Winding down the year



So much has happened in the last two weeks!  Roger ran the Richmond Marathon.  Thanks to many of your last minute donations (as well as a wonderful anonymous matching gift), we reached the $10,000 fundraising goal.  As promised, Roger ran the 26.2 miles in his hot pink running skirt.  He finished the race in somewhere between 5 and 6 hours (depending on whether you go by the "chip time" or the "official time") and after a few days of recovery, he was fit as a fiddle (or at least no worse for wear).

Thanks again to Rachel Pustilnik of Stroller Strides and the Mother Runners fitness group for providing training and moral support during this last year.  Special thanks to Dr. Anna of Atlee Chiropractic for the regular adjustments that keep Roger's joints limber!

Roger's next marathon will be the Big Sur race in California in May.  If anyone is interested in running this race (or the many smaller races associated with the event), please contact Roger so we can build a Race Team. 

One week after the marathon, Ashland was abuzz with Citations for CJ.  This event helped us raise over $650 for the Foundation.  Special thanks to everyone that helped make this event a success, including:





Kellan Morris tries to get bailed out!


• Ashland Police Chief Doug Goodman

• Celebrity Judges Faye Prichard and Mark Joy
• Chick-Fil-A Virginia Center
• Susan Greenbaum
• Alpha Phi Omega chapter at Randolph-Macon College
•  Henry Clay Elementary School 
• Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter at Randolph-Macon College 
  Ashland resident Dan McCaffrey gets cited for "failure to trim beard"
    



Roger and Celebrity Judge Mark Joy give the "thumbs up"

Board Member Meredith Hayes gets a "sobriety check"

We finish off the year with another distribution of Financial Assistance Grants.  We received over 17 applications for this round and we were able to award 12 grants for a total of $6000.  The remaining applications will be held "in place" until our next distribution period in 2011.  For more information about the good work we have been able to do thanks to your generous donations, please check out our Annual Report. 

On the personal front, Roger and I have been inundated by all kinds of emotions over the last few weeks.  Any of you who have experienced a personal loss know that the holidays can be a difficult time.  We are flooded with memories of holidays of the past and sad that we cannot share this year's holidays with our dear Charlotte.  In all honesty, it is difficult to have a Happy Holiday.  Last year at this time, we were preparing for our amazing Make-A-Wish trip to Florida and I think often of those days.  We are grateful for the support and space that our friends and family continue to provide for us at this time.  Though the year is coming to a close, there is still much to do at work and that will keep us busy and (somewhat) distracted.  In addition, we plan to take a few days after Christmas for some personal "retreat" time.  I am definitely looking forward to that. 

Thank you for joining us on this journey.

Thank you for helping CJSTUF become a reality.

Thank you for helping us give back to the community that gave us so much in 2009.

3 weeks till the Richmond Marathon!

Can we raise $3319 in three weeks?

The Double Marathon Challenge continues.  If our supporters can raise a total of $10,000 by November 13th, Roger will run the Richmond Marathon in his PINK running skirt.  (ooh la la!).  We know that our supportive network can help make this happen!

Two other major events are coming soon.  Get ready to start your holiday shopping because we have some beautiful, original pieces of jewelry inspired by CJSTUF and created by Sarah Blankenship of Crystal Paintbrush.  These pieces will be auctioned on eBay and 100% of the proceeds will go to CJSTUF.  The auction is scheduled to run from November 1-15th.  We will post more details on the website and the blog when the auction is LIVE.  If you missed the announcement in our last blog post, you can view some of the necklaces here.  Here's a preview of a few more pieces:

Finally, we are starting to plan for the 2nd annual Thumbs Up Ball!  Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 12th.  This event was our first official CJSTUF fundraiser and a  tremendous success this year thanks to the Mechanicsville Moms (Cool Spring Chapter).  This year, the baton has been passed to CJSTUF and Alyssa Johansen has stepped up as our Events Chair.  She is currently seeking volunteers who are willing to help with gathering sponsors and planning the event.  If you are interested in helping with this project, contact her directly at alyssajohansen@hotmail.com. 

