UPDATE Nov 2018: I finished another mystery gift, a paper mandala for a theme of "enso," or the zen circle: https://coveredinglitterandscreaming.blogspot.com/2018/11/mystery-gift-enso.html
UPDATE May 2018: I am humbled that people are still donating! Also, I've finished a mystery gift! It's a paper cut light box for a theme of "cats." https://coveredinglitterandscreaming.blogspot.com/2018/05/mystery-gift-cats.html
UPDATE Feb 28: Sweet mother of pearl, you guys! $2,400 by the time my head was shaved! You are all amazing.
UPDATE Feb 25: Goal reached! Holy cow! We still have some time, so let's see if we can reach $2,000!
Video #1 (intro): https://youtu.be/UbT_FJ_roUo
Video #2 (reminder to donate): https://youtu.be/veUWiiPVkpU
Video #3 (new goal!): https://youtu.be/f5t_wfQMaGc
HEAD SHAVING VIDEO: https://youtu.be/SBRdN2MrlCQ
Hello! If you don’t know me, I am – among other things – an artist and storyteller that is willing to part with (sort of) long, (semi-)luxurious locks for a good cause. And raising money to fund childhood cancer research is a good cause!
I’m not just raising money for the more common forms of childhood cancer, but in particular to bring attention to the rare forms, the ones so rare that they make up less than 1 in 30 cases. (1)
February 28 is Rare Disease Day, and it's a worldwide day for raising awareness. 50% of patients with rare diseases (not just cancer) are children, and 30% of those children won’t live to see their 5th birthday. For more kismet, this year the theme for Rare Disease Day is "research." (2,3,4)
There’s a saying in the medical community, “when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras.” I work for an agency that lives and breathes treatments for rare diseases, so my day-to-day life is full of zebras. (5)
I’ve chosen to honor children with rare forms of cancer for my fundraising efforts. Zebra awareness!
For each amount donated, I will be offering tokens of thanks:
Up to $15 - a handwritten thank-you card
$15 - a card, with an original haiku
$25 - a card, haiku, and an original limerick
$35 - all of the above, plus I will write your name on my freshly bald head and send you a photo
$50 - all of the above, plus I will mail you some stickers I designed
$60 - all of the above, plus I will call and tell you stories
$100 - all of the above, plus I will send you a mystery gift based on a theme of your choosing
Sources/sites:
1. http://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancerinformation/cancertypes/childrenscancers/typesofchildrenscancers/raretumours.aspx#DynamicJumpMenuManager_6_Anchor_1
2. http://www.rarediseaseday.org/
3. http://rarediseaseday.us/
4. https://globalgenes.org/rare-diseases-facts-statistics/
5. http://cambridgebmg.com/
