Share your stories of your grassroots fundraisers and we will post them in this section to encourage and inspire others in their fundraising efforts.

Send your story to:
Marlene Portnoy 
marlene@dtrf.org

Golf tournament in memory of Joan Holman

On June 15 of this year our friend and golfing buddy passed away from a desmoid tumor.  Joan had golfed several years with a group of ladies every Tuesday morning during the summer months.  This group has grown over the years and Joan was always present with a friendly smile and words of encouragement for the less experienced golfers.  In her memory a golf tournament was held at Indian Lake golf course on Sept 29   in Halifax Nova Scotia to raise money for the foundation.  Both golfers and nongolfers played 18 holes of golf and participated in a putting contest.  A dinner and prizes followed this. We were able to raise $2200.00 for Desmoid Tumor Research. Plans are now underway to have a tournament again next year and we hope to raise even more money.

See Photos of the Golf Tournament

Nancy Boland and Jeannette Laba

July 2007 Photo Exhibit and Fundraiser

The first public exhibit of photography by h. Ford Pierson was held in Carmel Valley, California, on Sunday, July 15, 2007.  Created as a fundraiser for the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation, the presentation was held on a beautiful, sunny afternoon at the prestigious Bernardus Lodge on the Central Coast of California.  About 100 people stopped by throughout the day to enjoy incredible photographs as well as exceptional Bernardus Vineyard wines and delicious food.  Quite a few pieces were sold, as well as several direct donations made to the foundation, raising about $400 from the afternoon.
Hugh Pierson, the photographer and a desmoid tumor patient, will continue to donate a portion of his art sales to DTRF.  His work can be viewed and purchased at www.hfordpierson.com. 
It is critical that we continue to support the ongoing research to cure this disease.  Simply by adding the DTRF website to the invitations and presenting information at the event, with envelopes and donation cards (which we printed), we were able to educate and encourage continued donations by the public. 

5K Run/Walk

Dana and I felt the need to do something to make a difference and we joined efforts to do the First Annual 5K Run/Walk.  We decided on making this a tradition and doing it once a year.  Both of us work a tremendous amount and undergo treatment so this was not easy, but it was just so important to us that we made it happen!!!  We had an incredible amount of participation from local business, family, friends, coworkers, and the community. We were interviewed live by a local news channel. We heard tons of compliments about the organization of the 5K Run/Walk and how it was the best...This was sooooo nice to hear as it was only our first one!  Together we raised about $7,000 and with the anonymous donor that matched it was a total of about $14,000!!! It was such a fantastic feeling for the both of us that is still difficult to explain, but WOW!!!

See Photos of the 5K Run Walk

Jennifer Alvarez
Dana Lawson

Successful Letter Writing Campaign

I have been a desmoid patient for 25 years and have had two tumors. I have had two inpatient and dozens of outpatient surgeries, 6 weeks of radiation, three months of chemotherapy and a year and a half of potent anti-inflammatory treatment all told. I have not had any luck in treating the current inoperable tumor in my shoulder.
When I discovered that the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation (DTRF) had been created, I was overwhelmed with emotion, a mixture of gratitude and hope. I wanted to contribute somehow and my own financial situation being what it is after so many years of medical bills, well, you can imagine. So I took a tip from the fund-raising ideas given on the DTRF's website and drafted a letter.
I sent this letter to everyone in my address book, family and friends alike.
Within a matter of weeks I had collected over $2200, an amount that would be matched by a corporate donor. I found that when people learned the details of this disease and its conditions and how they exist for a few million of us, they wanted very much to help. Again, my heart is full of gratitude and hope. Making this effort has given me such a boost of morale and energy, to quote the DTRF's own Jeanne Whiting, "It turns you from a victim to an advocate, and is very empowering!" I will continue to do what I can to raise money to fund research for a cure.

Lynne Parks