That's all the major news to report.  Please continue to keep up with our Facebook and website updates. 

A long overdue update

So as many of you knew, Roger survived the Chicago Marathon.  Official finish time was 5 hours and 55 minutes.  Roger would like to thank our chiropractor (and CJSTUF board member) Dr. Anna Madland of Atlee Chiropractic for her diligent care before the race and Rachel Pustilnik of Stroller Strides for her exceptional training.  It was a warm day with temperatures reaching above 80 degrees by the end of the race so all things considered, he did a fantastic job!  His recovery has been exceptional as well.  I don't think I've ever seen him in such great condition 24 hours after a long race.

Now on to Richmond....

The typical recommended recovery between one marathon and another is 6 weeks but Roger is going to run ANOTHER marathon in Richmond on November 13th.  That's just a month away.  His goal for the Double Marathon Challenge is to raise $10,000.  Our current fundraising update is that we have collected about $6400.  The University of Miami fans are still leading the charge in pledge donations; however, Roger has raised a new challenge.  If Virginia Tech fans manage to raise more money than UM fans before November 13th, Roger will still run the Richmond Marathon in Hokie gear.  If we reach our $10,000 goal, regardless of pledges, Roger will run in the PINK running skirt!  Yes, folks.  You heard it right here.  If you want to see Roger run in a skirt, we have about a month to gain $3600 more in donations.  You can send donations directly to PO Box 854, Ashland, VA 23005 or donate directly on our website via PayPal.

Speaking of PayPal, I am excited to report that we are now able to accept all forms of payment for orders of T-shirts and window clings.  Just go to our CJSTUF store and place your order directly.  What are you waiting for? Christmas and Hanukkah are right around the corner!

October is quickly waning but mark your calendars for some very important November events:

Local jewelry artist Sarah Blankenship of Crystal Paintbrush has created a limited edition set of jewelry exclusively for CJSTUF.  We will be auctioning these pieces on eBay from November 1-November 15th.  100% of the proceeds will go to CJSTUF.  There will be necklaces, earrings, pins, and bracelets.  There will be about 20 pieces in total.  All pieces will be one of a kind, hand crafted with semi-precious beads and stones, freshwater pearls, and swarovski crystal butterflies.  Here's a preview:

Word has it that Richmond Magazine will be running a feature on Sarah's jewelry and the charity auction so we are excited for the publicity!

  

Our other major November event is set for Saturday November 20th.  Come out to the parking lot at Henry Clay Elementary School from 9 AM-12 PM for Citations for CJ.  Here's your chance to get a "moving violation" for a great cause.  All you have to do is drive through the parking lot, select your "fine" (ranging from $5-25).  Ashland's Chief of Police will cite you accordingly and then our celebrity judges (Ashland's Mayor Faye Pritchard and the Sheehy Ford judge "Mark Down" (AKA Mark Joy) will collect your fines.  We will also have opportunities for you to get thrown in "jail", getting friends and family to bail you out.  All for a good cause!  Mark you calendars, tell your friends, and get ready to get Ex-Cited for CJ!

I think Roger will share his own post-marathon update so I will end it here.  Thanks for the continued support.  I can't believe 2010 is almost coming to a close.  This has been a great inaugural year for CJSTUF.

September is Childhood Cancer Month...and we're busy!

If you didn't know already, September is Childhood Cancer Month. A few facts: 

• Childhood cancers are the #1 disease killer of children.
• The National Cancer Institute’s federal budget=$4.6 billion. Pediatric cancers received less than 3% of it.  
• Overall, one out of every five children diagnosed with cancer dies. In some forms of cancer, as few as one out of every five children will live.. 
• The cause of most childhood cancers are unknown and at present, cannot be prevented.  In contrast, adult cancers result from lifestyle factors such as smoking, diet, occupation, and other exposure to cancer-causing agents.
• Nationally, childhood cancer is 20 times more prevalent than pediatric AIDS yet pediatric AIDS receives four times the funding that childhood cancer receives.
• On the average, 12,500 children and adolescents in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year.
• In the U.S., about 46 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer every single school day.

