Thursday, August 16, 2007



All this week, I've been walking around like I have one nerve left in my body and every human being in the world is getting on it . . . So today, I am making a concerted effort to be cheery. Nevertheless, these are some of the things that have been bugging me lately.

I mentioned a few months ago that I was thinking of participating in an Avon Breast Cancer 40 mile charity walk in either LA or NYC. In 2002, I did a 60 mile walk in San Diego, and the painful memories had subsided enough to allow me to consider doing a long walk again. As with most of my good intentions, this one didn't quite pan out . . . but now I will never get rid of the Avon fundraisers.

When I first considered joining one of the walks, I requested information on both the NYC and the LA walks on the Avon website. I was immediately contacted by a nice woman who was coordinating walkers for the North Carolina walk. I told her thanks, but I was really interested in NYC and LA, not NC. She apologized, and said she'd pass on my information to the NYC and LA teams. When I didn't hear anything, I foolishly went online and again requested information on the NYC and LA walks. I then received an email from a gal coordinating the walk in San Francisco. I again thanked her, but stated that my interest was not in the SF walk, but was in the NYC and LA walks. She too promised to pass on my inquiry to the proper groups, but by this time, I had really lost interest. Try to tell the Avon fundraisers that.

Since then, in addition to email inquiries, I have received numerous phone messages from the fundraisers assigned to me for both LA and SF walks - including 2 this week. The message from the guy affiliated with the LA walk was especially amusing. He noted that I still hadn't signed up, that the walk was only a month away, but there was still time! Keep in mind, to participate requires raising at least $1,900, and a bit of advance training is encouraged.

And trust me, you'd have to be crazy to walk 40 miles around the hills of SF . . .

7 Comments:

Blogger LA said...

Right hand, meet the left.

12:21 PM  
Blogger sage said...

40 miles is a long walk--I did 36 miles one day in PA when hiking the Appalachian Trail--all to meet up with a couple of other hikers at a bar and when you're dehydrated, that's not a good idea... 40 miles in the hills of SF would be beautiful! Especially if you up in Marin County in the hills just north of the Golden Gate. Whatever you decide to do, I hope they stop harressing you.

12:22 PM  
Blogger ffleur said...

I walked 8 miles in a walk-a-thon once in high school.

*tumbleweed blows thru*

So moving on...

I am sending a gentle panda cubby hug for your last nerve.

3:57 PM  
Blogger EditThis said...

I did the 30k walks for the March of Dimes back when I was a kid, like 10, and in great shape. It was mostly flat, and it wore me out. 40 mi in SF would kill you, I'm sure of it.

And I thought I owned the last nerve that everyone was on...

4:15 PM  
Blogger NY KAT said...

What a great cause...with some pretty bad organization!

I've had one of those weeks too where EVERYONE was just annoying me!

4:32 PM  
Blogger Prunella Jones said...

40 miles in SF would be cool. Of course I'd only be able to walk 3.

4:42 AM  
Blogger v said...

Yeah, that seems to be a major problem with charity organizations (and fund raisers).

I recently donated a very modest sum to a handful of charities. Two of the larger ones continue to send mailers asking for more (though in a nice way). I understand this probably works, but I simply don't have anymore to donate at this period. Though, at least, I'm not getting calls, lol. That seems a bit much.

Anyway, I think I'm just going to call up these two larger charities and simply inform them that they can save their mailers, for I'll donate again once I can afford to.

And, yes, I am incapable of leaving short comments.

6:20 PM  

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