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And Now a word FOR our PINK Party sponsors!

Tuesday, April 29th, 2014

Well I’m not sure “sponsors” is the right word, Maybe supporters or just friends trying to help us make a big difference. A lot of hard word goes into doing charity fundraisers. We have participated, hosted, organized and created many of them for a variety of causes over the past years. Some have been for Veterans, some for Developmentally and mentally delayed individuals and this one for Breast Cancer. One thing I have learned they would not be possible or what you could consider successful as in actually raise money if not for the generosity of people willing to help in the form of donated, time, money or “grease”. The kind of grease that gets the ball rolling and others motivated to be multipliers.

Big ones like Bank of America

You have “BIG” sponsors you see like Bank of America which is a National Sponsor for the Susan G. Komen 3 Day. I use them as an example. They help bring the “Big Show” to the road. What I’m talking about for this blog post is those special folks who step forward and help us reach our goals both monetary and awareness, by helping to get the event “greased”. And Boy do we have some really cool grease.

Sawovski Crystals and jewelry are in the well stocked list.

Ok ladies I hear these are really cool?! See I’m a “typical guy”, I understand parts that make my motorcycle go faster or my Jeep climb higher. I call items in the picture “fishing lures” as I’ve noticed they have the same effect on the ladies and a really good shinny fishing lure does on a fish! But the same can be said for the guys if the jewels get the ladies noticed. All kidding aside Sawarovski jewelry is the bomb and we have some wonderful connections true to our cause that see fit we have several items with the Sawarovski name on them in our Auction.

I dream of Genie!

Now you are talking something I understand! So if your lady is decked out in that fine Swarovski jewelry she doesn’t want to have to get off the motorcycle to open the garage door for you does she? Well heck no so all you have to do is be the high bidder and…..Problem solved! Well maybe one of them?

Pro Football Hall of Fame Passes WITH a personal guided tour PLUS some HOF-SWAG!

Among the many friends and “family” Maize Valley has our lots of local folks who work with really cool places like the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Ann Wood lives just up the street and works at the Hall of Fame and put together a truly special one of a kind package. Gary and Francis Jervis have donated a complete Fine China set NEVER out of the box! I don’t have a picture of it because the box is over three feet tall and full of packing peanuts and shipping container packaging.

A Personal Trainer Makeover

My wife Michelle (pictured on left) and I are the reason for this party, we are raising the funds for the Susan G. Komen walk but Michelle’s Mom Donna is also a Breast Cancer survivor. After her surgery and treatment, exercise was prescribed and that brought her to Joyce her personal trainer. That was over 5 years ago and Donna still works out and Joyce is here to help in a different way by donating her services as well as that of some of her colleagues and friends also. Donna was always fit, lugging milk to the calves at the dairy farm but at 75+ years young Joyce has been a great help in keeping a healthy body and mind going forward.

Oh, did I mention there were more Fishing lures! 😉

Well, I wish I wrote better when it comes to English and grammar. Sorry but I crank these posts out in between managing our family farm businesses social media marketing efforts and fixing truck beds and driving tractors. (See my last two posts about this event here and here.) But the key is family, we work together here at Maize Valley. We do things like corn mazes, wagon rides, pumpking picking, wine tastings, and soon to be a brewery. But we couldn’t do it by ourselves, we need and appreciate the help of others. So on that note, Please join us for the PINK Party on May 7th if you can. Thank you our sponsors for all you do, because everyone deserves a lifetime!

Tags: Breast Cancer, PINK Party, Susan G. Komen, Susan G. Komen 3 day walk
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A Farmer’s Promise

Wednesday, April 23rd, 2014

This time of year we talk a lot about our Bra-Vo Bra Decorating Contest and our PINK Party both designed to raise funds for Breast Cancer Charities. In our case we focus on the Susan G. Komen 3 day, and here is why. This is a follow up to the last blog post about what the PINK Party was about.

3 Day opening ceremonies

The Susan G. Komen Foundation has raised more money for breast cancer research than any other single charity. They have had some setbacks the past couple years I will agree, they probably have not made the best decisions in all instances, maybe they got too big, I don’t know. What I do know is I have witnessed at many levels the 3 Day 60 mile walk do so much more than raise, spend or do whatever with simply money. It is also about “The Promise”, I’ll get to that later.

Just a "Civilian Cheerleader" along the route, you never knew the stories behind "why...."

I have seen it change lives, personally I have had it change my life such that I have been a motivated to become a “multiplier” for the cause within and separate from the SGK 3 Day. What is that worth? Again I don’t know nor does anyone else. The SGK 3 Day “rolls large” it moves people physically, mentally and spiritually. Let me say I mean no disparagement to any other event or charity in saying these comments I am simply stating what I’ve experienced and why we support the SGK 3 Day. It is a unique event when you string 3 days together over 60 miles it moves people beyond their comfort zones, it requires a big commitment in many ways not just the few days of the event. This really makes it “Special” to me.

Michelle in front of the Pink tent city her first year the walkers and crew

It takes an army of “crew” to support these walkers, it isn’t cheap. As a farmer I know how to move large things, deal with weather and understand logistics a bit, this is a big deal to pull off. They provide medical care, they feed them well, the AWESOME porta-jons, actually pretty nice showers, and safety is quite a play to orchestrate.

Portable shower rigs, boy they feel good at the end of 20 mile walk on a 90 degree day!

I think for the outcome they do a great job. As a farmer I know when I grow a crop some weeds are going to grow too. I just have to do my best to minimize that part and drive the positive aspects to the top. It doesn’t mean I’m going to stop farming because some weeds will grow if I do. I’ve got a job to do, as do the folks of all motivations that volunteer and make a career out of running charities. We are better off with their efforts than without. That is why we walk the 3 Day, also because it’s HARD!

I was a member of "Route Safety" Crew in 2011 "The Pirates"

Our motley crew on motorcycles and bicycles watched out for walkers safety in multiple ways. We were there to watch for medical conditions and get help if noted. We kept people off their phones when walking, we escorted the walkers at “tough” intersections within traffic laws, we told really bad jokes when people needed a smile. After a while only so many things rhyme with ARrrrrrgH!

Promise Me

Again I keep coming back to what is motivating me to write this. It’s the “Anti’s” as they are called now, those who can find fault in practically anything for whatever reason good or bad. But it is easy to throw stones at a glass house after someone built it. When “The Promise” was made we didn’t talk openly about breasts, make jokes about boobs or practically even acknowledge this “thing” existed. I promised my wife I would always be there for her in this journey, it was a small promise compared to one promise a sister made to another back in 1977.

Nancy and Susan

In 1977, breast cancer was still shrouded in stigma and shame. Nobody talked about early detection and mammograms. Nobody could even say the words “breast” and “cancer” together in polite company, let alone on television news broadcasts. With Nancy at her side, Suzy endured the many indignities of cancer treatment, from the grim, soul-killing waiting rooms to the mistakes of well-meaning but misinformed doctors. That’s when Suzy began to ask Nancy to promise. To promise to end the silence. To promise to raise money for scientific research. To promise to one day cure breast cancer for good. Big, shoot-for-the-moon promises that Nancy never dreamed she could fulfill. But she promised because this was her beloved sister.
I promise, Suzy. . . . Even if it takes the rest of my life.

Me and my Survivor

So this the “why” we are grunts in the fight against Breast Cancer and why we have chosen the Susan G. Komen 3 Day as our path. We ask for your support at the PINK Party or anyway possible. If you can’t help there we encourage you to look around for other opportunities that also exist with other groups that are also in the fight because everyone deserves a lifetime!