Copy of an email I sent out today

With 18 weeks to go until the marathon, I figure it was about time to get moving on the whole fund-raising thing since I've started my official training.  Here's the email I sent out:

Dear Friends and Family,

This week marks the beginning of my 18 week training plan for the 2012 St. Jude Marathon.  As many of you know, I am running again this year as a Hero.  I have pledged to raise at least $2500.00 for St. Jude Children's Hospital.  

St. Jude is an amazing place.  They continue to do great work to help sick kids.  They are doing an astounding amount of research into childhood diseases, especially cancers that kids get.  But, they can't do all their research and treatments without also doing a lot of fund raising.  Here's the greatest thing about the hospital - no kid is refused treatment because of an inability to pay.  In fact, nobody pays St. Jude.  It's all run on donations.  

Here are some facts about St. Jude:

• In 1962, the survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer, was 4 percent. Today, the survival rate for this once deadly disease is 94 percent, thanks to research and treatment protocols developed at St. Jude.
• In its most recent survey, Parents magazine named St. Jude the No. 1 pediatric cancer care hospital in the country, based on the magazine's survey of more than 75 children's hospitals nationwide.
• St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute.
• St. Jude is the first institution established for the sole purpose of conducting basic and clinical research and treatment into catastrophic childhood diseases, mainly cancer.
• Research findings at St. Jude are shared freely with doctors and scientists all over the world.

And, here's the statistic that I'm trying to help out with: 

• The daily operating cost for St. Jude is $1.7 million, which is primarily covered by public contributions.

This is where you all come in.  Please consider making a donation to this great cause.  There are two ways you can give.  If you want to do it the old-fashioned way, you can mail me a check, made payable to St. Jude Children's Hospital.  If you don't have my address, it's: 1076 Mirror Lake Lane, Cordova, TN 38018.  If you want to do it the "new fangled" way, you can go directly to my fund raising page at: http://fundraising.stjude.org/ScottSmith.  If you're sending a check, please do so before the beginning of November, if possible.  I have a mid-November deadline to get funds in.  

Also, I have a blog that I periodically update with either stories about my training or information about St. Jude and the Hero team that I'm part of.  You can read it at: http:\\stjudemarathon2012.blogspot.com.  I am also considering selling some t-shirts and I will send a follow-up email in a few days with information about those. 

Thank you for your consideration and your generosity,

Scott

"No child should die in the dawn of life." - Danny Thomas

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Hopefully, I'll get further down the road to my $2500.00 goal.