What can you do to help?

• Wear a gold ribbon to support childhood cancer.  Let's make Gold the new Pink!
• Attend fundraising and awareness events in your area.  There is a Cookies for Kids Cancer fundraiser in Carytown and one in Short Pump next Saturday (September 11th). 
• Contact your Senator or Congressperson and advocate in support of more research funding for pediatric cancer.  Visit the Advocacy section of our website for more information. 
• Support our friends at ReeseStrong by registering for their 5K race (and one mile kids run) on September 18th.  Proceeds will benefit Aileen Jones, a local girl fighting cancer. 

CJSTUF is gearing up for its second distribution of Financial Assistance Grants. Our next deadline is November 1st.  If you know of a family that has a child with a life-threatening, chronic illness that requires frequent hospitalizations, direct them to the application on our website.  The application process is short and simple.  We will give away another $5000 to 10 deserving families on December 1st.  Help spread the word.

As usual, the calendar is full of CJSTUF events and opportunities so LISTEN UP!  We don't want you to miss out on anything. 

Business of the Month: As many of you head back to school, our September business of the month is Kate Hall and her children's book Richmond Rocks.  This fun book designed for kids ages 4-8 years of age is full of photos and illustrations of some of the fabulous landmarks in the Richmond, VA area.  Kate is donating 30% of sales to CJSTUF during the month of September and we will have autographed copies of the book at Romp n' Roll-Mechanicsville.  The books sell for $15.70 (tax included). 

For more information about our Business of the Month or to get a sneak peek at our October businesses, go to our website for more details. 

Word on the street is that the Hokies are playing some football today. 

Word on the street is that the 'Canes fans are TROUNCING the Hokies fans in the Double Marathon Challenge. 

Roger is almost halfway to his $10K goal and the 'Canes fans (or non-Hokies fans) are leading the Hokies almost 2:1.  How can you help?  Download a PLEDGE FORM and take it to your next Game Watch party.  Make sure your pledges indicate VT or UM and submit pledges back to us as soon as possible so we can keep a running tally of the results.  

Speaking of which: does anybody have access to a turkey costume?  It would need to be something Roger could run in (we're thinking a headdress, fantail feathers for the "tail" and maybe something for the arms?).  Roger certainly doesn't want to run in VT colors but we want to be prepared all the same!

Finally: This may be last minute notice for some but we are having a small work party at our house tomorrow (Tuesday, 9/6) at 7 PM.  We will be assembling CJSTUF Swag Bags and making cards for families staying at the Houston Ronald McDonald House.  Bring your crafty creativity, come one, come all.  Email Rachel or Roger if you have questions or need directions.

 

 

Summer Wrap Up...but wait...there's more!

As usual, there is so much to talk about you don't know where to start.

I will start with the most recent and pressing news and push forward.  Don't forget as August comes to a close that Nichole Frise is selling her Mary Kay wares for CJSTUF.  Any orders placed before Tuesday will benefit CJSTUF.  Treat yourself to a makeover or stock up on holiday gifts. 

Speaking of our Business of the Month I will take this time to let you know that we are BOOKED through February with local and home-based businesses who will be doing their part for CJSTUF.  Every little bit helps and we are excited and appreciative to partner with local entrepreneurs.  A sneak peek towards September and October:

September's Business of the Month will be local author and RichmondMom.com entrepreneur extraordinaire Kate Hall sharing her childrens book Richmond Rocks.  More info to come in a future post but we will be selling signed copies of her book and a portion of the sales will come back to CJSTUF in September.  Woo hoo!

