What Is The Blogathon?

Some people run, walk, swim (etc.) while their friends and family pledge donations to charity to sponsor their athletic endeavors. I'm no athlete. I won't even pretend to be. I'm a writer and a blogger and so I use my strengths to make a difference.

The first Blogathon I ever did was in college and I continued to participate for a few years after. For the last couple of years, I have participated in the Blogathon for an asthma foundation in honor of my beautiful son, Ethan, who suffers from asthma. This year, I decided to participate in the Blogathon in honor of my beautiful daughter, Wylie, who was born still on May 23rd, 2014.

So what is a Blogathon? The Blogathon is where I will blog once every half-hour for 24 hours straight. Yes, that's right: every half hour for 24 hours straight. No naps, no breaks, no nothing. Much like a marathon, I rely on pledged donations to my charity as I blog around the clock.

Who are you blogging for this year? This year, I am blogging around the clock for Compassionate Friends. The mission of The Compassionate Friends: When a child dies, at any age, the family suffers intense pain and may feel hopeless and isolated. The Compassionate Friends provides highly personal comfort, hope, and support to every family experiencing the death of a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister, or a grandchild, and helps others better assist the grieving family.

There are currently 660 Compassionate Friends chapters in all 50 states, including Washington D.C., Puerto Rico and Guam. There are more than 30 countries who currently have Compassionate Friends chapters available. To locate a chapter near you, click here.

The Compassionate Friends are just a phone call away from anyone suffering this devastating loss. Whether you suffered a miscarriage, pregnancy loss, stillbirth or the loss of an adult child, The Compassionate Friends are there to assist in your grief. With a simple phone call, the Compassionate Friends national office will send you a free bereavement packet specific to the loss you are facing. The loss of a child is the loss of a child, in any form, at any age, and I especially loved the emphasis they put on that. The Compassionate Friends also offer support for all relatives -- siblings, grandparents, etc. -- dealing with this devastating loss.

What goes on at a Compassionate Friends meeting? There is some great information on their website here on what to expect.

When I lost Wylie, I felt completely alone. In the days following my loss, people -- friends, moms at local playgroups, random strangers on the internet -- reached out to share that they have lost a child, too. While no one deserves to experience this devastating loss, there is comfort in knowing you are not alone. There is comfort in knowing you have someone who understands. Compassionate Friends offers this support to everyone, free of charge, who has lost a child. Whether your loss is fresh, whether it happened 40 years ago, whether you are a parent or a grandparent, whether you lost an adult child or your baby never took it's first breath, they are there to help you. To let you know that you are not alone. To ensure you always have someone who understands. That support is invaluable and it is an honor to blog for such an incredible organization with such an important mission.

100% of proceeds from the Blogathon go to The Compassionate Friends.

How do I win the prizes? For every $5 you donate to the Blogathon, you are eligible to win all of the prizes donated by our fabulous sponsors. Prizes are usually donated up until the start of Blogathon, so keep checking back with what you've won! Winners will be announced on this blog as well as notified by e-mail following the cease of the Blogathon. If you win a prize you don't want or can't use, no problem -- just let me know and we can pick another winner. If you win a prize and would like it shipped to someone else as a gift, no problem -- again, just let me know.

How do I donate? At the very top left side of this blog, there is a donation widget. All donations are processed and immediately made to The Compassionate Friends. Your donation also will display as part of my fundraising total.

Can I donate by check? You sure can. I will be collecting checks (made payable to The Compassionate Friends, Inc.) to go towards my fundraising total as well. Please e-mail me for an address if this is what you would prefer.

For any other questions, feel free to e-mail me and I would love to answer!

1 comment:

  1. Just donated : ) Tried to put a heart (<3) for my "comment" but it only shows up as a "3" now... : / Love this idea/page/blog...wish I was computer savvy enough to maybe do/start a page one one day too. Was able to get/see the name of your tattoo artist who I may eventually contact one day... xoxo

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