Phoenix Society Walkathon

“Here is my big pitch for help. We are doing a walkathon around the Charles River on October 8 for the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. I'm chairman of the walk.

I'm hoping people will support this. The easiest way is with a secure tax deductible donation on line (for sign up purposes, my team is PedXing, my name is David V.):

http://www.phoenix-society.org/

For some background see:
http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread/40399,-1.php

This is my pitch letter:

Greetings,

I am currently chairman of the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivor’s Walkathon to be held October 8th. It’s the first walkathon organized for the society, and the first time I’ve never done anything like this. I want to invite you to come to the reception, and I hope you will consider helping out. I’ve had lots of dedicated and talented assistance, but I need all the help I can get. We have a big event planned and have set up a lunch, silent auction, raffle and entertainment afterwards at the American Legion Marsh Post at Gerry’s Landing on the Charles River. The American Legion has generously donated the use of their facilities which they normally rent out for quite a lot of money due to the great location. My son, Natti, and a friend will be providing some of the musical entertainment. They are really very good together and have played at a number of commercial venues.

Regardless of whether you are able to help, I hope you will come to the reception. It would be great to see you there. Ways to help include:

• Sponsoring my team of walkers (we are team “PedXing” which is the name I use to sign in at trail registers when I backpack) – no donation is too small.
• Joining my team of walkers, or starting your own.
• Getting donations of food for the lunch
• Volunteering to help out on the day of the even
• Telling others about the event.
• Getting a business to donate food, money, or auction items to the event.
• Finding a business willing to sign on as an event sponsor.
• See the links and the info in the “How to Help” section, below.

We’ve had great success already with an extremely generous donation from the law firm of Swartz, McKenna and Lynch as well as major donations from SBLI, the MBA group, and Shriner’s Hospital for Children. Lots of very kind local businesses (Porter Square Books, Cambridge Music, Porter Square Veterinarians, Gargoyle’s Restaurant…). We’ve gotten official support from the Cambridge City Council and the Boston Fire Department. Bose has donated a wave radio, and local businesses have been great at providing gift certificates and goods for the silent auction. There should be some great items and incredible bargains to be had (including a very nice girl’s acoustic guitar).

I first found out about the Phoenix Society in 2004 after I received life threatening burn injuries. Due to a house fire in February of that year, I had received severe burns over about ½ of my body and inhaled a great deal of smoke. I had no idea of the severity of my injuries until I emerged from a drug induced coma in April, nearly two months later. My world and my body had changed dramatically. My home would be uninhabitable for nearly a year. I had a feeding tube and had lost 40 pounds. I was plastered with skin grafts that looked raw and sore. Scars lined my body and in the coming weeks, as I struggled to regain control over my body, I found I could not walk unassisted, and I had to have my food chopped and my liquids thickened as I had lost the ability to swallow properly. I struggled to get my mind around what had happened and the struggles to come.

My Story:

I owe my life to the swift action of the ambulance crew and the incredible skill of the staff at the Burn Unit of Massachusetts General Hospital. I owe many people a great deal. My fiancé (now wife) Ellen and my family were incredible. Siblings, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, neighbors, strangers, friends, the minister and congregation of the Church across the street from my house, scores of fellow hikers and backpackers I had met and many I had never met all helped a great deal and I will never be able to adequately repay them.

I was also very fortunate that early in my recovery I came across the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. For me, this is not an abstract grouping or organization – it is a fellowship of people who have survived burns and those whose lives have been touched by the burns of others. This fellowship has meant a great deal to me, the support I received touched me deeply as did the support given to others. When struggling with my own injuries and losses, I found inspiration in the compassionate support of burn survivors including many whose injuries and losses dwarfed mine. Working on this first ever Phoenix Walkathon is my attempt to give back.

I’ve had some inhibition of asking for help from people I am already indebted to, but I think this is a wonderful cause and I believe there is something special in this fellowship of burn survivors that will enrich those who participate with the group.

How to Help:

Walkers and contributors can sign up online, or through me. Any donations, all of which are tax deductible, should be in a check made out to “The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors” (there is a 10 dollar registration fee for walking which gets you a T-shirt and, hopefully, a gift bag) there is no fund raising minimum for walkers. To volunteer, to get a sponsor sheet, or to get directions to the event, please contact me. If you have a business or know of a business that might be willing to become a sponsor for the Walk – please let me know. We do try to promote major sponsors through T-Shirts, web logos and links, Banners at the event, mentions in the program, etc… The Phoenix Website is at: http://www.phoenix-society.org/ you may have to scroll down in the center to see the logo.

We have scheduled the Walkathon on the first day of National Fire Prevention week in order to draw attention to fire safety issues. In 2004, Ellen and I appeared on CBS’s morning news program (The Early Show) for a story on candle fires for this purpose: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/09/earlyshow/contributors/tracysmith/main660125.shtml

Since I’m giving links, I’ll also advertise my trail journals: www.trailjournals.com/pedxingLT

Many Thanks!

David”

“Wow! Great preliminary responses to the email, including a business sponsorship.
last edited: 9/21/06 9:01:04 PM”

“OK! I did not see where to put your team name. But I did put your name.

Best wishes for a massively successful event!”

“Thanks Phil!”

“I see - on line it doesn't have a space for the Team. I'm hoping we can a much better on line sign up interface next time.”

“Small bit of press inthe local paper:

http://www2.townonline.com/cambridge/artsLifestyle/view.bg?articleid=583880

Walk for Burns on Oct. 8
Thursday, September 28, 2006

Cambridge businesses are lining up to support the first New England Regional Walk for Burns Walkathon.
The walk begins at Artesani Park in Boston at 10 a.m., Sunday, Oct. 8. The walk is organized by the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors. Cambridge's David Vogel is chairman of the walk.
A post-walk reception will be held at the American Legion Marsh Post at Gerry's Landing. There will be lunch, entertainment, a raffle and a silent auction.
Organizers are seeking people who we can help with donations of time, money or materials, especially food for the lunch. Inquiries can be sent to PhoenixWalkathon@yahoo.com. For more information or to make donations, see phoenix-society.org.
For more than 25 years, the Phoenix Society has been connecting burn survivors, their loved ones and burn care professionals with valuable resources. The Phoenix Society is a national nonprofit organization created to uplift and inspire anyone affected by a burn injury through peer support, education, collaboration and advocacy.
Cambridge businesses supporting the walk include Cambridge Music, Porter Square Books, Cambridge Naturals, Gargoyle's, Wheelworks, Porter Square Veterinarians, Anokhi and Out of the Blue Gallery. Harvest Cooperative Market is donating some of the food.”