In May of 1999, my eighteen-month-old son, Kevin, was stricken with Transverse Myelitis. Immediately after we received the diagnosis, my sister, Jan, went on the TMA chat site and started corresponding with Cathy Dorocak (mother of TM patient, Rachel). Cathy was very sympathetic and helpful to our family over the ensuing months. After about nine months of coping with Kevin's illness, I wanted to follow Cathy's lead and raise money for The Transverse Myelitis Association. After all, the website was our link to Cathy and to so much information about Transverse Myelitis. Even at the best medical facilities in Chicago, we were referred to the TMA website for more information about TM. The website confirmed that Kevin was receiving appropriate treatments and gave me confidence to advocate for him.

On top of feeling indebted to the TMA, after looking at the TMA financial report, I knew that any money raised would be appreciated. Additionally, I was motivated to help Kevin and other TM victims. I was frustrated talking to so many specialists and have their answers be "I don't know" or "There are no studies on TM patients."

I approached longtime friends who had been devastated by Kevin's illness and were always asking how they could help. Once enough agreed to a fundraiser for the TMA, we decided not to reinvent the wheel. We met with another local family who had raised money for muscular dystrophy research. Out of this meeting, we came up with a game plan: a barbecue, a "Rolex watch" raffle, and a silent auction. Good friends, Eric and Lynne Carlson, generously offered their beautiful home for the site of the barbecue. Additionally, Eric and Lynne and my sister and her husband, Jan and Al Gunneson, offered to pay for the cost of the event so that everyone's donations would be 100% tax deductible. While this was extraordinarily generous, it also motivated us to keep our costs down as much as possible while having a sophisticated event. We sought donations and price cuts from all of the vendors. Additionally, we only had a portion of the meal catered: ribs, grilled chicken, and grilled vegetables. The rest of the sides and desserts were provided by friends and family. A liquor distributor donated all of the wine and other friends donated the beer. Raffle tickets were printed for free. Another printer printed our invitations at cost. A musician cut his price in half.

All of this came from several strategy sessions with about eight motivated friends and guidance from the TMA. Responsibilities for the event were broken down so that we could each focus on a separate part. Early on, we decided not to work too hard on the silent auction and to put more emphasis on the raffle. The raffle was an integral part of our event, but please be aware that there are federal and local laws governing raffles. Also, it is better to come up with a more generic prize, i.e., round trip airfare, money, etc. However, most people purchased tickets to support the cause, not to win. Why a Rolex raffle? We had the ability to get a men's Rolex watch at cost through a jeweler connection. We priced the raffle at $5 a ticket or six for $25.00. From there, the raffle chairperson had 10,000 raffle tickets printed. She was quite ambitious. Next, we immediately sent $500.00 worth of tickets to friends and family around the country. I put information in the newsletters of my children's two schools.

Once the raffle was underway, we worked hard at creating a compelling invitation and a large mailing list. Again, friends were instrumental. One friend, a graphic designer, designed the invitation. Lynne and I wrote and edited the copy. Finally, another friend came through and found a printer who printed the invitations at cost. My other sister, Kathy Cacioppo, cultivated the mailing list and the RSVPs. The time we put into the invitations was well worth it. A picture tells a thousand words. Three different pictures of Kevin, two in his stander, were on the cover with information about TM and the barbecue inside. The invitation served both as an invitation and as an educational tool about TM.

We planned to host about 125 people at the barbecue. In order to attend the barbecue, we requested minimum donations of $75.00 per person. Knowing the party was a busy weekend in June, we sent the invitations to around 300 homes. This list was generated from our Christmas card list, as well as many of my friends' friends. Additionally, my husband sent 50 more to work associates. We also included $50.00 worth of raffle tickets in each invitation to the party. Including raffle tickets was crucial as it gave people an easy and less expensive way to contribute without going to the barbecue.

The last portion of the event, the silent auction, kind of fell together. The core group of people let it be known that we needed auction items. In the end, we had over 40 items ranging from beanie babies, a week's vacation at a Colorado mountain home, airline tickets to anywhere in the U.S., to sports autographs. The range and variety of items made for a lot of fun for the whole crowd.

I also contacted other local TM sufferers. One gentleman, Bob Spielman, paralyzed from the chest down, contacted his friends and family via e-mail and was able to raise about $4,000.00 in two weeks. This was the first opportunity most of his friends had to show their support for him and his family.

In the end, we had a great event. We had around 125 guests who all had a great time. After paying for the Rolex watch, we were able to raise almost $48,000.00 for TM research. I am indebted to my dedicated friends and family who enabled this to happen.

If I am lucky enough to inspire anyone else to take on a fundraiser, I would be happy to consult with you. Even if you would like to take on a smaller fundraiser, I have many ideas and would love to help. During the TMA Symposium in Baltimore, I was introduced to many dedicated doctors and researchers. Let's give them the financial support they need to improve the quality of life for TM patients!

Pictures from the fundraiser, as well as our invitation are available for viewing on the TMA website.
(http://www.myelitis.org/kevinscause/Kevin%27s_Cause1.htm)

Jeanne Hamilton
1226 N. Mitchell Avenue
Arlington Heights IL 60004
(847)670-9457
JeanneMarieH[AT SIGN]msn.com