<strong>Fund</strong>raising MythsAt the <strong>FA</strong> <strong>Family</strong> Meeting atCamp Sunshine, <strong>FA</strong> parent and cofounderof the <strong>FA</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Fund</strong>,Dave Frohnmayer, discussed themyths and rationalizations that familiessometimes use not to raise funds.Dave identified such myths as:• I can’t raise enough money to makea difference.• My friends don’t want to help.• I would be embarrassed to asksomeone for funds.• It would devastate me if my neighbors(relatives or friends) did notdonate if I asked.• It would embarrass my <strong>FA</strong> child ifI were to ask others for funds for <strong>FA</strong>research.• I need to focus my efforts on bonemarrow drives.• I don’t know how to raise money.• I don’t have the time.• We really need to find a Hollywoodcelebrity (or athlete) to raise fundsfor us.• The benefits from research are toofar away, so why should I waste mytime raising funds?Dave pointed out that every dimeraised makes a difference, especiallysince no one else is going to raisefunds for <strong>FA</strong> research if parents donot do it. Foundations and otherdonors are impressed with a broaddonor base, even if individual donationsare small. He noted that, justas no one is embarrassed to ask adoctor for help, there is no stigmaattached to raising funds for researchthat can benefit all those with <strong>FA</strong>.Dave observed thatfriends, in fact, do wantto help and are eager todonate. While everyonehas had the experience ofhaving friends or relativeswho do not donate,it is important not topersonalize theirresponse as a rejection.These individuals maychoose to help in a differentway or have theirown problems.Contrary to the myththat fundraising embarrassesa child, Dave andothers find that childrenare encouraged that theirparents are trying to advance <strong>FA</strong>research and pleased to know thatothers are pitching in to help.Dave, as a founding member ofthe National Marrow Donor Program,acknowledged the importanceof bone marrow drives. However,many in the general population areconducting those drives whereas fewin the general population are raisingfunds for <strong>FA</strong> research. If there is achoice between doing one or theother, funding <strong>FA</strong> research wouldseem to be more important to ourgroup. Dave encourages <strong>FA</strong> familiesto find the time to do both if theycan.When will we ever have “time”? Itdepends on what we choose as priorities.Dave notes that he and Lynnsimply have had to make time intheir extremely busy schedules toraise funds. They literally spend daysduring Christmas vacation writingpersonal thank you notes to theirdonors. They make this a priority, asthe best use of their limited time.Dave observed that it is easy, andcompletely ineffective, to defer one’sown responsibility for fundraising tothe elusive “Hollywood celebrity.”Dave Frohnmayer discusses fundraising mythsat <strong>Family</strong> Meeting.The <strong>Fund</strong> has benefited from donationsfrom celebrities and billionairesbut, even if a celebrity raised fundsfor us, we would still need the effortsof all <strong>FA</strong> families, given the high costof advancing <strong>FA</strong> research rapidly.The last myth, regarding thefutility of raising funds because thebenefits from research are so faraway, is not true. The <strong>Fanconi</strong><strong>Anemia</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Fund</strong> may be thesingle most effective rare diseasefundraising group in the world.Since 1989, fifteen short years, <strong>FA</strong>science has advanced rapidly, simplybecause of the funds raised by <strong>FA</strong>parents. Had it not been for theirefforts, researchers would not befinancially able to study <strong>FA</strong>, nogenes would have been identified,and bone marrow transplant successrates would be extremely poor.Myths notwithstanding, fundraisingby <strong>FA</strong> families has made all thedifference. ◆16 <strong>FA</strong> <strong>Family</strong> <strong>Newsletter</strong>
<strong>Family</strong> <strong>Fund</strong>raising EffortsFrom January 1 through June 30, 20<strong>04</strong>, <strong>FA</strong> families raised $553,828 for <strong>Fanconi</strong> anemia research. The <strong>Fund</strong> alsoreceived donations of $4,154 through the United Way and $5,057 through the Combined Federal Campaign. Ourthanks to all of you who have worked so hard to raise critically-needed research dollars.$200,000 and upDave & Lynn Frohnmayer$100,000 and upGlen and Peggy Shearer$60,000 and upJohn and Kim Connelly$20,000 - $60,000Deane Marchbein and Stuart Cohen$10,000 - $19,999Andrew and Vicki AthensBrian Horrigan and Amy LevineFred and Nancy NunesMark and Diane Pearl$5,000 - $9,999Claire AshurstKen and Jeanne AtkinsonRandy and Nancy BloxomDonald and Danielle BurkinBeth and Jeff JanockBob and Andrea Sacks$1,000 - $4,999John and Audrey BarrowDarryl Blecher and Diana FitchAntonino and Marie DiMercurioEd and Janice DuffyAllan Goldberg and Laurie StronginCharles and Katy HullErik Kjos-Hanssen and Turid FrislidGregory and Lynette LowrimoreLorraine and Kevin McQueenVirginia NapolesJack and Lisa NashDerek and Ginger PerssonAdam and Laurie PlattePeter and Janice PlessShirley QuiliciMarcia ReardonLynn and Rick SabloskyBill and Connie SchenoneWilliam and Mary UnderrinerMarge ZaborneyUp to $999Cherie BankMark and Linda BaumillerJohn and Francene BerglundDiane BradleyRoel and Diane BrandRichard BrigaLynnette ChandlerFloyd and Susan ClarkTyler and Teresa CliftonRichard DayJoseph and Tracey DeMarcoCarol DillonPat and Mary DiMarinoNathan and Ann EckstadtPaige EllisDavid and Mary Ann FiaschettiStephen and Doreen FlynnGary and Melody GanzMaria and Josh GodwinTodd and Robin GrayAlan and Rachel GrossmanMitchell and Tirzah HaikJohn and Martina HartmannBonnie and Robert HutchinsChristie and Randy Kelley“You may have theloftiest goals, the highestideals, the noblestdreams, but rememberthis, nothing worksunless you do.”~ Nido QubeinShaid and Melvina KhanJoseph KonikowskiAyala LauferRene LeRouxBill and Jackie LucarellSteve and Allison McClayCecelia MelolingGriff and Cecilia MorganAndrea MorrisJohn and Betty MozisekSheila MuhlenKenny and Lisa MyhanTony and Lina NahasBob and Alice NicholsonDianne and John PloetzMichael and Kay ProctorPedro and Marina RaveloKevin and Katie RogersBrenda SeifordMatt and Diane SenatoreLillian ShermanBryan and Karen SiebenthalJeff and Debby SlaterChris and Amanda SmithKaren SteingartenMark and Susan TragerMike and Beth VangelMark and Sandi WeinerKim and Michael WilliamsDonationsDonations may be made to the<strong>Fanconi</strong> <strong>Anemia</strong> <strong>Research</strong> <strong>Fund</strong>, a501(c)(3) organization, as follows:Online: Look for the Donationslink on our home page(www.fanconi.org).Telephone: Call us at (541) 687-4658 or toll free (800) 828-4891.Mail: 1801 Willamette Street,Suite 200, Eugene, OR 97401.<strong>Fall</strong> 20<strong>04</strong> 17