A huge thank you to everyone who helped out at, donated to, came to, and supported the Craft Fair. Despite the last-minute change of venue and the bad weather, we were able to raise almost as much money as last year. It was a wonderful day, and I am working on getting photos up on the website, as well a a few other little additions. I am so appreciative to all of you who help every year to make it such a success. I am so fortunate to have so many good friends and such a great community. The Foundation and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts. This money will go to support the wonderful work they do helping the thousands of people whose lives are affected by bone marrow disease.
Thank you again for all your help.
Catherine
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Friday, September 5, 2008
Tropical Storms, Community Houses, Silent Auctions, OH MY!
Well, it's been a crazy couple of days as we nervously watched increasingly depressing weather reports. However, my mom and I made the decision to move the fair to the Community House in town. Thankfully it was available and they were kind enough to rent it to us at their non-profit rate. The set-up there is wonderful, and we are really looking forward to it. Directions to the Community House and around congestion on 1A can be found on the home page.
Book autographed by Bill Cosby
Jersey autographed by Mia Hamm
If anyone cannot be with us tomorrow, but would still like to bid on our Silent Auction items, you can do so by e-mailing your bid to jakmak@aol.com between 11 am and 2 pm only. Please put BID in the subject line. We will try to inform people of the current highest bid, but it may be a bit difficult. If you would like to make a donation, please send a check made out to AAMDSIF (with Catherine's Craft Fair in the memo). E-mail c7a8t9@aol.com for more information on where to send checks.
Thanks again to everyone who has helped us out, donated, and made this craft fair run.
Here are our silent auction items:
Book autographed by Bill Cosby
Book autographed by Jamie Lee Curtis
Autographed photo of Tim Wakefield
We also have:
a $25 Anton's Cleaners gift cert.
a $30 Weathervane Tavern gift cert.
a $35 Indigo Bar and Grill gift cert.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Home Stretch
First exciting piece of news: The Red Sox Foundation has sent the "item" I was promised and it is an autographed picture of Tim Wakefield. Sox fans, get ready for bidding war! My parents and I are working to divise a method for those of you who will not be able to make it to the fair to send in a bid.
Second exciting piece of news: the amazing folks at AAMDSIF have helped me find a way to work around the limits corporations have on donating to individuals. They make it so easy to do this work for them! Many thanks to all of them for their support. From the first time I contacted the former Executive Director Marilyn Baker to my most recent e-mails with staff members evryone has been so supportive of my efforts.
Third exciting/mildly terrifying piece of news: the craft fair is in only 7 days and 11 hours from now! While I am very excited, since the fair is such a fun day, I have quite a bit to do in the next week. Between the craft fair and school, I am going to be very busy. It all ends up being completely worth it when I get to enjoy the day of the fair with so many family and friends. Thanks again to all of you who make the craft fair so much fun and such a success every year.
Second exciting piece of news: the amazing folks at AAMDSIF have helped me find a way to work around the limits corporations have on donating to individuals. They make it so easy to do this work for them! Many thanks to all of them for their support. From the first time I contacted the former Executive Director Marilyn Baker to my most recent e-mails with staff members evryone has been so supportive of my efforts.
Third exciting/mildly terrifying piece of news: the craft fair is in only 7 days and 11 hours from now! While I am very excited, since the fair is such a fun day, I have quite a bit to do in the next week. Between the craft fair and school, I am going to be very busy. It all ends up being completely worth it when I get to enjoy the day of the fair with so many family and friends. Thanks again to all of you who make the craft fair so much fun and such a success every year.
Monday, August 18, 2008
More Planning
Well, I seem to be hitting a small barrier in terms of getting sponsorship. Several businesses have responded very generously with donations for the silent auction. However, many of the businesses I have approached regarding donation of supplies or monetary support have replied and said that they are unable to support the Craft Fair because I am not a registered 501 (c) 3 charity. Since AAMDSIF already does all the good work I want to do with my fundraising, it doesn't make sense to apply for tax-exempt status. Any good lawyers out there know a way around this one?
We have gotten generous donations from several companies. Just for Fun stepped up for the sixth or seventh year in a row to donate cotton candy and popcorn machines. The folks there are so nice!
I am still in need of donations of hand crafted items and volunteers for the fair day! Please e-mail me at c7a8t9@aol.com for more information or if you are interested in helping.
We have gotten generous donations from several companies. Just for Fun stepped up for the sixth or seventh year in a row to donate cotton candy and popcorn machines. The folks there are so nice!
I am still in need of donations of hand crafted items and volunteers for the fair day! Please e-mail me at c7a8t9@aol.com for more information or if you are interested in helping.
D.C. and the AAMDSIF conference
7/31/08
Mom and I returned yesterday from the AAMDSIF conference. It was a wonderful trip and we were able to meet lots of great people, both patients and families as well as some of the Foundation's staff. It was great to meet some of the staff people, whom I have been e-mailing for a number of years. They were also quite happy to meet me, having heard about the fundraising I have done. This year was the Foundation's 25th anniversary so they had a lovely dinner to celebrate. The executive director gave a great speech inviting all of us to the 40th anniversary for, hopefully, a celebration of the eradication of bone marrow failure diseases. The next day the foundation hosted an event called Capitol Hill Day, where patients and families met with members of Congress to get their support for pieces of legislation which would help sufferers of bone marrow failure diseases. It was a lot of fun to meet with staff and members of Congress and to see how law making works up close and personal. The conference and Capitol Hill Day are just two more examples of the wonderful work of the foundation. I hope to help them continue this work by raising as much as possible at this year's Craft Fair.
