Effort 26 – Cessation of the Constant Noise
I will share the joys, pains, and dirty little secrets of my life with multiple sclerosis. My goal is to find a reason to convince you to support/share my fight against MS. Please donate today: https://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/eleanor.
I require more than 30 Efforts, less would create an unsubstantial portrait of the man who needs your support. 30 days is an unrealistic timeline — once discovered, neither accurate words nor the courage to write them, develop so quickly. How many efforts will this take, and how much time will require to share them? I don’t know the answer, so I will just continue writing.
This is Effort Number 26…
I had a heated argument today. It went something like this:
I’m done.
[No, you’re not.]
I sent out my last fundraising email today.
[Do you mean your last annoying, badgering, nagging fundraising email?]
You’re an ass.
[That may be true, but you still not done yet.]
The annoying part is he was right. Well, I was right. He, meaning me, my inside voice, was, is — whatever…
With about a week left in our fundraising season, there is not much more direct outreach I can do. Between on- and off-line money received, we are sitting at about $32,000 for our bike MS campaign. That is an amazing number! Add the $15,000 donated by NEVER STOP NEVER QUIT to the MS Gala, and we’re looking at $47,000 so far.
So, yes, in a sense I am done. My direct email messages, social media outreaches, and personal pleas come to a halt — I’ve surely reached a thankful point for anyone who I’m connected to digitally. One Constant Noise comes to a rest, for now.
What can you do?
Three words: DONATE — SHARE — COMMENT
Donate: if you have not had a chance yet, this is my appeal to be part of the 2019 bike MS fundraising support. Incredible generosity got us this far.
- Average donation: $141
How far can we go if everyone I reach donated $141? Heck, $100, $50, $25, $10 – they’re all needed and cherished just as much. I sent signed copies of my books to each of our high-level donors (over $300), but every donation will receive a thank you from me. I do have some friends who keep of all the bike MS thank you cards on their fridge (https://neverstopneverquit.com/thanks/cards/). It really does warm my heart!
Share: I cannot do this myself, nor has that ever been the intent. Your generosity can have an exponential increase just by sharing my messages to ride your network of friends, family, and colleagues. Forwarding messages, sharing on Facebook or LinkedIn, or sending them one of my links. Every effort opens the floodgates that much more than they were before.
Comment: I’d love to hear from you. What do you like? What do you want to see more of from me? What can I do differently to gain and retain your support?
There is so much more we can do. Everything starts with those three words: DONATE — SHARE — COMMENT.
What’s next?
For me, my appeal continues through these Efforts. I committed at least four more, but it’s doubtful I’ll be able to stop there. I’ll wrap up the issues fundraising and then close it out with a barrage of answers to the “What’s next?” question I’ve been pondering for myself. So many changes in the next chapter, but we can’t get there until we close out this one.
The other next is the final push and focus on the MS Gala this Saturday, here in Portland. NEVER STOP NEVER QUIT has secured the best collection of wines in our 10 years of collecting wines for fundraising. 90 bottles and three tastings, custom crated with a retail value of over $5000, will be up for auction at the premier MS event put on by the Oregon Chapter of the National MS Society.
There are so many stories clamoring in my head, it’s difficult sometimes to focus on my priorities. This post is my attempt to do so.
- Priority 1: DONATE — SHARE — COMMENT
- Priority 2: 30 Efforts, and then some
- Priority 3: MS Gala
- Priority 4: What’s next?
I hope the stories will inspire your donation to my fight.
Because it is a fight.
The fight is not over and it won’t be over until a cure is found.
It will never stop…nor will we
It will never quit…nor will we
This is why we ride!
Please donate today: https://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/eleanor
100% of the royalties earned from my books go to the National MS Society, to support our fight: https://neverstopneverquit.com/books
Never Stop… Never Quit…?
Kevin Byrne
Portland, OR
www.neverstopneverquit.blogspot.com
Never Stop… Never Quit… Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off.