What Can *YOU* Do to help?
Check out these ideas
1) status of the Cushing's Awareness Day legislation... who has signed, who do we need to get? I have contacts to the US congressfolks from Houston, and I wanted to get them to sign if they have not. Can we get someone to testify before Congress? Can we get any federal funding? Can we rally with other rare disease groups to get in front of that mic on CSPAN?
2) can we do a fund drive for the month prior to April 8th in order to fund all of our projects and this site? can we keep track of how much each board member raises with little thermometers that show how much is collected, in order to get people excited about how much money is being generated?
3) can those who have had surgery in the past year right up there story to be published on April 8th for awareness day? I hope that planning this far in advance will allow us to get more articles published. Perhaps those who already had surgery can ask the paper to re-run their story with an update and reminder about awareness day.
4) can someone can write a press release to the news channels to get coverage for awareness day
5) we get someone to create a very nice postcard that we all can print from our home at our expense on card stock. Then we each pay for the postage to send the cards to all of our friends and families. Perhaps we can ask our family and friends to donate money to us that we can then donate to this board...
6) I need a Cushing's bumper sticker! I know there are some for sale on the store site, but I was wondering if we can get some heads on this project to get something really catchy. I would put one on my card if we could get a really cool design going... any graphic artists wanna take this up?
7) I love the radio blog shows. I think they are so great. Perhaps we can add that icon to all of our Myspace, Facebook, and personal websites. Do we have an icon that we can post to get people to this site?
8) Have people set up care pages to keep friends and family informed about all the tests, doctors appts and then following us through surgery and post op. I have over 65 people subscribing to my care page, and I am confident that those 65 people didn't know anything about Cushing's until I told them about it. If we inform little circles of 50 all around the US and world, then we will be doing a great job increasing awareness. It is free, and I love mine. I control the tone of the site, and no one talks back to me there!
9). What can we do in the medical community? I'd like to see us patients doing more to lead the doctors down the proper path. ----- Do we get a booth at a national endocrinologist conference and pass out information we want them to know, with Cushies staffing the booth? ----- Do we develop a pamphlet specifically for doctors? ----- Do we start a partnership with the national association of endocrinologists (not sure if this really exists, but you know what I mean) and work together to get more research done on Cyclic Cushing's by offering ourselves up as research participants?
10) Perhaps we contact every Women's health magazine on the market and submit some articles in February for consideration of their April magazine.
11) Perhaps we buy the google ads based on key words that appears in email. The links pop up on the right side bar while people read their gmail or other online email. If the person says ponch, fat, or other key words, then the side bar will give a link to this site.
12) We can distribute DVDs of Kate's show and the two mystery diagnosis shows (Sam and Sharmyn) to doctors and endos? To new Cushies? This will take some money for DVDs and postage, but if we focus on raising some money, then we can allocated funds to these worthwhile expenses. Now, I am not sure if we need permission from Mystery Diagnosis or Nat Geo for that, but someone can take this project and get all the details.
I'd like to see us set up a goal-driven campaign for Cushing's Awareness Day. This will really help motivate us into seeing how much interest and good we are generating as a group.
# of newspaper articles submitted
# of newspaper articles publised
# of magazine articles submitted
# of magazine articles published
# of dollars raised
# of dollars allocated to outreach (keyword ads in gmail and others, etc)
# of carepages set up
# of care page followers (in friends and family.. I have 65 already) etc.
If we each decide to lead a project to get all of this taken care of, we could be in a very good position to launch a really big Cushing's Day Awareness in April. I am really looking forward to seeing all the creativity that exists of the minds of my brilliant Cushie friends!
So, please, if you could take moment to add suggestions and brain storm here. The list I came up with is right off the time of my head, as I have no knowledge of what's been done before. Please take the list as simple suggestions in an effort to see how many 'stick' and how many we can tweak to produce a great product.
* Sign Amber's Petition. www.ipetitions.com/petition/CushingsDiseaseAwareness Amber writes:
Thought I would explain what this petition can do....
o First of all, it adds power and substance to our efforts to have a Nationally recognized day if we have an extensive, following.
o Second, this petition and all the signatures can be printed and sent to a Senator, politician, or medical professional that may be will to take on the cause.
o Third, this petition and its list of signatures are IDEAL for releasing to the press and media for coverage and will assist GREATLY in getting the word out there.
It is so simple. The petition has a place to add your name and a comment if you want. PLEASE take a moment to sign and formward it on to all the people in your address book, your friends and family.
We all get forwarded messages all the time, but this one is dear to our hearts and can make a differnce! WHATS STOPPING YOU!?
PLEASE SUPPORT OUT EFFORTS TO RAISE AWARENESS! YOUR HELP IS NEEDED AND IT IS SO EASY!
* Follow Jayne's Lead. She writes:
Of course, I'll be supporting the day and writing letters and emails and making phone calls. I hope to find us a celebrity ribbon wearer.
Something else I am working on is national TV recognition with the major networks and National publications. You can email them as well on their "contact us" info. Contact the hosts of the show and the producers to mention April 8th and Cushing's Awareness.
I am going to find out information on getting money (grant) to publish magazine adds/articles for the April editions, if not this year then for next year. I know they are probably being printed, but I just thought of this idea. My local paper will run a small 2x3 ad for starting at $300. I want the whole page! I thought about having a yard sale to raise money to put in an ad, but doubt that I'd make enough. Oh Well!
Something else I thought about is getting a chain pharmacy to post cushings info for that week prior to the 8th. Medical school journal/papers can also be contacted. I know I must have emails over 100 doctors last year on the 7th (once I know that it had passed). I'll be setting up a booth at the women's Forum again this year. I hope to set up at some health expo's and at the local Hospital or at least make/pass out flyers.
* Wear Cushing's Bracelets or T-Shirts to promote Cushing's Awareness. Cushing's Awareness T-Shirts and other products are available here: Cushie GiftStore.
* Post your ideas and what you have done here:
http://cushings.invisionzone.com/index.php?showforum=134
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