Recently, as I both started working on larger fundraisers for the hospital and evaluating whether or not to continue with Mini & Me where and how it exists today (the lease is ending soon...), I decided my fundraising needed to be more organized to be more effective. It needs a name. It needs a business plan. A mission statement. Something people can understand, sympathize with, identify with, and easily recognize by name and logo.
After Nick told me after his brain surgery "This is going to be life changing...But I'm strong," I knew that "STRONG" was my new favorite word...my theme...the name of a foundation if we ever built one. When the time came, our family sat around the computer dreaming up names and checking them against available websites on GoDaddy.com. We finally tossed "Sunrise" into the ring...A symbol of hope and renewal. Bright, happy, warm. And www.sunrisestrong.com was available on GoDaddy.com!! So our foundation was founded...On a Sunday afternoon. In our living room. "Sunrise Strong"
So far, we've hosted a lemonade stand at Mini & Me (www.miniandmeboutique.com)
And we've started a GoFundMe.com page--http://www.gofundme.com/SunriseStrong
We even filmed for a promotional video yesterday with the awesome Christina Fleming of Murasaki Media!
We still need a logo and non-profit paperwork filed, but we have amazing friends willing to work on both projects for us...pro bono. I sometimes feel like I've put the cart in front of the horse, things are coming together so quickly. But things that are meant to be sometimes do that...They just click and work and get started quickly and smoothly. I pray every day that Sunrise Strong will be that foundation that grows easily and quickly and provides comfort and support for decades and decades for families struggling through hardships caused by childhood cancer.
Nick and I and JoAnn Sloan went to Rady's with our first load of official Sunrise Strong donations yesterday. We talked to Andie, a child life specialist, and we're a little clearer on the needs at the hospital. We look forward to working more with Rady's and eventually hospitals across the country.
And no, I don't know the future of Mini & Me...We will continue to exist as a web store, but I'm not sure if we will continue to have a store front presence in San Diego. Ideally, I will be able to rent a more industrial space that is larger than the store front we have now. We need space for storage and distribution. We need a workroom. And if we can have a small retail showroom, too, that would be awesome! Stay tuned on that project...
And while I'm thinking about it--San Diego folks, please mark your calendars--AJ from Energy 103.7 will be going up in the Crane for AJ'S KIDS on November 7th in the IKEA parking lot in Mission Valley. He lives in the crane for a week until he collects at least 100,000 toys for Rady's kids every year. This year, on November 8th, his morning show producer, Hula Ramos, is hosting the first "Babyfest at the Crane" from 10:00-2:00. I'm helping coordinate vendors and entertainers, and this event will be AWESOME!!! Please join us!!
