How Do I Make This Buzzworthy???

Posted on August 28, 2008 | Filed Under Blog, Projects

Hey Genius Friends!

Please help me!

I am starting a new Non profit project.

Here's the rub:

I have 60 days to raise a bunch of cash (Hopefully at least $100,000.00)  for a charity.

Here's the story:

In Key West we have a Festival every year known as Fantasy Fest. Fantasy Fest has become famous as one of the worlds biggest parties. There is a lot of drinking to excess, General Debauchery, people wandering the streets nude except for the sheer cover of body paint etc. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but over 100,000 folks a years seem to enjoy it.
What a lot of people don't know is that there is a lot of good done during this week long party. We crown 2 people King and Queen of fantasy fest. As you may imagine in the past there has been two guys crowned. It's a non gender and sexual preference sensitive town! In order to be crowned king and queen you need to raise money for Aids Help.

From their site:
"AIDS Help, Inc. a non-profit community-based organization, provides case-managed health care, housing, food, counseling, referral and support services for HIV-infected residents of Monroe County (The Florida Keys).
The agency also conducts health education and HIV risk reduction outreach programs aimed at reducing the impact of HIV infection throughout Monroe County."

So the end result is raising hopefully close to half a million dollars for Aids Help.

Why am I interested?

Well, 2 of my friends are running for King and Queen, Dave Taylor (Not THAT Dave Taylor) and Dr Sue Mauer. Oddly enough Dave is running for King and Sue for Queen. They are handling the typical on the ground campaign. They Sponsor parties, bowling, fashion shows, parties, beach outings, parties, snorkeling trips, parties, sunset cruises etc and the cost of admission goes to their campaign. Every 5 dollars counts as 1 vote. The people that have the most votes win King and Queen and ride on the float and get some cool jewelry made custom each year. (Oddly enough they are made by one of my Dear friends in Ct’s Cousin in Key West. Didn't know this till recently!  Small world, but I wouldn't want to carpet it!)

I have been asked to help them with fund raising.

Here is my concept.

People want to help just about anybody. The lower the donation the less thought it takes to give. i.e. giving a buck is a lot easier to do than $100.00.  So…
I'm asking people after tugging at their heart strings and hopefully making them laugh a little to please just PayPal the campaign a dollar, more if you can! Just buy a Grande Latte instead of a Venti - just  today, the coffee you don't drink  may mean the difference between someone son die-ing of aids or not…

That sort of thing…

My proposal is to start a Social Campaign to raise money. I could talk about Fantasy Fest and try to gain traction there, or talk about Aids and gain traction there.

Here's where I get caught up:

How do I attach this to a conversation (mostly what conversation) so that I can create a viral campaign?  What conversation is already going on that I can piggy back on?
Is there a way to start my own conversation quickly?

Remember I have till the middle of October to raise the money… so time is of the essence… each day that slips away is well… an important day that slips away!

Please help me.
All Ideas are welcome. All help is welcome. All critiques are welcome. IS there a fatal flaw in my thinking. Have I missed something? Should I just ask 1000 people  to give $100 and get a free Group Coaching call with me?

I really want to make a difference for this campaign. I have lost a number of friends to aids in Key West,  personally I think Alcohol abuse is a big problem there, but Captain Morgan is a big Sponsor of Fantasy Fest so I can’t trod on those hallowed grounds!

I look forward to your comments and help. In advance… I thank you from the bottom of my heart and the heart of my bottom!
John Jaworski
 

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Don't Let Your Dreams, Hopes and Future Joy Die!

Posted on August 21, 2008 | Filed Under Blog

A man named Jimmy is in a car accident and dies and goes to the pearly gates. Jimmy had lived a really average life, had been happy, lovely wife, 3.5 kids and a beautiful home in the burbs.

Jimmy sees Saint Peter at the gates and goes to walk in and Saint Peter stops him. He says " Hi Jimmy, welcome to the other side!" "Where ya going?"

Jimmy says…" well heaven of course!" Peter says " tell me about your life Jimmy".

So Jimmy tells him about his job, his family and his 10 days of vacation every year. Peter asks him" Is that all?" " Jimmy looks at him quizzically.

Peter asks "Was that everything?"  Jimmy tells him "Sure, I mean ya can't do everything… after all I'm just a guy from the burbs."

Peter smiles and takes Jimmy to a huge banquet size room that's packed so full that the doors are bulging. Peter takes out his big old key chain and unlocks the door. When it opens Jimmy sees wonderful things spilling out, he sees love, he sees tropical Islands, He sees kids, he sees mansions,

Jimmy says "Wow this is incredible stuff, can I have these? Are these for me?"

Peter says "Well…yes they were yours, this could have all been yours Jimmy."

Now Jimmy is really confused.

Peter tells Jimmy "This room is where all your dreams were locked up." Now Jimmy gets kinda mad. " What do ya mean! You kept my dreams locked up? That's not fair. If these were my dreams why didn't you let me have them?"

Peter smiles,"He says I understand your frustration Jimmy, I get that a lot. Jimmy, we could not unlock the door. We didn't have the key to unlock them." Now Jimmy is really pissed! " Well what do ya mean by that, why are you showing me all this stuff if you can't unlock the door, geez this is just torture!" 

Peter smiles… "Jimmy, only you have the key to unlock your dreams. No one else has access to them. Only you can unlock your dreams." 

"Well.  where was the key… I never saw it, where is it, why is it hiding"? Jimmy asks.

"It's not hidden" Peter tells him. "It's always been with you. The key is action, faith and courage. All you have to do is take baby steps towards these dreams and they can all be yours!'

Well now Jimmy is sad, he says  "I did try to get some of these but I always get discouraged or overwhelmed. I hit dead ends, got bored and some of them I was just plain scared to try." "Man… if I had only known…!"

Then Jimmy realizes what Peter has told him…" Hey you said I CAN have these - how if I'm dead?".

Peter says… good news Jimmy…. it's not your time yet… you're going back… you're going back now…. dare to live your dreams Jimmy. You'll find out your not just a guy… you're THE guy. The MAN!"

"Remember Jimmy - your dreams are you reality waiting to happen - your dreams are what could be!"

Are you like Jimmy?

Is the future really in your hands?

I say YES! Your future is filled with the dreams you have today BUT you have to TAKE ACTION! Only the dreams you act on have any hope of becoming your future.

Simple? Yes! Easy - Yes and no. It;s really about choices. You choose what you dream about and how big. You choose what dreams you say "Nahhh… that'll never happen" and those that you say "yes… I can do this"!

I suggest you start saying yes to a lot more dreams. It's your choice.

Imagine if Bill Gates said "Nahhh… IBM will never want to deal with some kids in a garage" or John Kennedy had said "Nahhh… who would ever vote for me?" or Mother Theresa had said" Nahh why would they listen to me?".

The world would be a very different place if some of us didn't have the courage… or maybe it's not courage… maybe it's actually the confidence to say, "Ok I'll give it a good shot!".

Trust your dreams. Trust yourself. Develop your intuition. Trust your intuition. Dare to do everything you can dream and commit to doing it really well. Will some dreams die a miserable death? Sure… but they always open doors and take you down paths that create more dreams and successes!

Dreaming is easy! Acting on your dreams is easy too… you just have to decide to take action.

The saddest song ever sung is… what might have been.

Talk to me, what dreams have you had that you acted on in faith and are now a reality… C'mon I'm dieing to hear about your dreams and your successes and even the flops that took you in a life changing path!

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