Skate for Kate

The Inspiration

My sister Kate was diagnosed with Crohn's last year and has been fighting it since then. We recently started working out together over video chat, and I couldn't believe how tough she was. She pushed herself so hard and was so strong, even though she was sick. Her positivity and determination through her struggles have been endless. I have been inspired every day since then to push myself harder in honor of her, to try and be as strong and tough as she is. Since I play roller derby with the Bleeding Heartland Rollergirls, this means skating faster and hitting harder at every practice, every game.

The Idea

I wanted to participate in the Indianapolis Take Steps for Crohn's and Colitis, a fundraising walk for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, but that is scheduled to happen on June 8. As it turns out, my last roller derby game in Bloomington (ever!) is also happening June 8 when we take on Toronto Roller Derby. Even though I will be playing roller derby during the Indy Take Steps, I wanted to show you all how much my sister's story and attitude have inspired me and still raise money for the CCFA in honor of Kate. So I'm putting my money where my wheels are. And since I'm a rollergirl, I don't do anything without my teammates. I'm asking you to pledge money for feats my team and I accomplish during my last game, such as $1 per point we score. There are plenty of achievements to choose from, or come up with your own and choose your pledge amount.

The Goal

I'm hoping to raise at least $750 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America. The CCFA sponsors basic and clinical research of the highest quality with the goal of finding a cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. They also offer a wide range of educational programs for patients and health care professionals, while providing supportive services to help people cope with these chronic intestinal diseases. These programs are supported solely through donors, grants, and fundraising efforts like this one. Kate has this to say about the CCFA: "It is a really great organization, and they have been really helpful to me personally. I've been to a number of their events and participated in a bunch of their online webinars, forums, etc. They offer a lot of really great resources for free."

The Pledge Process

There are three ways to donate:

Option 1: Choose a preset pledge from the options along the right-hand side. You'll be charged $10 immediately to lock in your pledge. Then after the game, I'll email you with the final amount you owe and you can return to this page to fulfill your pledge if you owe more money. For example, if you choose to Pledge $1 per point scored by the Flatliners, you'll pay $10 today. Then, let's say the Flatliners score 150 points on June 8. I'll email you following the game and you can return here to pay the remaining $140 you owe by June 30. Feel free to include a "cap" amount in the Comments section if you wish (e.g., "Up to $200 only"). Note that the initial $10 to lock in your pledge is non-refundable, but it will be applied to the final amount you owe.

Option 2: Propose your own pledge by clicking the green Donate Now button and select the "No Reward" option.  Type in $10 to lock in your pledge and then write your pledge idea in the Comments section below that. Again, I will email you after the game to let you know your final total and you can return here to pay the remainder. Feel free to include a "cap" amount in the Comments section if you wish (e.g., "Up to $200 only"). Note that the initial $10 to lock in your pledge is non-refundable, but it will be applied to the final amount you owe.

Option 3: Make a one-time donation of any amount, if you prefer that to making a pledge. Again, choose the "No Reward" option and select the amount you'd like to donate.  

Thank You!

Don't forget to watch the game on June 8, either in person (http://www.bleedingheartlandrollergirls.com/) or streaming online (http://www.justin.tv/bleeding_heartland). Thank you all so much for your support. I can't wait to show Kate the impact her determination and tenacity have made!