Lunch for Life - From Deqlan's blog

Hello!

Ready to put on your running shoes? It is that time of year again when we all race to challenge everyone to give up a Lunch for Life! Over the years Lunch for Life has helped the Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation fund some incredible research and neuroblastoma initiatives. It is each and every one of our families and children that makes Lunch for Life such a success every year. We have impacted lives. We are closer to a cure today because of this participation. However, as much as we would like to focus on our successes, we find ourselves even more desperate for a cure than ever before. Why? There is incredibly important neuroblastoma research that is sitting out there, unfunded. If we don’t raise the funds needed to support it, it simply won’t be an option for our children. Bottom-line, over the next few months it is necessary for us to raise $500,000.00 for neuroblastoma research. While we would love to raise more this is just the bare minimum of what is necessary. Without this funding we can guarantee that there will be fewer options for our children and the ones that follow in their footsteps. Without this funding, there will be fewer trials than we have today and there will be fewer kids on trial. That is the sad reality. It depends on us – you, your friends and family - to make sure this does not happen. We can make a difference. We can make substantial change. There are over 400 families of children with neuroblastoma that are participating and we have a large voice. We need those research dollars and we need people’s lunches. Please stand up with us again and fight for this very important neuroblastoma research. In these economic times, we appreciate that you, your family and friends; just like us, are paying very close attention to where every dollar goes. We want you to know that your lunch money has, and will continue, to do great things. Over the years we have funded research which we are all incredibly proud of, and you should be too. In fact,we would defy anyone to identify a single research proposal that is more important or meaningful than what we have funded this year. That is what Lunch for Life is all about – funding research that is necessary and meaningful. This year at the CNCF’s Neuroblastoma Conference for Parents and Caregivers I, on behalf of Lunch for Life and the CNCF, outlined manyof the proposals that we have helped fund. This presentation is online, and covers much of the reasoning and rationale behind our funding. I encourage you to view the video to see an overview of the items that our lunches have helped to fund. It can be found here:http://cts.vresp.com/c/?ChildrensNeuroblasto/fd9b5dccbb/82c14345c2/d0ed298716/docid=-3833421150602147926&hl=en Furthermore, over the next few weeks we plan to outline some of the incredible research we hope to fund in the coming years. This plan will go into detail as to why this research is so mission critical, and why this research will make a difference. This research is in our hands, totally dependent upon the funds that we raise today. Our Giving Tree program is alive and well, and will continue again this year. Each donation made in honor of a child with neuroblastoma will earn that child gifts under their tree. Those gifts will be mailed out at the end of the year to that family. In addition, each minimum five dollar donation made in a child’s name will earn that child’s family a chance to win a Walt Disney Dream Vacation. The drawing will be held on December 25, 2008. Please visit the website to update your information, pictures and to view your family’s tree. We want to thank you again for your support of Lunch for Life. Remember, the concept is simple and if we all work together we can continue to create some amazing changes. It is just lunch, but it truly does mean lives. We urge you to help us get the word out. Write email, make phone calls, post messages on your CaringBridge pages. Urge everyone you know to donate the cost of one day’s lunch to the Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation through Lunch forLife, and ask them to help spread the word. The process is simple. Just ask them to donate online athttp://cts.vresp.com/c/?ChildrensNeuroblasto/fd9b5dccbb/82c14345c2/e7d69281ad. The more the better too, in the past we have had tremendous success by getting our employers and schools to help sponsor a Lunch for Life day. It is a great opportunity to help spread the word and most importantly get those research dollars. We will fund the cure. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me atmdungan@lunchforlife.org. We have everything you need to help you raise money for research. We will supply you with flyers, posters, information and those coveted Lunch for Life lunch bags. Just let me know what you need. Please also be sure to visit the website for sample emails, information, and ideas on how to best get the word out. With hope,Mark Dungan