fundraising update!

Thanks to a very generous donation from R's friend R in South Korea (thanks so much!!), I've now raised $2625, or 44% of my goal!

Also, I've enlisted my Nana to fundraise on my behalf and will be giving her a bunch of postcards this weekend--with the sixty million different church groups she goes to (I think that she is at LEAST fifty percent more popular than me--last night, I called her and she told me that I would have to call her back later because she had ten or so people at her house), I'm very happy to have her as part of my fundraising team!

I'm only $375 away from the half-way mark!

update, days late

Since my last update, I've received three additional donations. My fundraising total has now reached the $2500 mark ($2525, to be more precise)!

Thanks so much, E, for your very generous donation, and for dropping into my office immediately after receiving a postcard (with your coat still on, no less!) to let me know that I could count on your support!

Also: thanks, I! I'll thank you in person at lunch today, but here's an "e-thank you" to tide you over.

Finally: thanks, L! I really appreciate your support!

Since I've met my first fundraising deadline, I'm now being set up for training with the Running Room. I'll begin training updates once everything gets finalized!

(yet another) fundraising update!

Big news: I've raised 40% of my goal!!

A correspondingly big THANK YOU, of course, is in order!

Thank you A and A, friends and fabulous coworkers, for your generous donations!

And, I'd like to send a big thank you to T, R's friend and former professor for his generous contribution!

fundraising update!

Thanks to generous donations from R's friend C in Australia and my lovely co-worker S, I'm now only $3725 from reaching my goal!

I know that I've been saying this a lot, but the generosity of my friends and co-workers continues to amaze me!

in which sarah laments the fact that one of her most lovely friends lives on the west coast

A, thanks so much. Did I mention that we have to keep in better touch, just like we did in those days when: a) e-mail was New and Exciting b) we were young(er) and idealistic(er) c) we weren't Horribly Busy "Adults" ?

Perhaps I should let the world know: A, penpal extraordinaire, knew me when I was sixteen, and when my idea of exercise was twenty-five or so crunches done while lying on the carpet of my old living room listening to Punk Rock. Embarrassing, really, but I'd like to think that it's a little endearing as well.

Fundraising total? $2215!

friday's update, delayed

Well! Who knew that a five-page FAH100Y essay on Manet's "Dejeuner sur l'herbe" could be so time-consuming? I think I've lost my ability to focus, academically speaking at least. End result?--I barely checked my page all weekend.

I'd like to send a delayed, huge thank you to R's friend K (about whom I've heard a good deal but who I've yet to meet) for his very generous donation!

As well, (another) thank you to R for being such a fabulous canvasser!

New total? $1965, or 33% of goal!

fundraising update!

Great news to report--I've received four additional donations! My fundraising total currently sits at $1785, or 29.75% of goal (perhaps I should just round up to 30%?!).

From my end, thanks to two of my tres fabulous co-workers, L and S, for their tres generous donations!

From R's end, thanks to his friends G in Toronto and J in Vancouver, as well as to his friend and former co-worker A. I've met J only briefly at his Toronto movie premiere (see! I really do know famous people!), and G very briefly at the gym, and I haven't met A at all, so let me say this again: thank you so much for your generosity!

On a related note, R, the competition is on! I can't let your friends donate more than my friends! B and R: expect calls VERY soon signalling the opening of the Belleville and Guelph branches of "Team Sarah".

an afternoon update

If only all days could be like today--it would definitely remove some of the stress involved with committing to raise such a huge sum of money!

A huge thank you goes out to two people for their very generous donations: one to my fabulous co-worker (thanks, L!) and one to R's sister (thanks, D!). Both will be receiving "e-thank you letters" in the very near future.

New total? $1670! Or, 28% of goal!

who knew that i would have to update this more than once per day?!

Thanks to two very generous donations, one from a lovely co-worker (thanks so much, J!) and one from a climbing friend of R's who I've met a few times (and who I plan on thanking profusely in the near future but will electronically thank right now: thanks, D!), my campaign total now sits at...wait for it...$1600!

$4400 to go!

thank you, mommy dearest!

Well: I can always count on my lovely mother to even up my fundraising total. Now, if I can just get everyone to make odd donations ($81.73, anyone?), I'll be in fabulous shape.

New total? $1500!