October's Business of the Month will be M.Chase Photography.  Do you need beautiful family portraits for those ubiquitous holiday cards?  This is a great opportunity!  More details on Madison's beautiful website but mark your calendars for October 16th or give her a call today to set up your own photo session.  

In running news: 
Roger will be trekking it through Ashland this Saturday for the Patrick Henry Half Marathon.  I have duties at Romp n' Roll so if you're in the area, come out to cheer for the Mother Runner. No official word yet on whether the ladies raised that $1K and got him the pink running skirt BUT if they do, this is not an event to be missed.  I hope someone has a camera.

Roger's essay recalling his inspiration for running is featured in the August newsletter on the Chicago Marathon website.  Out of hundreds of entrants to the contest (and thousands of entrants in the marathon), Roger's essay was one of about a dozen chosen.   Hope it results in some good PR for CJSTUF too!

This fall weather reminds us that it's almost FOOTBALL SEASON!  In fact, College Game Day is coming soon.  The UM and VT camps are running neck and turkey-neck in the fundraising efforts so here is your challenge: take a pledge form to your next tailgate/gamewatch/football party.  You don't have to be a Hokie or a Hurricane.  We want Cavaliers and Spiders and Tribesmen (women) and even those Seminoles (I shudder as I write that) to do their part in Roger's Double Marathon effort.  Every little bit helps!  Our goal is $10K and we're already almost halfway there. 

We've got some 'Canes over here!
(Whoosh-whoosh)

Now for a few moments of advocacy for some of our friends... 

The folks at Miras Movement contacted us about spreading the word regarding brain tumor research funding that is currently making its way through Congress.  If you are willing and able, please visit the Advocacy section of our website (it's new!) with information about WHY this bill is important and HOW you can contact your DC representatives to advocate for this important bill.  

ALSO our good friends at ReeseStrong are registering for the 2nd annual ReeseStrong 5K .  We were so fortunate to benefit from the event last year.  Much of the money that was raised for our cause actually became seed money for CJSTUF when we found it would not be necessary for medical bills.  This year, the Kids Run is benefitting a 9 year old girl named Aileen with a brain tumor.  Please register today for the race on September 18th!  Maybe we can have a butterfly brigade?!? 

Ok, I think that does it for our major news.  On a personal note, I was able to get away to Boone, NC for a few days and it was a great time for rest, relaxation, and reflection.  This has been a week of vacation for The Faison School so I'm using it as an opportunity to catch up on projects big and small. 

AUGUST is gonna ROCK!

So who is ready for a fabulous AUGUST?

Now that we have our non-profit status, we are gonna rock the tax-deductible world! Bring it on!

A few of you have asked about our "official" address for reporting to the IRS. Our official address is: 9 Slash Ct. Ashland, VA 23005. I am guessing that they will also recognize our PO Box 854 address as well.

Roger is working feverishly to repair our PayPal account (must send in needed documents, etc.) and then we hope to have the donate button and online ordering available for our CJSTUF products. Remember, you can still place local orders (or even out of town orders) and pay with a check. I understand that a Bald Chicks Rock shirt has already made its way to a cancer patient in Memphis! Awesome!

August seems to be skewing to the ladies with some of our upcoming events. This Wednesday (August 4th) is the Wine Down at the Wine Loft. $5 admission gets you a raffle ticket, great appetizers, and access to a fabulous cash bar with unique and tasty wines. Additional raffle tickets are available for $1 each and I know that Kate Hall from RichmondMom.com will bring some fabulous swag to give away. There will be a brief presentation on CJSTUF (courtesy of moi) as well as a presentation by the authors of Feng Shui Love, a new book that tells us how to keep the "love corners" in our lives uncluttered. Bring a friend! Bring a date! Bring your neighborhood! (FYI, while the event is geared towards ladies, men are certainly welcome.)

