Only $2,300

I met my $2300 fundraising minimum today for The 3 Day!

*does a happy dance*

Time to raise the goal and get back to work.

What? You thought I was done at $2300? Nope.

Fundraising is a HUGE part of The 3 Day. There is a $2300 fundraising requirement. If by one month after the walk you have not raised that money, it comes out of your own, personal pocket. That's right, YOU are responsible for it! But the truth is, the majority of walkers raise their $2300 before their walk happens.

"Well, what if I want to raise $2300 and then stop?"

That is completely your choice. BUT... if that is what you're deciding to do, allow me to introduce you to a few people:

First up, is George. If you've been part of the Boston 3 Day, even just once, then you know George. He carries a stick with him... a very large stick. And whenever he arrives at a pit stop or lunch or camp, he yells out, "HONEY! I'M HOME!" And we all yell back at him in greeting. I had heard about George the first day I was in camp, and finally met him on Day 2 at lunch. His smile and laugh are contagious. He lost his wife in 2009 to cancer. Both of his daughters have passed away. And yet, he smiles and laughs and walks and passes out hugs.

Then there's Dusty. Trust me, you can NOT miss Dusty. He's the tall, bald headed dude... walking around in a pink bra. Yep. A pink bra. And it sparkles, or has tassels, or lights up, or something. But you can't miss him, and you don't want to. He will crack you up, motivate you to walk another mile, or run in to the street to retrieve your run-away water bottle (thank you, Dusty!). He's been on Oprah, has pictures of himself and Tim Gunn holding a pink bra, and shows up at nearly every breast cancer fundraiser in his area. I could tell his story, but he's much better at telling it himself: Why Dusty Walks

Finally, there is Betty. Unfortunately, you can't actually meet Betty because she passed away 11 years ago from breast cancer. I wear her name on my shirt and carry her picture around my neck when I walk. I was never able to meet Betty, either. But I have met her wonderful family, including her son, Danny, who has made it his mission in life to help end this disease. He's very blessed to have a celebrity platform to stand on from which to do it, but even if he didn't, I have no doubt that he would fight just as hard. I'm blessed to work with him on a website dedicated to her and the fight against breast cancer: RememberBetty.com

I can't imagine sitting down and explaining to any of these three people that I'm only planning on doing the minimum amount of fundraising. I have no doubt that, with a smile on their faces, they would all say that was great, because $2300 is a lot of money. But for me, it's not ENOUGH money. It will only be ENOUGH when there is a cure for breast cancer. Until then, I'll celebrate meeting my minimum for a few minutes, and then I'll raise the bar.