I can't even begin to describe how much I am looking forward to this little adventure. I feel as though I should be listening to Bjork, non-stop. In order to distract myself until my Team Diabetes-supported training begins in mid-April, I think I'll start making mp3 playlists for my long runs.

Thank you, so much, to everyone who's donated thus far! My time at the United Way last fall compels me to say "Without you, there would be no way!", even though I know it's kind of (very?) crass to hijack fundraising slogans. Maybe I could just Valley Girl-ize it?--"Without you, there would TOTALLY be no way!" Yes. That's definitely the solution.

the postcard campaign: in full swing!

I just received an online donation--thanks, M, for donating even before I had a chance to give you your lovely, customized postcard!

$1470 down, and $4530 to go!

anniversaries

Thank you to my lovely Nana and the rest of my family for their donation on such a sad/happy day.

My campaign now sits at $1450, which is just high enough to keep me from getting nervous!

I love you, N, M, S, D, J, C, and L.

progress a-go-go!

Thanks to two lovely and unexpected donations, one from a friend of a friend and fellow runner and triathlete (thanks, M!), and one from one of my Gold Star-rated nearests and dearests (thanks, J!), I'm now up to $1300, and am now only $100 away from meeting my first fundraising goal of $1400, well over one month ahead of schedule! That's a lot of exclamation marks!

Because of my trip to Chicago, I'm a bit behind on my running, but anticipate being able to run a half-marathon sometime in the spring before marathon training begins in earnest.

Thanks again to everyone who's donated for your support--it's very much appreciated.

Also, since I've started using this blog as a thank-you page, I'd like to retroactively thank S in LA--my very first contributor--and S from UW, as well as R for being a fabulous cheerleader and for providing future graphic design support for my upcoming postcard campaign (Ooh! I let the cat out of the bag.).

On Sunday night...

I went for an eight-or-so-mile run--from my house at Queen/Dovercourt to Dupont/Avenue and back. It was one of the better runs I've had over the past year, not least because the weather was absolutely perfect and I had my iPod to keep me company.

Things are looking good for Reykjavik--very good!

running in the cold

R and I went for a 6-mile yesterday. It was freezing.

I've also started walking to and from work every day (5 miles in total), and am at least somewhat confident that I'll start running again on weekday mornings. I'm also somewhat convinced that this blog is going to turn into a catalogue of good intentions never fulfilled.

and now: fundraising begins in earnest

I arrived at work today to find a lovely donation notice in my e-mail inbox--thanks, Mom!

This weekend, I hope to be able to source supplies for my crafty fundraising project, and to actually find some time to run.

recovering from christmas indulgences

One of my former colleagues at the United Way made a very generous donation to my campaign today, and that, coupled with a tumbleweed-related comment from a certain person (Brad) has motivated me to update regarding my campaign's progress.

I went for a 6-mile "Recovering from Christmas" run with R on Sunday, and it went surprisingly well. Over the holidays, I ran a short distance on December 24, 25, and 26 to try to (at least somewhat) offset my excessive consumption of Christmas candy.

This week, though, I'm returning to a normal training schedule (or maintenance schedule, at least).

With regard to fundraising, B and I have come up with an absolutely fabulous "crafty" idea...stay tuned!

saturday morning, six miles

Went for a run: St. Clair to Bayview, Bayview to Eglinton, Eglinton to Avenue Road, Avenue Road to St. Clair.

Six miles, and I feel as though I could have gone for at least another...half-mile. I think, though, that this whole marathon thing is going to work out quite nicely.

wednesday evening fabulousness

Went out for a five-mile run last night (to Dupont and Christie and back). The weather was gorgeous and I had to take off my mittens half-way through.

Listening to Belle and Sebastian while running down Christie Street in the blue glow of Christmas lights, I found myself compelled to jump up in the air a la Terry Fox in an old picture book of mine (I'm sure that there are less obscure references, but that's all I've got). I didn't, though, and managed to make it home without embarrassing myself by tripping over a curb, etc.

Tonight? A quick two-mile run after Italian class.

small victories and interim goals

I'll be running a half-marathon in Montreal on February 5.

As of this week, I'll be running four (or so) times per week, with short runs on Tuesdays and Thursdays, a slightly longer one on Wednesdays, and a long(ish) run on Saturdays.