Fundraising Wrap-Up!

December was a great fundraising month! Although I did not reach the $20,000 goal, we still raised an impressive sum of $6,820 in just 4 weeks! Thank you everyone for your amazing support and generosity. Be assured that your donations have been safely transferred to Off the Mat, and that the $ will fund 6 programs in South Africa to help prevent and educate against HIV/AIDS, and support those that are affected by this disease. This year, Off the Mat will be fundraising for relief efforts in Haiti. If your new year's resolution was to increase your altruistic behavior, check out the website and see if you're up to this year's Global Seva Challenge!

I also finished up my Be Nice! campaign; read below to check out my latest random acts of kindness....

- gave up 2 parking spaces to other drivers in SF

- came in early for work on New Year's Eve so a coworker could get off early to go to a party

- after getting off work at 3am on New Year's, i drove home 2 friends to the East bay so that they wouldn't have to take a cab or bus at night. i was pretty tired.

- made a "sisters & friendship" card for my 'sister' in Rwanda. (I sponsored a woman survivor of war through Women for Women, International). The card I made is a stamped and laminated card for her to keep, to remind her of her strength and our new friendship.

- wrote a nice message to someone that had written me a very negative message.

- purchased an extra copy of the highly recommended book The Alchemist, and left it in the Bart station for someone to find.

My biggest realization from this extremely busy month of fundraising has been that I am more excited to go about my days when I am engaged in projects that have a tangible, positive effect in the world. So, I will continue to direct time & energy into a project this year to help others in need. I'm not sure yet which organization I will be working with, so I will be doing some research this month until I find a project that I feel connected with and that resonates within me. Until then, thanks for reading and for supporting my efforts! Much love... Julie

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi

Three successful events...

Whew! What a month!

I am delighted to report that all three fundraising events went splendidly this month! Our most recent event, the Comedy Night & Silent Auction, was a great success and the comedians were hilarious! A special thank you to Ryan, Joe and Angela for helping me organize. And of course, to Murphy's Pub for the use of their space! We raised over $1k and had a wonderful time doing so!

Now that the events are over, I will be spending the next few days making calls and writing emails to see what last donations we can bring in by 12/20! I will also be finishing up my Be Nice! campaign, so make sure to check in for my latest acts of kindess!

A very special thank you to all my friends who have been so generous with their time, helping me before, during and after all these events. You truly helped me stay positive and sane!

Many people have asked where I currently stand in my fundraising goal. So far we have raised over $4k in just one month! Not quite $20k, yet still enough to provide substantial aid to our 6 partner programs in South Africa. And of course, I'm not finished yet. I've got 4 more days before the deadline! Thanks again to everyone for helping me to raise funds for HIV prevention and education efforts in South Africa!

*If you'd like to make a donation, please click on the Donate Here link on the right hand side of this blog. Thanks!

Auction Items for Tomorrow's Event!

Here's a little tasty taste of our auction items for tomorrow night... don't forget to bring extra $!

Silent Auction Items:

1. A singing telegram - The lucky acquirer of this item will be entitled to a serenade consisting of a single song (or medley of songs). The song (and choreography, if desired) shall be of the acquirer's choosing and may be anything they like. The outfit sported by the serenader shall also be of the acquirer's choosing (with some negotiable restrictions around nudity). Can you imagine the look on your friend's/lover's face when you send them a hilarious/romantic singing telegram?! Maybe at the office to make it extra embarrasing/delightful?!
2. 1.5 hour reiki session by Jose Mauras - If you've never experienced the benefits of reiki, now is the time. Balance your body's chakras and allow your energy to move freely through the body. Revitalizing, strengthening & transformational; you'll be hooked.
3. 1.5 hours of Life Coaching by Toi Lynn Wyle, MS, MFT, ERYT - Clarify your life direction, set goals or move further along a path towards your future. (Please nobody bid on this, I want it for myself. Just kidding, you can bid, I'll just have to outbid you).
4. 1 hour Shiatsu Massage by Marissa in your home - Shiatsu uses finger and palm pressure along pressure points in the body to release tension, relieve stiff muscles, improve circulation and increase energy levels. Excellent for those sufferng from back & neck pain, fatigue, stress, arthritic pain and headache.
5. 1 hour Private Yoga Session with Sammie Host - An invigorating and mindful Vinyasa flow private, tailored to suit your body's needs.
6. 5 class yoga pass with Brian Stewart - A vigorous yet rewarding approach to Vinyasa yoga that links movement with breath and explores the grounding power of the earth, the fluidly of water and the heat of fire. Classes held at Mission Yoga, SF.
7. 1 hour massage by Mike Braxton - Ahh, ultimate relaxation. Your choice of massage! Choose from Swedish, Deep Tissue, Aromatherapy or Reflexology.
8. 5 class yoga pass at Satori Yoga Studio - Choose from all levels of Iyengar, Flow, Hatha and Restorative Yoga. A beautiful sanctuary located in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
9. 60 minute Yoga Nidra session by Julie Mallari - A guided meditation in your home with you, or a small group of your friends. Through breathing techniques, mental visualizations and total physical relaxation, we tap into the subconscious mind to release mental, muscular and emotional tensions. You will emerge feeling completely energized and rejuvenated.
10. Photography by Matt Cohen - Stunning photos by this talented, artistic Bay Area photographer.
11. One Year Zipcar Membership and Free Day in a Mini ($185 value) - The perfect gift for your friend without wheels. A convenient, affordable alternative to owning a car in ticket-happy San Francisco!

