KFAB

Thanks to Tom Becka of KFAB for having Evelyn Merkel and me on his show yesterday afternoon.

Evelyn's powerful story--and her thanks to HDR, which is a model company--resonated.

Tom gave me the chance to thank our 2005 contributors and sponsors--and I emphasized thanks to Omaha Community Foundation John Becker Fund and the Iowa West Foundation for the grants awarded to our office.

I am working on a piece for the DIALOG in which I will thank our many generous media partners this year.

Our year end mailer, featuring Craig Thomas and Emily McCarville as written by Mary Lu Euler our board president, will be sent today.

Happy holidays.

Taste for a Cure...and Golf

The Goaley family--Shirlee, the matriarch of our Office, her son, Dan, and the extended Go-Go-Goaley clan--will be hosting the first of many Taste for a Cure ("A Toast for Don"--the late Don Goaley) events on Friday, Nov. 19th at the Broadmoor Market in Countryside Village in Omaha. For a $50 donation, you can feast and drink muy vino; with all proceeds going to the NE office of The ALS Association. Dan sees this as a monthly or bi-montly club. Already, we are half full. Will you please join us? Call me at 991-8788.

Two great 2006 golf events are gearing up. The June 9, 2006, ALS Golf Classic had its first committee meeting this week. A great core group, and we are looking to double this committee, to make it a small army and take the pressure off just a few people. So call me, if you want to see the brochure. Media sponsors are KPTM, KFAB and The Reader. KPTM's Taylor Wilson is planning a story on a friend in Papillion who is amazing in the use of the Eyegaze system; they will do a variety of stories on ALSA, then a 30- and a 10-second PSA on the event down the stretch.

And the Norfolk committee had its first meeting this week, too. The great guys in Norfolk, Mike Anderson and Don Strom, are broadening their honorees to include our friend Mark in Creighton and our friend Steve in Battle Creek. All proceeds for this event will go to the Nebraska office. (I also stopped by to see Mrs. Emily McCarville, another office matriarch, and Debb Strate. We are working on a Norfolk Walk to D'Feet ALS, which will be a way to celebrate the 5th year of the Walks in the backyard of the McCarville family...(speaking of small armies!...).

Much more to report, including our recieving a sizeable grant, for equipment, from the Omaha Community Foundation. We are very proud of this...it's the first grant (many more to come!) received by the Nebraska office.

Support group on Thursday the 10th; Columbus holiday party on the 21st; Lucie Bruijin lecture on Nov. 28th; and the Omaha Holiday party, hosted and donated by the great students of the Bellevue West FBLA, on Dec. 5th.

Sad news: we lost a great man, Mr. John Brownell, on Oct. 26th. It was a privilege for me to have spent time with John and his wife, Diane. We admire their extended friends, who admired John and helped make our 2005 Grand Island Walk to D'Feet a great success in every way...Rest in Peace, Mr. John Brownell (Nov. 14, 1942-Oct. 26, 2005).

ALS Benefit Concert!

Last Friday at The Rock in Papillion, the Papio-Lavista South High DECA group, led by Ashley Bova, Jessica Couture and Staci Drozda, threw the 1st annual ALS Benefit Concert and raised well over $1,000. Thanks to the whole DECA crew for these awareness and fund raising efforts!

On Thursday November 3rd, our expanding golf committee will meet to discuss prospects (sponsors, teams, in-kind sponsors). If you want to join us--if you have some leads--call me at work, 991 8788 or cell, 659-6343.

In the office writing a grant and letters and making calls...catching up.

And I'm out of the office most of next week.

On Monday, Oct. 24, I'm in West Point, speaking twice at Valmont Industries for the CHC. Caris Kenny of the CHC is a go-getter, and I appreciate the chance to present to Valmont employees. Valmont matches employee contributions 2-1. At noon I present to the radio stations.

I drive to Kansas City on Tuesday, where we meet with the Board and brainstorm major gift efforts.

Then off to Grand Island late Wednesday for meetings--and presenting on behalf of CHC Thursday and Friday.

If you need me, call my cell, 402 659 6343, or check in at the office with Lori and Melissa.

