The Amaryllis Campaign went better than I thought it would for the first one I have ever done.  I managed to sell 12 kits and raise $144.00.  I am looking forward to having an even more successful campaign this coming October.  This time I am going to really make sure that I am out there selling them.  They sure are one of the most beautiful flowers in full bloom. 

Below is the article written about our first teamHD Prince George Run For Lor.  I really hope this reaches as many people as possible and that maybe it causes some people register for the walk or make a donation.  We all need to live with our eyes wide open to the people around us that suffer from HD. 

Each year, our chapters raise more than a million dollars for the Huntington’s cause through walks, runs, volleyball tournaments, golf tournaments, horseback rides and more. Here we pay tribute to just a few of the powerhouse events from 2012.
Run for Lor
What: 1 and 5 km walk/run
When: September 23, 2012
Where: Masich Place Stadium,
Prince George, B.C.
Why: To mark the first anniversary of Lorelei Dale’s death
In the words of organizer Heather Chalmers:
Twenty people registered for the event but over 60 people actually came out. I was blown away. I started off thinking it might just be a small
since this was the first event for HD in Prince George, but I was very glad I was wrong!
I did most of the organizing, but I have amazing friends and family who got everything set up on the day itself, and my good friend Kathleen helped me stay on track. The National Office held an information session the day before, and having Lor’s family come from various places in B.C. to take part was very special.
I think what made the run successful is that it needed to happen. I lost a very good friend to Huntington’s, and there is not enough awareness about the disease. That needed to change.
This event was just the beginning. Last fall I launched an Amaryllis campaign in Prince George, and I’m already starting to plan the next Run for Lor. Our goal for the 2012 run was to raise $3,000. We surpassed that by almost 200 per cent. Next year we will aim higher, and even higher for every year from then on, because we have shown that we can do it.

Huntingtons Society - The Amaryllis Campaign

The Amaryllis Campaign is next on our fundraising agenda.  Kathleen and I will be organizing a few different dates for selling the kits.  Here is the information about the kits. 

"Each kit is priced at $12 and contains one high-quality Orange Souvereign bulb, growing instructions, soil, pot and saucer, and is packaged in an attractive gift box. Bulbs can be planted immediately or stored in a cool, dry place for holiday gifts. Gorgeous orange-red blooms will appear approximately 6-8 weeks after planting."

If you would like to pre-order one please email me with the best way to contact you when we receive them. We will update you when we have dates, times and locations where we will be.

Thanks,

Heather

In Memory Of A Dear Friend

Read To Participants on September 23rd, 2012

1st Annual TeamHD Prince George Run For Lor

We had our first annual TeamHD Prince George Run for Lor today. Pamela from the Hutington Society of Canada asked me to to speak about how I got involved with the Huntington’s Society as well as my reasons behind organizing and doing the run. My reason was simple, Lorelei Dale. A year ago today, I lost a very good friend to Huntington’s and I wanted to plan something for here in Prince George because this was her home. I wanted to be involved and help make a difference with The Huntington’s Society and to raise awareness for those that don’t know what people with Huntington’s suffer from. I wanted to do it because I felt that I should have done more for Lor before I lost the chance, before I lost one of the most amazing friends I have ever had. When people asked me about how she died, I would tell them she had Huntington’s disease and they would ask me what that was. I answered them as best as I could, but it is hard to do that when you don’t have all the answers.

I think back to when I learned about her diagnosis and how I didn’t know enough about Huntington’s disease. The realization was that I was afraid of finding out more. I knew enough to know that this disease would eventually take the life of my friend, but I didn’t know how, or when. Learning about Huntington’s made it all too real. Why does it take losing someone close to us to cause us to open our eyes, to raise our own awareness? The answer to that question is different for all of us. For me, I did not want to accept that one day Lor would be gone. Whenever I would see her she would have the biggest and brightest smile on her face, her eyes full of warmth and love and her laugh….well that was one of the best sounds a person could ever hope to hear. She would never let on about her illness, which just shows how much strength she had. I am blessed to have had Lor in my life. She was taken from us too soon, but will remain in our hearts and thoughts forever.

It is time to open our eyes and become aware. We need to make sure that the awareness of Huntington’s disease grows. When a teamHD event in Prince George went from thinking about it, to planning it and finally to actually having it, we made the decision that this was not going to be a onetime thing. You can never get something 100% right on the first try, things take time. Making a difference will take time. And for me it is time well spent so I can only hope that this event continues to occur in Prince George along with the Amaryllis campaign that Kathleen and I will be starting in October.

Spreading the word and raising awareness will make the difference between fundraising and having to explain to people what Huntington’s disease is and see the confusion in their eyes to simply having to mention what are fundraising for and having people willing to give of themselves.

Our goal this year was $3000. Online donations show us at 138% of that goal with $4145. With all the people that came to the event today and registered to walk and made donations we are currently at $5792 raised which is 193% of our goal.

Next year we will aim higher. And even higher for every year from then on, because we have shown that we can do it. Thank you to everyone who has made a donation, who has given us fundraising gifts and for those that are donating their time to helped with the event today.