...and more!

Raffle Item: $25 gift certificate to Murphy's Pub!

My scribble-scrabble!

I'm trying to organize my thoughts and check-list for tomorrows Comedy Night & Silent Auction. Event planning is no easy task! I thought it'd be fun to post my scribble-scrabble here. ;)

1. Send out final emails X

2. Create SS of donors X

3. Create gift certs for all donors

4. Create program

5. Buy paper

6. Print program

7. Make itinerary X

8. Make will call/guest lists X

9. Print guest list/will call list and bid sheets

10. Starting bids for auction items

11. Make signs/poster for bar, so easy to find! Say "Check in at back for stamp"

12. Make bid sheets X

13. Make info sheet for helpers, and email tonite

14. Find digital frame, set up photos on frame

15. Envelopes for peeps for addtl donations

16. Make donation box

17. Make reserve signs for tables

18. Bring pens & tape

Itinerary

530pm - arrive at murphy's, get gift cert from lynn & tell her bout stamp

- tape posters

- set up auction items

- set up program on seats

- at door set up: person, raffle tix ($2 x 5), BPT will call list, guest list, stamp/ink

- guests stamped as they walk in (need for $1 off beer)

7pm - guests arrive. stamp, then direct them to silent auction downstairs and to grab a seat.

8pm - show starts

930pm - show ends; give 'thank you' speech and remind peeps they have 10 more min for auction bids.

945pm - announce auction & raffle winner, receive payments

10pm - drink beer and relax. yay!!!

Comedy Night & Silent Auction!

Hey everyone! Don't forget to come out for a hilarious night of comedy this Thursday! Check the flier for the deets, and invite your friends! $1 off draft beers, a silent auction, and 5 great comedians including Kevin Camia as our headliner!

Be Nice! Days 5-10

with all the fundraising events this week, it has been difficult to maintain my Be Nice! updates! my apologies for being late. here is a summary of my acts of kindess for the last week...

- when i was in San Mateo the other day, i passed by 2 parking meters; one expired, and one with only 3 min left. i fed both of the meters to spare the car owners a parking ticket (cuz we all know how infuriating parking tickets are!)
- on a couple occasions walking in downtown SF, i picked up trash on the street and threw it into the garbage. this was pretty nasty, but hey, someone had to do it. i used napkins to pick up the trash, so i could be as sanitary as possible.
- one day when i was in the Bart station, the station worker was extremely friendly and helpful to me. so i went up to the Starbucks outside the station and bought her a cup of steaming green tea (it was freezing that day). she was so shocked and happy, and it made me feel really good to see her smile :)
- i took in my neighbors' trash cans after the trucks came around to empty the garbage.
- oftentimes when i get off work downtown, i leave food on the newspaper stand for the homeless people to eat. sometimes i'll leave hotdogs and popcorn, and other times i'll bring food from home and leave it out.
- i tipped a very nice bartender $20 on 2 drinks.
- i received excellent customer service at a couple of places last week. the employees i was speaking with were extremely knowledgeable and friendly, and i wanted them to be recognized and appreciated for their service. so i called the companies and spoke with their managers, complimenting their employees on doing a great job. they were pleasantly surprised to hear my comments, and said they would let their employees know.

phew! being nice is a lot of work! sometimes it's hard to think of really nice things to do for this campaign, so if you have any ideas, lemme hear em! more to come in the next few days... thanks for checking in!

Speed-dating Success!

speed-dating event turned out awesome awesome last night!!

we had 11 couples join in the fun, each guy meeting each girl for a 4-6 minute period before speeding over to their next date. lotsa laughs, good music, delicious drinks & apps, and lovely people coming together for a great cause! a special thank you to all my friends who helped out, and to MINK for sharing their beautiful venue for the event!

this week has been really busy, with the 2 fundraising events and one more coming up next week. planning one fundraising event in a month is a lot of work, and to plan 3 in a month is pretty, well, crazy! at times it gets a bit overwhelming, so i need to take a moment to breathe, trust, and keep things in perspective. thankfully i have great friends to support me.

tomorrow we have Native Elements and DJ Freeze at MINK Bar, which is gonna be super fun! it will be really nice to just chill, dance, listen to good music and hang out. can't wait! hope to see you there!