
WWW (Walk With Wendy): 7 new walkers
All Smiles for 50 Miles: 5 new walkers
The Miss Fits: 5 new walkers
Team Babci: 5 new walkers

Last Minute Fundraising Notes

We are striving to reach our goal this year for the MS Challenge Walk. Donations are coming in online and through the mail everyday and will continue to do so after the walk — but we need your continued efforts to ensure we hit this mark.

Are there friends and family members who have promised to donate but have yet to do so? We encourage you to send them and email or letter reminding them of their pledge. We need all Challenge Walkers to reach their fundraising goals so that together we can all continue to create a world free of MS. If you are having troubles reaching your goal, please do not hesitate to contact the MS Challenge Walk Team and we can work together to find the best fundraising methods for you.

Thanks to you all for your dedication to a mission we all hold dear to our hearts.

National MS Society
Central New England Chapter
101A First Avenue, Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451

Kara is the former Development Coordinator for the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Posted in Challenge Walk | No Responses »
Tags: monthly update

MS Challenge Walk: July update

Written by Kara on July 29, 2009 at 9:07 am

Dear MS Challenge Walkers and Crew,

The MS Challenge Walk is only two months away!

By accepting the challenge, you are not only about to embark on an experience that will truly change your life, but you are helping to create a world free of MS. When it's all over, you will look back and be astonished by how many miles you walked, how many friends you made, and how much of an impact you have had on the lives of people living with MS.

Regardless of whether you are a walker or crew, we would ask you to consider the impact of your involvement. As a national movement, we are constantly making strides to create a world free of MS. To find out more about how your participation is moving us forward, click here:

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/news/index.aspx

Click to continue »

Kara is the former Development Coordinator for the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Posted in Challenge Walk | No Responses »
Tags: monthly update

MS Challenge Walk: June update

Written by Kara on June 26, 2009 at 9:59 am

Dear MS Challenge Walkers and Crew,

Joyce Nelson, President & CEO of the National MS Society, will be participating in several MS Challenge Walks across the country. After walking her first Challenge Walk recently she described the experience in these words on her blog:

"I learned from this weekend that there is great value in providing meaningful opportunities for people living with MS to come together and share their experiences. I learned that common suffering builds very strong bonds — be it the minor suffering of heat rash and shin splints or the major suffering of your own, or a loved one's, diagnosis with MS. I learned again how important it is to challenge ourselves to do more than we thought we possibly could. And I was reminded again that while there is great hope for many of those who are or have been more recently diagnosed with MS, the monstrously sinister side of MS still lurks, stealing precious energy, memories, talent and movement from young adults just when they're starting to live."

Although Joyce will not be present in Cape Cod for this Chapter's event, her sentiments transcend geographic locations. Every step that is taken across the country brings us closer to a world free of MS. Thank you for accepting the Challenge.

Participation Confirmation and Housing Form

The Participation Confirmation and Housing Form is now online. All walkers and crew participating in the MS Challenge Walk must complete this form, regardless of where you are staying during the event weekend by August 1st. Please click here to complete this important form. Thank you in advance for your attention and prompt response.

http://challengemam.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=CW_MAM_Housing_form

NEW! Early Bird Fundraising Contest!

To be entered into this drawing, raise the full $1,500 minimum on or before July 15th. For those who reach this goal, your name will be put into a drawing to win two tickets to see the Beach Boys at the South Shore Music Circus on Friday, July 24th! To ensure that you are entered into this contest, please send any check donations you have by Monday, July 6th to assure that all checks are processed correctly and show in our records when we conduct this drawing.

Thank you to all participants who are working so hard to raise money for the National MS Society's MS Challenge Walk.

Every Crew is a Super Crew

Challenge Has Talent

Team Contest!

Here are the standings as of today:

EMD Serono Striders: 9 new walkers
Bonnie's Believers: 7 new walkers
WWW (Walk With Wendy): 7 new walkers
The Lombardi Party: 4 new walkers
The Miss Fits: 4 new walkers
Team Babci: 4 new walkers

Training Walks

For each Challenge Training Walk you attend, your fundraising account will be credited 50 "bonus bucks"!

June 27: Hampton Beach, NH

July 25: Artesani Park Charles River Walk, Brighton, MA

August 22: Minuteman Bike Trail, Lexington, MA. Start and finish at the Greater Boston Running Company. Get a 20% discount on all purchases made that day and 10% off all purchases made during the summer!

If you are interested in walking in any of these training walks, please contact the MS Challenge Walk Team to sign up by emailing mschallenge@mam.nmss.org

If you are a Crew member and would like to help out at one of these MS Challenge training walks, please contact the MS Challenge Walk Team. mschallenge@mam.nmss.org

Social Networking

Social networking sites offer ways to connect online with your friends and family, share your hobbies, and meet new people with similar interests. They enable you not only to keep in touch with the friends you've made at past walks, but also to find training buddies in your geographic area. Whether you are an experienced walker looking to share your stories, a first-time walker needing some support, or someone who is considering signing up, you will find a welcoming community in these social networking sites. Check out this new page on the MS Challenge Walk website!

http://challengemam.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=CW_MAM_socnet

We appreciate all your hard work fundraising for this event. The funds you raise helps support scientific research aimed at developing new treatments, stopping the progression, reversing neurological damage, and finding a cure for MS. Your efforts also help educate, support, and advocate on behalf of those with MS. Please let us know if you need any help reaching your goals. The MS Challenge Walk Team would be more than happy to speak with you to determine the fundraising method that would be most effective for you.

