In a short tradition born in the last part of December 2007, Fridays have become Frozen Pea Friday across the bloggosphere.
First came the images. When I went in for my biopsy and then put a bag of peas in my bodice to help keep my breast pain soothed, others did the same in solidarity. Some held peas proudly, some ate peas in images, some bathed in peas. And some became peas in graphic format, wore clothing made out of peas and bundled babies up like peas in a pod.
Next came the idea of donating the cost of a couple of bags of frozen peas to a cancer charity, one which focused on research and education, as well as helping all around the world.
The American Cancer Society was pleased to take in around ten thousand dollars in under twelve weeks from the amazing people who generously gave multiple gifts and became the first social media grassroots effort to in essence "grow itself". They would have been glad to roll us up into their machine, feeding money into an old way of doing things and, well we just didn't like how they saw our future.
So now as the avatars still dress up for the special occasions in their pea green, changes are happening within the small group who became the founding directors of the official, duly incorporated Frozen Pea Fund, a 501c3 non profit corporation.
And grow and develop we must.
For as gifts grow, as offers to create programs for us come in to us, as requests for us to share our story with others' grows, as we do interviews, read stories about the amazing magic that surrounded a cause people could feel was right to do with their whole hearts, we need to be prepared.
We need the same freedom to innovate and think out of the box as we move from a loose group of people trying to fill a need to people studying, meeting and networking like mad in order to put together a group that's capable of doing what we've been charged with doing.
Our papers have been filed and approved; we're official, that's all good. Trademarks, check, Processes, Bank account, systems of accounting, we're working on them.
Which brings me to this Friday when there is no widget that puts our money in an account that then can do the most good for the most people. But waiting for a widget forced us to take a breath and look inside ourselves, asking - What else can I Do?
As we set up strong foundation for the FrozenPeaFund today & as we plan for and welcome new opportunities & challenges we hope you will do the same.
Don't take off your peas - In fact put them on proudly to help you to reach out & take on the challenge of talking about cancer. Tell about your experience of having the disease, of knowing someone with the disease. How has it touched your life? What have you learned? Tell even one person your story and the world will change.
-Tell one person about what we've been able to do with the Frozen Pea Fund effort. You may make the difference in us finding some attention on a blog, a news show, a podcast or from a sponsor.
-Talk with your family about the cost of two packages of frozen vegetables - or ice cream - and what kind of sacrifice it would really be for you to commit that money to the frozen pea fund for the rest of this year. What would that mean for you? What might that mean to a researcher, an underfunded breast clinic, an counseling program for children whose mothers are dying of cancer.
- Take the challenge of helping us build a good structure by committing an hour or two of your time every week to an endeavor however small that can help us reach our goals. You know your strengths and know how best you can help.
As the months and years go on we want to make sure some things stay the same but also to do all we can to make others change.
- We want to remember the shock at my sudden diagnosis and the love that was felt from a community in pain.
- We want to encourage others to connect with other patients and patient's families at whatever stage in the cancer process they are at, offering them what we would have offered in our community those days.
- We want to clearly demonstrate that we care about all who suffer with a diagnosis of cancer, who are shocked and devastated by this sudden illness.
- We want to bring light into the dark corners in which cancer is not spoken in spite of cancer's being in the house for years or generations, taking some family members forever and leaving those left behind unable to deal with their feelings about it until late adulthood - if then.
It's a mission we're on together, Not to cure every ill of the world, But to prove that a small group of people can make a difference and when one person reaches another person we can make things happen in a different way than they've always happened.
I need your help, And I don't just need it today. But if all you've got is today, I'll take it in a minute. Put A peas in your photo and lets talk to someone about cancer.
Disclaimer:
Although I worked with the American Cancer Society's High Plains' Division on this project, I'd be telling you that it's something special in any case. Besides my part was very minor.
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