Hi all! I can't believe how close we are to BAT 4!

I just wanted to stop by and post about our new fundraising incentives. Just because the contests are over doesn't mean we should stop fundraising for FSMA! Jero sent this to the mailing list, but we wanted to post here too, just in case some people didn't get it. Here goes...

**************************************************************

Hello Everyone!

Our new fundraising tool, FirstGiving.com, has had limited success because only 17 people out of the 76 registered to participate have taken the 10 minutes (or less) needed to create a page! What are the rest of you waiting for? The bowl-a-thon is only 9 days away! Please read through this e-mail for a step by step guide to starting your own page, and to find out what perks we are offering those who set up a page. It's not too late!

A message from Garrett Lerner:
"I encourage each and every participant and guest to create a FirstGiving web page and send out a mass e-mail to their entire address books asking for sponsors. The goal of the event, after all, is to raise money, and this is the simplest way to reach as many people as possible -- and the results are always surprising. People will be happy to give ten or twenty, sometimes even one hundred dollars. Each participant has the ability to raise a thousand dollars or more if they will just take the ten minutes to create a web page and send the link to their e-mail family and friends."

Garrett asked me to write "click by click" instructions for creating a FirstGiving web page:

Click on this link: Zeke Lerner Celebrity Bowl-A-Thon for FSMA - Start page . On that page click on "Get Started".

New page: Click "Select". If you get a pop-up box, click "OK".

New page: Enter your email address and click "Continue".

New page: Fill in your information; name, address, etc. Enter a password. Review the 2 check boxes at the bottom of the screen. Click "Continue".

New page: Are you part of a team?
No: Click "Continue".
Yes: If your team is listed, click "Select" next to the team name.
Yes: If your team isn't listed, enter the team name in the box on the right. Click "Add Team"

New page: In the box after Firstgiving - Online fundraising for everybody enter a short identifier for your page. Enter a title for your page in the box on the left. (Everything else is optional.) Click "Continue"

New page: Look it over and click "I am happy with my changes."

New page: Click "Email your supporters now."

New page: Enter (or copy and paste) the email addresses of your family and friends. If desired, edit the message in the box. Click "Send".

That's all there is to it. Most of the pages only have one option to click, so it goes very fast.

One participant told me that she really liked it. She felt uncomfortable asking people for donations in person but she had no problem with sending emails. ;o)

Did you know that you do not need to be a bowl-a-thon participant to create a FirstGiving page and raise money for FSMA?

You can create a page to show support for your favorite celebrity or show.

Maybe you can't make it this year but still want to support Zeke and FSMA, create a page to show you care.

A fundraising page in memory of a loved one is a great way to show they haven't been forgotten.

And for our participants and their guests, here are more incentives to create a FirstGiving page:

1. If you raise any money online through FirstGiving you will receive 5 free raffle tickets!

2. Anyone who raises $100 or more online through FirstGiving will be in the first group to go into the tent. That means you will get first choice of seating for the Celebrity Q & A and auction! You'll be close to the stage and celebrities so you should get some really great pictures! :o)

Previously raised amounts do count.

So open up your email address book and tell your family, friends, colleagues, former colleagues, college friends, and fellow members of church/clubs/PTA about Zeke and FSMA. You may be pleasantly surprised by people's generosity!