Have you heard of Flat Stanley? I hadn’t– at least not until my co-workers were talking about the program a month or so ago.

From the website:

Students make paper Flat Stanleys and begin a journal with him for a few days. Then Flat Stanley and the journal are sent to another school where students there treat Flat Stanley as a guest and complete the journal. Flat Stanley and the journal are then returned to the original sender. Students can plot his travels on maps and share the contents of the journal. Often, a Flat Stanley returns with a pin or postcard from his visit. Especially creative hosts send the Flat Stanleys back with pictures, souvenirs, stories and reminders of the visit.

I love this idea, and was trying to think of a way that I could do something similar for my Breast Cancer 3-Day. When I saw the Circle of Hope t-shirts on 3DayGear, my idea was born. I thought– why not send a t-shirt around the country for my donors to sign? They can write me a message, and send back photos, memories or stories they would like to share about their loved ones or their personal connection to breast cancer. I’d love it if everyone could take a picture with it and e-mail me so I can post it here.

John was one of the first to donate to my walk, and since he works with David– American Express was the first stop on my t-shirt’s trip around the country. When he donated, John left me a message saying that this was a special cause to him since his mother is a breast cancer survivor. I will be thinking of John and his mother in the months to come.  D took this picture with his camera phone.

Want to sign my shirt? Make a donation to my walk and I’ll add you to the list. Where in the World is my shirt going next? Check back here to find out!

Today was an awesome day of fundraising and promotion at my workplace. First, one of the VPs came into our area and Angela and I told him about my participation in the 3-Day. He asked how much I had to raise, and then immediately pulled a $20 bill out of his pocket. I am still amazed how willing people are to participate and help me– even folks who do not know me personally. Above all things, I hate asking people for money. Truly. I was never very successful at fundraising in my youth. Honestly, I think I was afriad of rejection. I am beginning to learn how amazing people are when you just ask.

I also sent out an e-mail to a lot of my work contacts asking for a donation and letting them know about the “Cupcakes for the Cure” fundraiser I will be doing on Monday. One of our supervisors, Jo, sent the e-mail to her entire team saying that she would match whatever funds they are able to put together. At last count she said her team had $75! I plan on doing something nice for them in March to show my appreciation. Thank-You so much to Jo’s Team!

I ordered some extra bracelets, breast cancer pins, and stickers if anyone is interested ($3 each). If you donate via my official page it asks for your address, and I will be sure to send you some swag for your support. You can also send me a check or PayPal donation. Whatever works best for you. I assure you that it will all be going toward my walk.

David is also working on some really cute business cards for me. If they are ready by this weekend I wll be using them on Monday as a part of my fundraiser. I am so excited!

You can register for the Breast Cancer 3-Day in your city on the official website, or you can call 800.996.3DAY for more information. There are tons of Start Up Meetings available in all of the participating cities which are super inspirational and will put you in a good frame of mind.

Nikki and I attended our Start-Up Meeting on Saturday morning in Carrollton. They showed us the DVD, and we talked about fundraising, teams, and the actual event. The Opening and Closing ceremony locations are not yet locked in for the Dallas walk yet, but when they are we will let everyone know. It is really cool because all of the participant’s friends and family can come and cheer them on. Yesterday my boss Angela mentioned that she would be there at the finish line with one of the other managers. It feels really good to have their support and it really feels like we are making a difference.

Welcome to Our3Day.com! This blog was created to document our participation in the 2008 Breast Cancer 3-Day in Dallas/Ft. Worth. It will take place November 7-9. We are Laurie Brosius and Nikki Grillo, and we look forward to sharing our adventure with all of you. Visit often to get updates on our training, fundraising, and everything leading up to the big walk.