Date: 2010-02-01
To: Going bald for kids with cancer!
Miles today: 0.0

Hello out there!On March 7, I am going to shave my head, and I need your help. I've sent this text in an email and posted it on facebook, but this is so closely connected to my hike, that it just made sense to post it here, too. If you have a few minutes, please read my story below to understand why I am shaving my head. If you don¢t, please scroll down to ¢Here¢s How to Help¢ and consider contributing anyway. A $10 donation to a wonderful cause is all I ask. Thanks so much for your time!Three years ago, I saw an ad in the paper that changed my life. The ad led me into a job that opened my eyes and my heart. It brought into my life some of the most amazing children and families I have ever known. I have always been full of life, but these kids taught me what it is to really live. We have all heard stories of children with cancer and seen pictures that make us simultaneously cry and fill with hope. Until I spent my summer days and winter phone calls getting to know the kids and families that came to Big Sky Kids (BSK) camps, however, I never really understood what a cancer diagnosis means to a child. I have heard countless stories of how each individual child learned that something was wrong, and then the circumstances under which he heard those terrifying words, "You have cancer." Those three words mean that he will suffer through chemo treatments, miss long periods of school, sports, and normal routines, and eventually be forced to confront his own mortality at a very young age, when many of us can't even confront ours as adults. Because all of this is happening at a time when other kids are growing and figuring out their place in the world, cancer doesn't just go away after treatments are finished. No matter how perfectly the treatments go, it stays with all of the kids in some way or another for the rest of their lives. I tell you this not to make you sad or hopeless. The families I have met are precisely the opposite, and I do my best to learn from their examples. Faced with incredible adversity, they are some of the most optimistic, hope-filled, and incredibly resilient people I have ever met. As I said before, they have taught me how to really live, and it is in large part their enduring spirit that will keep me driven and focused as I hike up the trail this year. Last summer at Big Sky Adventure Camp, I made a promise to 18 very special kids. I will fulfill that promise on March 7, 2010, four days before the start of my AT thru-hike, when I shave my head completely bald. It is here that I ask for your help. I will shave my head in solidarity with every child who has had to lose her hair involuntarily thanks to chemo, and also to raise awareness and to raise money for two very worthy organizations, each addressing one of two huge needs for kids with cancer. The first organization is St. Baldrick¢s Foundation.They orchestrate the world¢s largest volunteer-driven fundraising event for childhood cancer research. The money raised at hundreds of St. Baldrick¢s Day events each year funds more in childhood cancer research grants than any organization except the United States Government. I am one of 788 female shavees signed up so far for a 2010 event. (There are 3,919 male shavees signed up.)The second cause is Big Sky Kids, a program within Eagle Mount ¢ Bozeman. BSK runs three summer camps and a spring ski weekend for children with cancer and their families. I had the great honor of directing this program for three years and can tell you firsthand that each and every camp changes lives forever. To get a better idea of why camps are so important for families battling childhood cancer, read this awesome article: Grace Under the Big SkyI know that, like me, most of you don¢t have much in the way of excess funds this year, so I am not asking much. If you can, please choose one of the above organizations and donate $10. That¢s all I¢m asking. Skip the next couple of mochas at Starbuck¢s, or cook at home instead of ordering that pizza tonight. These donations will add up quickly and do a world of good to a child with cancer. Can¢t spare $10? Do what you can! Every single donation helps! Here¢s how to help:To donate to St. Baldrick¢s Foundation, go to http://www.stbaldricks.org/participants/ErinFuller and either donate directly from the site, download a donation form to send in a check, or call the number listed to donate by phone.To donate to Big Sky Kids, go to http://www.eaglemount.org/donate.html and click the ¢Donate¢ button on the left side. You can also send a check to Eagle Mount ¢ Bozeman, 6901 Goldenstein Lane, Bozeman, MT 59715. Either way you donate, please put ¢Erin Fuller head shaving¢ in the memo line. All donations marked this way will go directly to the Big Sky Kids program.Of course, if you are inclined to donate more than $10, please don¢t let me stop you , but $10 is all I ask. It will go a long way! Thank you so much for helping this worthy cause! I will post brand new bald-headed pics on my journal within a day or two of the event on the 7th. Thanks again for your support, everyone!!!