Will You Rock or Walk
to Washington DC?
Mary Hurt
LLLI Public Relations Associate
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 40 No. 2, April-May 2004, pp. 42-43.
“Planning is the key
to making something you really want to happen actually happen. If you
are considering going to the LLLI Conference, don’t let the financial
aspects scare you away. There is enough time now to plan and raise the
money to fund your trip. Some ideas on how to individually supplement
your trip include saving a little ‘extra’ from paychecks,
asking that any gifts received during the year be in the form of cash
toward the trip, and collecting coins in a large change jar,” writes
Janet Walkup in Palmetto Palette, South Carolina’s Leader letter.
She goes on to say that there
are many fundraising options available including yard sales, bumper
stickers, recipe books, catalogue parties, car washes, and more. Janet
states, “We are limited only by our imaginations.”
Leader Robin Rziha and the
Great Bend LLL Group recently used their imaginations and completed
a very successful fundraiser. The Great Bend Group covers approximately
a 75 square mile area of rural Kansas, USA. Robin states that she wishes
Leaders everywhere would participate in the World Walk for Breastfeeding.
“It really is a great fundraiser.”
The Great Bend LLL Group
has had successful Walks in the past, but this year they decided to
try a new angle. They held a World “Rock” for Breastfeeding.
Robin writes, “Our 2003 World Walk for Breastfeeding wasn’t
a Walk at all. Instead, our Great Bend Group collected donations for
a chance to win a beautiful glider rocker. The glider rocker was donated
to our Group by a local furniture store.”
The suggested donation for
a ticket was one dollar (US) or six tickets for five dollars. All members
were encouraged to try to collect 25 US dollars in donations. The Group
sold the tickets from August 1st through September 30th and advertised
the drawing at an art exhibit and a women’s exposition. They also
had the rocker on display and tickets available at a children’s
clothing store in Great Bend for the month of August.
In all, the Group collected
over $3,000 in donations for chances to win the glider rocker. In addition,
they donated 100 percent of their breast pump rental and sales income
for the month of August to the World “Rock” for Breastfeeding.
The grand total for ticket donations, sales, and rentals was $4,385,
making it a very successful and easy fundraiser for the Group, Area,
Division, and La Leche League International.
Whether you Walk for breastfeeding
or hold another fundraiser, the single most important thing you can
do is to begin your project. Why not begin today by taking just one
baby step in your “Walk” to Washington DC. Ask members of
your Group for help or look up fundraising ideas in the Leader’s
Handbook, past issues of Leaven, and on LLLUSA’s Web site at www.lllusa.org/lllusa/fundraising.html.
Plan now so that you will
be celebrating Breastfeeding: Ancient Art, Modern Miracle at LLLI’s
19th breastfeeding Conference to be held July 2-5, 2005 at the Washington
Hilton, Washington, DC, USA.
Ten
Ways a Leader Can Share the Conference Experience
- An LLLI Conference
is first and foremost a continuing education experience for
Leaders. LLLI Conferences present cutting-edge information on
the latest research about breastfeeding and breastfeeding management.
Conference attendees are consistently pleased with the high
level of breastfeeding information offered.
- Some of the learning
at an LLLI Conference is informal. It is not unusual to sit
next to someone, perhaps from another corner of the globe, who
has found a solution to one of the challenges you routinely
face in your Group.
- Leaders can share
new books with their Group and bring back insights from the
authors that they hear speak. LLLI often debuts new books at
Conferences. Look in future updates to find out what new books
and authors may be highlighted at this Conference. Leaders can
often save shipping and handling costs on books purchased at
the Conference.
- Conference sessions
will be available on CD-ROM at a greatly reduced price for those
who attend. It’s a wonderful way to listen to any missed
sessions and to keep as a permanent reference resource in your
Group Library.
- Leaders can visit
the interesting and extensive Exhibit Hall to bring back to
the Group gifts, ideas, catalogues, and even future fundraising
ideas.
- Conference topics
include parenting information for babies through teens. When
a Leader becomes even more informed as a parent, she gains additional
information to share with the mothers she helps.
- Most often, all
of the LLLI Founders attend the LLLI Conference. New Leaders,
Leaders of over 20 years, and Leaders from outside the host
country will have an opportunity to have lunch with one of the
Founders and other Leaders. Leaders say the inspiration they
experience from this opportunity is often the highlight of their
Conference experience. The enthusiasm of this encounter creates
a ripple effect that touches everyone the Conference attendee
meets.
- The LLLI Conference
is one of the only places where you can experience a breastfeeding
world vision. You can even walk around the world in a couple
of hours at the World Faire.
- Many Leaders meet
with Group members before they register for the Conference and
ask them to suggest topics they would like to know more about.
When they return from the Conference, they then hold an Evaluation
Meeting sharing what they learned at the Conference.
- An LLLI Conference
is a snapshot of what a breastfeeding culture would look like.
It is three days that will leave you refreshed and motivated
in your quest to help mothers breastfeed their babies.
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