Our Business of the Month for August is Mary Kay cosmetics and Nichole Frise is leading the charge. About 40% of each sale will come back to CJSTUF so now is a great time to get pampered, stock up on some of your favorite products, or even get a head start on your holiday shopping. You can get more information about how to order on the Business of the Month section of our website. Nichole has scheduled a pampering party on August 12th so make plans to attend!

Nichole will also take Mary Kay orders at the Rompy's Summer Concert featuring VINX! on August 19th. A huge thank you to our sponsors, including:

Atlee Chiropractic Center

Jade Enterprises

C&F Bank

Michelle Donachy Photography

Stroller Strides of Richmond

Renovation Resources

Clearsight Ultrasound

The Caboose of Ashland

Battlefield Auto Service Center

Each sponsor will have a table distributing information and/or selling merchandise to raise funds for CJSTUF. The concert is FREE but we will be selling CJSTUF t-shirts and decals. We will also have kids activities, opportunities to donate blood to VA Blood Services, firetrucks and ambulances for the kids to check out (courtesy of the Hanover Fire and Rescue) and tons of other fun stuff. It will all take place in the Stonewall Square parking lot (home of Romp n' Roll Mechanicsville) on Thursday, August 19th, 5:30-7:30 PM.

Very soon, Roger and I will be purchasing our airline tickets to Chicago for the Chicago Marathon on 10/10/10! As football season approaches, don't forget to take a pledge form (downloadable from our Double Marathon page on the CJSTUF website) to all your tailgate parties and football watching gatherings.

I think that the VT crew is leading the charge but there are plenty of UM folks who won't stand for Roger to wear the Maroon and Orange (even though he would look cute in a turkey suit)! Furthermore, I know some Cavaliers who don't take too kindly to Hokie colors either. Roger's goal is to raise $10,000 with these two marathons. Let's make it happen!

Action Items for the NETWORK

Time to reach out to the NETWORK for some action.

First of all, one of our Romp n' Roll employees, "Miss Samantha" is expecting in October and she has been nominated to win a Dream Baby Shower. We REALLY want her to win!!! Sooooo go to RichmondMom.com and vote for Samantha Dickenson by June 20th. She received three nominations so we're not the only ones who love her.

Second, the Tupperware sale (our Home Based Biz of the Month) is active. Go to the link on our website and place your order by June 24th. 40% of sales will go to CJSTUF. We are really close to finding at least one date for a home party so stay tuned for that if you're local.

Finally, Roger mentioned the inauguration of the Double Marathon Challenge in his last post. We have updated the website so you can go there to read more about all the ways you can get involved. There is a pledge form for those who want to start fundraising (remember: it's U. Miami vs. Virginia Tech). As much as I would love the sight of my husband running in a funny costume there is NO WAY that he will be allowed to wear HOKIE COLORS. If you have any interest in running any of the races (either of the marathons or the 1/2 marathon or 8K on the day of the Richmond race), you can use that as an opportunity to join TEAM CJ as well.

It's been a very busy week and an even busier weekend. My "weekend" consisted of the time between about 6 PM and now when I caught up on old episodes of GLEE. Other than that, I've pretty much been working since we returned from Colorado. Gotta gear up for our Grand Opening Open House at Romp n' Roll this coming weekend. Tell everyone you know!

Roger started his job at King's Dominion today. We'll see what kind of excitement that brings our way.

Here's to another week...

Mood Swings and The Double Marathon Challenge

Roger here,

Our trip to Colorado was really wonderful and I can't tell you how great it was to see my beautiful niece, Cerisa, walking down the aisle all grownup and stuff. She's a married woman now. Congrats C-Weed! It was an honor to sing at your wedding.

There were some very bittersweet parts, though for obvious reasons. CJ should have been there.