Just announced: ALS Golf Classic partners

We are nearly ready to hit the street with the brochure for the June 9, 2006, ALS Golf Classic--on a Friday at Tiburon in Omaha. Join us!

Media partners are KFAB, The Reader and KPTM...for PSAs, "drops," ads.

I meet with Shannon McIntosh of KPTM in a couple weeks to develop PSA; Becka and Co. will set us up at KFAB, and John Heaston is terrific at The Reader--will place ads for us there.

I faxed the brochure to many of the friends of ALSA today.

Our committee is great: Gary Lortz, the veteran; Scott Farkas of Valpak of Omaha, who is our gold sponsor...and a guy who is building many relationships in town; Dan Goaley of Coldwell Banker, a friend who is reliable and connected; Kurt Grote of Great Western Bank, friend of Craig and Erin Thomas; and another veteran golfer, and a dear friend, Judy Duffy.

If you would like to help us sell to this tournament, call me at 991 8788 or 659 6343.

Say the word, and I will fax you the information.

All these Walks!

I am still so deeply impressed by the care and concern--and awareness of this terrible disease and funds to work to cure it--generated by our four Walks. Our totals are well in to 6 figures, with more coming in every day. I thank you all for your nice notes. You have to know this: I am privileged to be able to work on your behalf...but I cannot do it without you. Please keep all your awareness and fund raising ideas coming in. Contact me anytime. You all have my work phone number. Cell is 402.659.6343 and home is 402.556.1325.

We met in Kansas City yesterday to strategize our work going forward. A great meeting led by our Executive Director Beckie Cooper. Beckie applauded our awareness efforts in the local media--which I could not have done without the assistance of many of you. Many people need to be thanked for this: Jean Ruwe, Sharon Kuncl, The CREW in Grand Island and other great people in GI--Mike Bockoven, Alan Usher, the guys at KHAS-TV, Kari Hooker-Leep. Also, in Omaha, Sophia John at 89.7 The River, Tom Becka at Clear Channel/KFAB, Abe Winter at the Omaha World-Herald, John Heaston of The Reader, Janet Warren at JoDon Designs, Courtny Gerrish at WOWT-6...our friends at Bellevue West FBLA, Papio-Lavista South High DECA, Millard North FCCLA, Millard West DECA...our friends at HDR, First Data, Mutual of Omaha...the list goes on and on...oh, The Lincoln Journal Star, the Columbus Telegram, the radio stations in Columbus...on and on...

Oh, back to the meeting: I will be working on these things and more.

1. Grant writing. (Please let me know if you are connected to any funders.)
2. Sponsors for June 9, 2006, ALS Golf Classic at Tiburon. (Welcome Kurt Grote to committee.)
3. Presenting sponsors for next year's Walks. (I am so excited about making these bigger and better...having them become community events. What drover our Walks was the need to present the emotions connected to this disease...it felt right to do this, and I hope you feel the same...)
4. A major gift program. (Details forthcoming.)
5. Events with the Omaha Royals, a wine tasting, "A Light of Hope" program...
6. The Norfolk ALS Golf Classic.

Much more.

TO DO:

We will be ordering prizes in the near future.

We will be placing an ad in The Grand Island Independent (as soon as we have the whole list)


Stay in touch; let me know what you need us to do. We are here for you.

Events this Weekend:

Friday: Sokol Auditorium: Night at Lou's ALS Benefit Concert (5th annual!): Swizzletree, Grasshopper Takeover, SOJH, Treaty of Paris. Doors open at 7; concert at 8. Presentation by Craig and Erin...thanks to 89.7 for the great commercial!

Saturday: Lincoln Walk to D'Feet ALS. 10am outside of east Memorial Stadium (registration 1 hour prior). Team Finke has raised--can you believe it!--over $5,000!...

Sunday: Columbus Walk to D'Feet ALS. 2pm at Pawnee Park (registration at 1). Shane Osborn will be there...Sharon Kuncl, our longtime chair in Columbus, has helped assemble another great Walk...

Grand Island

We are assembling the list of sponsors and teams who helped us so much yesterday. $43,000 and still counting!

If you are a walker or team captain, don't let this slow you down. We are in Lincoln Saturday morning, Columbus on Sunday afternoon, Omaha on Friday the 30th...Thanks for walking to D'Feet ALS!