Reid My Mind

There’s many ways to raise funds for nonprofit organizations. I personally do not favor simply asking for donations. I believe in providing something for the money if possible. I don’t think the monetary value of the good or service is the only factor. Take the PBS approach for example. Donors aren’t solely interested in receiving the latest book by Wayne Dyer or the Yani CD; they appreciate the programming only available via their local PBS affiliate.

Last year, my family and I sold my wife’s delicious Empanadas with all proceeds donated to Daisy’s Eye Cancer Fund. We considered the fundraiser a success, but the difficulty distributing food restricted our potential sales.

Penny PushUps really has no boundaries. The donation page, progress videos and advertising are all online. It’s so simple to share this post with your friends. Share the link to pennypushups.org via text message and suggest that others donate and share.

If you watched any of the videos, which are descriptive by nature, you know I am looking for feedback. Producing the videos takes some work. While the family is pitching in with art work, set design, videography, the tasks of producing the music mix, final video and uploading and hitting the social media platforms falls to me. I’d love some suggestions for music. It just needs to be upbeat and family friendly.

Are you working out at home with me? Let me know. If so, here’s Day 3, let’s go!

“I’ll do anything!”

I’m confident that just about every parent who has received the diagnosis of cancer for their child has thought this phrase. I know I have.

We can’t turn back time, but we can learn and even try new things to improve the future; if not for ourselves then for those who will follow. This is what Penny PushUps is all about. I’m not a celebrity with a large following who can draw donors with relative ease. I’m just an ordinary guy trying to use all possible platforms to raise funds and spread a little awareness about Retinoblastoma.

In comparison to the pain of watching your child go through treatment and often the loss of at least one eye, 100 pushups and everything that comes with it is a breeze. Won’t you help? While I ice my elbow and take a few Aleve, please go over to pennypushups.org and donate and then share and help us reach our goal. Don’t forget to watch our progress on Day 2.

“A penny for your thought…”

Beginning September 1, 2013 it’s “A penny for a pushup!”

#PennyPushUps: “Supporting children with eye cancer by turning 1 penny into $$$, 1 pushup at a time.”

Last September, which is Childhood Cancer Month, my family sponsored a fundraiser for Daisy’s Eye Cancer Fund. This organization, for which I am a Board member, provides support and spreads awareness of Retinoblastoma – a childhood cancer robbing children of sight and life.

I’ve discussed RB and the impact it has had on my life here in the past.

While our fundraiser last year earned over $650, between distribution issues and the nature of the fundraiser, we were limited in the amount of money we could raise.

So this year, we came up with something new. Something that will allow me to make a daily contribution to hopefully encourage you and others to donate.

For the entire month of September, I have committed to completing 100 pushups a day in 5 minutes or less. I am seeking donors to pledge a minimum of 1 penny per pushup. [For those of you who remember Crazy Eddie, please channel that voice now…] “Just $1 per day? That’s insane! That’s only $30 for the month.”

September being the 9^th month and 30 being the last day, I’m shooting for a goal of $930.

I know what you are saying, “T, we can do better than that,” my feelings exactly!

I’m hoping you would consider:

1. Donating
2. Sharing – use the social media widgets here to forward this post to your networks.
3. Support – Leave me a comment of support. Return here to follow my progress. I will post videos daily.

You can also follow me on Twitter and     InstaGram. Yeah, this blind brother has an InstaGram account now!

Don’t wait until September; you can pledge your support now.

Special thanks to my daughter, Riana Reid, for designing our logo.

A white pupil reflecting in a child's photo is a sign of eye cancer.

February 15 is World Child Cancer Day.

I remember the first time realizing I was a child who survived cancer.

Since my early teens I have been accustomed to completing the section of the medical forms that ask for information on prior surgeries and existing conditions. As usual I described my history, indicating I had retinoblastoma (RB) – a cancer of the eye that affects children usually before the age of 4.

During a physical as an adult, a nurse commented that I survived cancer.

I remember she had to repeat it because I looked sort of stunned. “You obviously survived cancer!” she said implying I should be proud of this fact.

“Uh, yes I did.” I responded.

Although I knew Retinoblastoma was a cancer…, I never focused on the fact that I had what could have been for me a deadly disease. I didn’t consider myself a survivor; I was just a kid who had RB as a child.

I’m sure my parents feared for the worst, but even in 1968 my odds of survival were greater than those outside of the US; I was fortunate. Not necessarily lucky to be born with mutations on my RB1 gene, but rather for the early intervention, proper diagnosis and privilege of living in the city where one of the premier RB specialist practiced.

While there are children in the US and other “first World” countries who do not survive this disease, children in developing countries throughout Africa, Latin America and Asia have a significantly greater chance of being overtaken by the illness.

What helps?

Like most cancers, early detection and proper diagnosis is crucial to saving vision and lives.

From the Daisy’s Eye Cancer Fund (DECF):

The most common early sign of retinoblastoma is a white glow in the affected eye (leukocoria), seen in flash photographs. When the cancer fills the eye, this reflection may be visible to the naked eye in dim light.

Stay tuned for more information about DECF and some interesting things this organization is doing around the world.

In the meantime, check out the website and while you’re there please, read Rati’s

Story.

Information saves lives, share this!