National MS Society
Central New England Chapter
101A First Avenue, Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451

Kara is the former Development Coordinator for the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Posted in Challenge Walk | No Responses »
Tags: monthly update

MS Challenge Walk: May update

Written by Kara on May 29, 2009 at 12:20 pm

Dear Challenge Walkers and Crew,

"If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." — Thomas Edison

The National MS Society is a collective of passionate individuals who want to do something about MS now — to move together toward a world free of multiple sclerosis. We mobilize people and resources to drive research for a cure and to address the challenges of everyone affected by MS. Thank you for accepting the Challenge.

Participation Confirmation and Housing Form

Upcoming Training Walks

June 27 & 28: New Hampshire (Hampton Beach area), Back-to-Back Training Walk. Walk 18 miles the first day and 15 miles the second day. Come to one or both days.
July 25: Artesani Park Charles River Walk, Brighton, MA
August 22: Minuteman Bike Trail, Lexington, MA. Start and finish at the Greater Boston Running Company (1844 Mass Ave). Enjoy a 20% discount on all purchases made that day and 10% off all purchases made during the summer!

For each Challenge Training Walk you attend, your fundraising account will be credited 50 "bonus bucks!"

Team Contest!

Here are the standings as of today:

Bonnie's Believers: 7 new walkers
WWW (Walk With Wendy): 7 new walkers
EMD Serono Striders: 5 new walkers
The Lombardi Party: 4 new walkers
The Miss Fits: 4 new walkers

MS Challenge Walk Blog

We're excited to bring the Challenge Walk community a new online resource. The MS Challenge Blog is a daily source for advice, news, and stories of Challenge Walk training, fundraising, and team-building.

Whether you're a returning walker or this is your first year, you'll find experiences you can relate to and tips to apply to your own efforts. Written by veteran walkers and crew, the Challenge Blog will feature new content on a regular basis. Check out the site, leave your comments, or sign up for free e-mail delivery at:

http://www.challengeblog.org/

New in 2009!

Time to dust off your tap shoes and find your baton. New in 2009 — "Challenge Has Talent"! Join us on Friday afternoon, September 11, under the big tent for a Challenge Walk Talent Show. Walkers and Crew members are invited to show off their talents (karaoke will be available). Stay tuned for more details…

MS Challenge Walk Facebook Page

The Central New England Chapter's MS Challenge Walk now has a Facebook page. Become a member, post a fundraising event, and share your experiences with other MS Challenge Walkers! View the Challenge Walk Facebook Page now!

Thanks again for your participation in the MS Challenge Walk. If you and/or your team would like to get together to discuss training, fundraising, logistics of the Challenge Walk, please reach out to Todd Krohne and Kara Kelley, the MS Challenge Walk Team, at mschallenge@mam.nmss.org. We are happy to assist in any way we can.

National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Central New England Chapter
101A First Ave., Suite 6
Waltham, MA 02451

Kara is the former Development Coordinator for the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Posted in Challenge Walk | No Responses »
Tags: monthly update

Using your Participant Center to fundraise

Written by Kara on May 6, 2009 at 11:30 am

The Internet is becoming an essential communications tool for many of us, both in our professional and personal lives. Every year, more and more Challenge Walk participants are using email and the web to recruit team members and solicit contributions from friends, family and co-workers. The reason is simple: by using the Internet, you can reach a greater number of people, more efficiently and with greater impact than you can by using the phone or mail alone.

The National MS Society provides every participant with free access to robust and easy-to-use email and web marketing tools to recruit, organize, and manage their fundraising and teams while helping them to solicit and keep track of their own contributors. Through your online Participant Center you can:

Set up a fundraising account and check your progress online
Create and build a personalized Web page to support your fundraising effort
Send emails with links directly to your personal Web page to ask for donations
Use email to invite and motivate team members (team captains only!)
Build a database of team members and contributors to facilitate future communications (you can easily enter the email addresses or upload contacts from other address book applications, such as Google Mail, Yahoo Mail, Microsoft Hotmail, Outlook, or Outlook Express)
Be reminded to send donation reminders and thank yous to donors

Need one-on-one training? Contact me, Kara Kelley, from the MS Challenge Walk Team, and we can work together to increase your knowledge of these tools. By using these tools, you can make 2009 your biggest fund raising year ever and bring us all one step closer to finding a cure for MS.

Kara is the former Development Coordinator for the Greater New England Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Posted in Fundraising, Online Tools | No Responses »
Tags: Convio, Internet, participant center