Mom and I returned yesterday from the AAMDSIF conference. It was a wonderful trip and we were able to meet lots of great people, both patients and families as well as some of the Foundation's staff. It was great to meet some of the staff people, whom I have been e-mailing for a number of years. They were also quite happy to meet me, having heard about the fundraising I have done. This year was the Foundation's 25th anniversary so they had a lovely dinner to celebrate. The executive director gave a great speech inviting all of us to the 40th anniversary for, hopefully, a celebration of the eradication of bone marrow failure diseases. The next day the foundation hosted an event called Capitol Hill Day, where patients and families met with members of Congress to get their support for pieces of legislation which would help sufferers of bone marrow failure diseases. It was a lot of fun to meet with staff and members of Congress and to see how law making works up close and personal. The conference and Capitol Hill Day are just two more examples of the wonderful work of the foundation. I hope to help them continue this work by raising as much as possible at this year's Craft Fair.
Press and Sponsorship
7/28/08
Sponsor letters went out this week to all our past sponsors: Just for Fun, Crosby's, Stop and Shop, and Shaws. I also sent letters to quite a few new sponsors, hoping to get donations for the Silent Auction and general support. I also inquired at a few places about getting Craft Fair t-shirts made. I'm really hoping that works out.
Mom and I are off tomorrow for AAMDSIF's first Congress Day. That's right, I'm going to Washington! We'll be meeting with members of Congress and their staff to raise their awareness of bone marrow-related issues and some laws and projects that they should vote infavor of to help support those with bone marrow failure issues. I'm very excited, and I'll be sure to put up a report. I also plan to talk to some of the staff people at AAMDSIF about the Craft Fair. They have been very supportive of my efforts in the past.
Early press releases are going out to the calendar of the Globe, a few local TV news channels, and the calendar of a local radio station. Hopefully our press coverage will be increased this year! If anyone has a contact at the Associated Press, let me know! (Seriously, I'm planning on calling them.)
Sponsor letters went out this week to all our past sponsors: Just for Fun, Crosby's, Stop and Shop, and Shaws. I also sent letters to quite a few new sponsors, hoping to get donations for the Silent Auction and general support. I also inquired at a few places about getting Craft Fair t-shirts made. I'm really hoping that works out.
Mom and I are off tomorrow for AAMDSIF's first Congress Day. That's right, I'm going to Washington! We'll be meeting with members of Congress and their staff to raise their awareness of bone marrow-related issues and some laws and projects that they should vote infavor of to help support those with bone marrow failure issues. I'm very excited, and I'll be sure to put up a report. I also plan to talk to some of the staff people at AAMDSIF about the Craft Fair. They have been very supportive of my efforts in the past.
Early press releases are going out to the calendar of the Globe, a few local TV news channels, and the calendar of a local radio station. Hopefully our press coverage will be increased this year! If anyone has a contact at the Associated Press, let me know! (Seriously, I'm planning on calling them.)
Planning
7/9/08
Plans for the Craft Fair are already well underway. This year, both the Distant Sun and the High School Jazz Combo will be returning to provide live music.
This winter, I wrote to several organizations asking for their support of the craft fair. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sent me a very nice rejection letter (not surpising, given that the craft fair does not pertain to any of their fundraising directives). Newman's Own agreed to give a grant to AAMDSIF, and the Red Sox Foundation promised me "an item" for my event. The best response I got was from the Mia Hamm Foundation, which sent me an autographed Mia Hamm jersey! so this year, the craft fair will feature a silent auction in addition to all the usual fun. If you would like to donate to the silent auction, please e-mail me at c7a8t9@aol.com. We also need volunteers and donations for this year's fair. For more information on that, please visit the How You Can Help page.
I hope everyone is having a great summer, and I look forward to seeing you at the craft fair this year.
Plans for the Craft Fair are already well underway. This year, both the Distant Sun and the High School Jazz Combo will be returning to provide live music.
This winter, I wrote to several organizations asking for their support of the craft fair. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sent me a very nice rejection letter (not surpising, given that the craft fair does not pertain to any of their fundraising directives). Newman's Own agreed to give a grant to AAMDSIF, and the Red Sox Foundation promised me "an item" for my event. The best response I got was from the Mia Hamm Foundation, which sent me an autographed Mia Hamm jersey! so this year, the craft fair will feature a silent auction in addition to all the usual fun. If you would like to donate to the silent auction, please e-mail me at c7a8t9@aol.com. We also need volunteers and donations for this year's fair. For more information on that, please visit the How You Can Help page.
I hope everyone is having a great summer, and I look forward to seeing you at the craft fair this year.
Introduction
Hi Everyone!
I decided to move the "What's New" section here so that it's a little easier for me to make entries, and easier for all of you to read and comment on them. I'm transfering all the earlier entries I made as well. Please check back for updates on craft fair planning, I will try to write regularly leading up to the fair. Also, please comment so I'm not talking to myself here! :P
Thanks,
Catherine
I decided to move the "What's New" section here so that it's a little easier for me to make entries, and easier for all of you to read and comment on them. I'm transfering all the earlier entries I made as well. Please check back for updates on craft fair planning, I will try to write regularly leading up to the fair. Also, please comment so I'm not talking to myself here! :P
Thanks,
Catherine
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