Coming back to Virginia was actually kind of tough on me for some reason and I'm still not completely over it. I've had quite a few "moments" the past few days and it's been harder than usual to think about Charlotte and what she had to go through. Tuesday was the worst day I've had in a long while. It all started when I was looking for a template of the CJSTUF letterhead and came across the letter I wrote to Disney. It was all downhill from there. I was loosing it at the drop of a hat and really feeling a distinct lack of self control. I had to sit in my car in front of Romp n' Roll for a few minutes and let it all out of my system before going in (probably feeling a little sorry for myself, I must confess).

The strange thing is, the moment I walked into Romp n' Roll, I started feeling better. Rachel was teaching my Babies! class because I had to come in late and it was so nice to see everyone laughing and playing. All the positive energy really bolstered me.

Another thing that doesn't help is that it popped into my head how we used to gauge Charlotte's pain level. The scale of 1-10 and the happy-to-sad face graph really didn't work for her but she would respond pretty accurately when we asked her if her pain level was "a little" (thumb and forefinger apart), "a lot" (hands spread several inches apart), or "alotalot" (hands spread wide apart). I so hate the fact that we had to use that system. Any system at all for that matter.

I've had a few more ups and downs since then but nothing like Tuesday. I'm sure it's just my every six month meltdown that comes about once a month or so now. I'm sure getting back into running will help that.

Hey I think I smell a segue!

Some of you may have heard about my "Double Marathon Challenge" (or "Double Marathon Madness" as Rachel calls it) where I will be running the Chicago Marathon in October and then the Richmond Marathon in November all to raise funds for CJSTUF. Well, training begins on Saturday! How would YOU like to be involved?

We'll need TEAM CJ members for spirit groups along the routes of both marathons and if anyone else wants to run in any of the races (there's also the McDonalds 1/2 Marathon, HCAVA 8K, and a Kids Fun Run in Richmond), let us know. Anyone raising $1,000 or more will get registration fees reimbursed!

I'm tweeking the pledge form to include a few extra choices. (More on that later but think "VT vs UM!")

It's a three day a week program that worked very well for me a couple of Richmond Marathons ago. Anyone is invited to come running with me. I will be running every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning bright and early Starting at 7am. Short runs to start off adding mileage as time goes by.

If anyone isn't part of an official training team, feel free to come out and mosey a while with me. I might be going slow but at least I'll be going.

I would love for some Richmonders to come with us up to Chicago and/or Chicagoans to come down to Richmond for the respective races. It'll be a heck of a party in both cities!

Did I mention my goal is $10,000? I really have no fear that we won't reach it.

Here's a great idea that I'm shamelessly stealing: PLEDGEWARS! I think most of you know that Rachel and I are both graduates of the University of Miami and when I'm not bleeding orange and blue for the Denver Broncos or green and yellow for the Packers, I'm mixing them and bleeding orange and green for the "U." For some strange reason, I have run into a certain amount of resistance from people in this part of the country; especially from those turkeys in Blacksburg. Well, to be fair, I want to give all you Virginia Tech fans the chance to show me who's boss, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. If VT fans raise more money than UM fans then during the Richmond Marathon, I will wear either a turkey outfit or neck-to-toe, including socks and underwear, Virginia Tech garb (I shudder at the thought!). The hat will be a pink or purple Charlotte hat no matter which side wins.

C'mon Canes! You must save me from this fate. We will be keeping a running tally going and we'll have to see what colors I wear on November 13th! Stay tuned.

Here's a GREAT memory we have of Charlotte: When we would say, "We've got some Canes over here," we taught Charlotte to say "Whoosh! Whoosh!" If that's not inspiration for you, I don't know what is.

Last but not least, Coco's Chocolate Dream Chocolatiers, the company letting us use "Chocolate Makes Everything Better," has begun making butterfly chocolates! I don't think I ever told her about the butterfly connection. Please go to her website and thank them or just say hi from a CJ fan. If anyone wants to do a "Chocolate Stand" as a FUN-raiser, let me know and we'll get it set up.

Thanks for letting me rant. I'll keep searching.