Fuddruckers bombed...now what?

Seems as if every fundraising opportunity I have achieved something goes wrong. First the weather, then miscommunication. The store owner at Fuddruckers has a great heart, but is pretty skimpy on the details. I should have asked more direct questions when he was explaining how the whole thing worked. I decided to believe that I was getting 20% of the night's income, but that just didn't happen. He wasn't there that night and the manager that was there didn't know anything other than I was doing a raffle. So we pretended like we knew what we were doing and gathered everyone's receipts that came for me. Turns out I have a lot less friends than I thought were supporting me. This was a sad realization, but I suppose I already knew exactly who I could count on. And those people did show up for me :)

Besides the meager funds accumulated, I actually did have a really fun time. I talked to several families who were all very kind and supportive of my trip. I'd like to say thank you to those wonderful people! I bussed tables and made friends with the workers I made a decent amount of money selling raffle tickets, about $45. Along with the $49 I made with the 20% that came to about $94! That is 94 dollars more than I had. My friend at the Global Outreach wants me to do another fundraiser but they have both been such failures that I just don't have the stamina to keep feeling like only about 5 people in Utah are really supportive of what I'm doing. I'm trying so hard to raise all the money I need. I'm working an extra 24 hours this week to help make up the difference, so its not like I'm not doing everything I can to pay for it myself. I am so excited about this opportunity, but it's really hard to keep a positive attitude when my fundraising keeps failing. But I know it'll work out in the end.

I added up all of the funds I've earned and all that I need to earn. Because I already paid a $200 deposit in January, I only owed 1,000 dollars. But since I've been sending letters and trying my hand at fundraising, I've earned a little over $500! So I now owe a little over $450! This is good news!!! I think this is doable. I just need a few people to donate 20 dollars here and there and I'll be able to cover the rest!! So if you can, just donate through paypal! Click on the link to the right and put my name in the box under 'Sponsoring? enter mentor below'. If you can't spare 10 or 20 dollars, I understand. But I still need your emotional support!! Only 23 days until I leave for Cambodia! There is still so much to do, so much to figure out. Not to mention I have to finish up the two classes I'm taking this semester! Go team!

Wish me luck!

The weather, time, and money...

When it comes to the weather, although you can kind of predict it, you really can't. It's one of those things that science thinks they know but they really don't. In hindsight I suppose looking at the weather a week in advance would have been a great idea, but when I woke up that morning it looked like a perfect day for a car-wash. Suffice it to say, the car-wash was a complete bust. And when I say complete, I mean I broke even and that was about it. I spent about 40 dollars on signs, markers, and car-washing materials and guess what I made. Yup. $40. The big bummer about the whole thing is that I felt really good about it and almost everyone that came donated twice what I asked for but because of the stupid rain we had to quit early. My dear dear friends' hard work and all my planning and worrying went to waste because of the rain. But here I am, moving on! Nothing gets done unless you go forward.

The clock is ticking as my program fee due date approaches... I have figured out that raising all 3,000 dollars this late in the game is shooting for stars that are just too high. I have now decided to shoot for $1200 which is just the program fee. I've already spent my savings buying the plane ticket and I'm mostly fine money wise, but I don't have enough money to pay for the whole program fee. If I had started months ago collecting donations instead of waiting until 2 months before I leave it would have been possible to raise all the funds needed. But I refuse to look back, because today and tomorrow is all I have! As Louis Robinson (from Meet the Robinson's-see it, its a great movie!) would say, "Keep moving forward!"

Here's the plan:
1.I've printed out more letters to businesses to give to local businesses so I'm doing that all week long.

2.I'm hoping to do another car-wash this Saturday once again at Fuddruckers (I'm waiting to hear back from the manager).

3.I am also going to have a benefit night at Fuddruckers (hopefully) the 25th of May!

4.I'm also going to take more shifts at work so that I can save as much money as humanly possible before I leave.

5. I'm going to bug the crap out of everyone I know to go online and donate 10, 15, or 20 dollars to my account! :-)

Thank you to everyone that has donated so far! I couldn't have this amazing opportunity without you!! Keep spreading the word about this to everyone you know!

Plane ticket bought!

It's official, I'm going to Cambodia June 20th through July 20th!! I've never been so excited, so nervous, so scared, or so inspired in my life! Everything is going according to plan aside from already having the money raised. Hopefully, that will happen this weekend! I had to cancel the pancake 'brinner' because not enough people were coming. But that's water under the bridge. Thankfully, I am super hopeful about the car-wash on Saturday May 14th! I bought a GIANT posterboard for a sign to attract cars from the highway, I've made flyers and placed them where I could on campus (there were only a few bulletin boards that allowed non-BYU sponsored events), I went to a few businesses, I made a facebook page, and all of my friends (who I love more than I can express!) have been spreading the word. I've gotten 5 volunteers for sure, so washing the cars will be no problem. Fuddrucker's is going to provide the water, buckets, soap, and venue (of course) so all I have to provide are volunteers, towels, and signs!

I'm also working on my next fundraiser which will be on a Wednesday night on May 25th. This is later than I hoped, but I think it'll be a great fundraiser. I'm going to do a ton more advertising next week for it, so I'm sure the turn out will be grand. Let's hope, anyway.

