"But fundraising starts with fun!"

Well, yes, I suppose it does, but it's no coincidence that Team in Training provides its runners and walkers with lots of materials on...fundraising. The topic makes a lot of people go weak in the knees.

Even though my motivation to beat the ^$%#$$ out of leukemia and lymphoma is very strong and very personal, it does require--well, asking people for money. And yes, I struggled with that while I was drafting my first fundraising letter. I have always found the sell-to-your-friends-and-neighbors business model (e.g., Avon, Amway, Tupperware, Pampered Chef, Partylite, etc.) a little questionable. I mean, honestly, aren't you just exploiting your contacts to make them buy something from you? Now take that one step further. Granted, donating to a charity to fund research grants and hopefully save people's lives is a far cry from buying a peppermint-scented candle you don't really want, but the principle is just similar enough that it makes me a little uncomfortable. I think I would die on the spot if I were forced to take one of those cold-calling sales jobs. Just the thought of it makes me feel queasy.

If any one of the thirty-seven people I wrote to tonight is upset, I hereby apologize to you.