Let's see...what else have I been doing to get ready for Cambodia? I'm finally done with my immunizations. I was taking Typhoid orally for a week and finished my last dose last night! Now, I have to start taking anti-biotics a week before I leave for Cambodia (for malaria). I also need to look around for good clothes to wear while I'm there. I'd like to wear pants to avoid any mosquito bites, but it's also reaaally hot there so I don't want to wear jeans. It's amazing how many expenses there are that you don't think about. Did you know that immunizations are almost 200 dollars when you're going to a foreign country like Cambodia? And that passports are $150? It's a good thing I have such a great job. I got all my shifts covered for when I'm gone that whole month! Which means I won't have to quit and I'll have a job as soon as I come back. You know, even though life is horribly difficult and painful, there are always beautiful times like this that I can sit back, smile and realize that God loves me.  And for that, I am grateful.

I love you all!

So much to do!!

Here's an update of my fundraising/preparations!

So, I went to several different businesses around Provo, giving them all lovely letters telling them about my trip and asking for donations and such. I actually had a bit of success. I went to T's Diner off of 9th east in Provo and they just gave me $10 out of their register! Now I'm a huge promoter of T's Diner, let me tell you! If anyone asks where to go out to eat, I'm gonna say T's Diner. And Fuddruckers. But thats a different story. Here, I'll tell it!

Fuddruckers off of University Parkway in Orem is AWESOME!!! As soon as I went into that restaurant and told the manager about Fundraising he gave me everything I ever wanted. He's letting me do a car wash in the Fuddrucker's parking lot on May 14th from 11am to 3pm!! I think this is going to be a huge success. If you're in Utah come and bring all of your cars/trucks/vans! I'm charging a minimum donation of $5 for cars and $10 for trucks/vans. I have a few friends that are volunteering with me to wash cars and I think it will be a great experience. Fuddruckers is also giving a 15% discount to those who get their cars washed! But that isn't all Fuddruckers is doing for me. They have also graciously allowed me to have a benefit night there on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evening. I'm probably going to do a Wednesday night. The main idea for the benefit night is that I will do the best I can to get people to come on that particular night (marketing and whatnot) and then Fuddruckers will give me 20% of their income for the night!! This is just such a great deal that I can't wait to do it! I'm going to put posters up, spread the word like wildfire, and make a facebook event! Hopefully everyone I know loves me enough to eat out that night at Fuddruckers. But I'm sure all my friends are pretty sick of me fundraising already. I'm kind of obnoxious. I'll ask anyone and everyone to volunteer or donate and I'm sure it's getting on people's nerves. But what am I supposed to do? I can't earn all the money by just working my job because I can't get enough shifts to earn $3,000 in one month. I wish I didn't have to ask people for money, but I'm trying to be reasonable and to keep people as involved in the cause as much as possible. 

Another great thing that happened in regards to fundraising is a little bookstore just south of J-dawgs, next to Thai Ruby, called Boomerang Books (great prices for textbooks, btw) gave me a temporary job paying me 7.50 an hour to shelve books. I did that yesterday and today. It was pretty fun, just very tedious. I was just so grateful to be able to make extra money! They're nice guys, shop there for your textbooks! They also buy books back that other stores wont, so go there. 

So, recap, there is a pancake brinner happening a week from today in Centennial Apartments' Rec room (under apartment 222) from 6pm to 8pm. Also, I'm having a car wash from 11am to 3pm May 14th (a week from tomorrow) in the Fuddrucker's parking lot. Cars: $5 Trucks/ Vans: $10 (you will also get a 15% discount at Fuddruckers!) then I will be doing a benefit night at Fuddruckers in about two weeks! I'll let everyone know the details as soon as I know. 

Other than these fundraisers, I've just been running around like a chicken with its head chopped off getting immunizations, figuring out flights, calling my Dad about every tiny detail, catching up with school, and working 27 hour shifts at work. I've never been so busy in my life, but I really love it! I'm having a blast and feel like I'm really accomplishing something grand! Is anyone else just so excited about life??

 Thanks for everyone's support so far!!!!

Preparing for the Trip of a Lifetime

Hey everybody!! I'm excited about this blog, but way more excited about my trip to Cambodia at the end of June! I've been preparing for this since the beginning of December and everything is finally coming together. I've applied for my passport, I'm getting my immunizations tomorrow [which include routine, hepatitis A &B, typhoid, japanese encephalitis, and rabies, not to mention the anti-biotics I'll need to take for malaria!], I have my date set for a pancake breakfast (for dinner) fundraiser on May 13th from 6pm-8pm, and I'm going around to different business starting tomorrow to ask for support as well as finding a place to do the car-wash which will hopefully be on May 14th! I've also sent letters to all the friends and family members that I had addresses to. I've been looking at Cambodian websites and travel websites nonstop for days now, and I've found several good ideas for safe travel. One person told me to start thinking in riel (cambodian money) instead of U.S. dollars so I don't spend as much while I'm there. A website I looked at on Saturday said that registering with the national travel program is a good idea as well, so I'm going to do that as soon as I get my passport because it needs your passport information. I also have found the U.S. Embassy's address and phone number in Cambodia so that I have it in case of an emergency. I've figured out that Cambodia is about 13 hours ahead of Mountain Standard Time! That's pretty cool. Thats about all I can think of for now. I'm going to post the web address for donations as well as pictures from the foundation's page to give you all a nice intro into pictures I'll be taking personally!