This topic contains 19 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by 
batterboy58 12 years, 2 months ago.
First of all apologies for having to fragment my post as the system won't accept it all in one go.
Fundraising and Awareness Day
Even though I am on treatment at the moment and feeling pretty rubbish, I have an overwhelming desire to do something to give something back. Sometimes we are all so busy working to make a living and there is neither the funds or time or inclination to be charitable, so I got to thinking about what I could do. Don?t get me wrong because some of this is about making me feel good and to leave a memory of something worthwhile. Although I have have raised money for charities before and had collection boxes on my counter in my shop there is nothing that I can say that I have given significantly from my own pocket.
So what tools do I have at my disposal to carry out my plan, well although I have my business up for sale I still have it at the moment and it seems like a good vehicle to use to carry out my plan which is to hold a Myeloma Awareness and Fundraising day at my Fish & Chip Restaurant in Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire.
What I am planning is for Friday 14th Sept when Mablethorpe should be packed with visitors for a Bathing Beauties Festival being held over the whole weekend. We will be selling all food and drink at ½ price. The cost of producing the goods to be borne by the business in order that the whole days takings from 11am until 10pm will be donated to Myeloma UK. Myeloma UK are supporting my event with educational posters about Myeloma which I will put in my windows as soon as they arrive along with banners and balloons and t shirts that they will provide along with this I will start advertising the event now.
One of the things that always strikes me about Myeloma is how few people have even heard about it and yet it is I believe the second most common blood cancer, often confused by people I find with comments like Oh skin cancer to which I have to always go into long drawn out explanations of what Myeloma actually is. So part of my aim is to promote awareness. I wonder if sometimes that us sufferers are too private about it and keep it to ourselves and maybe we should all spark off about it a bit more. I for one am fed up of suffering in silence. So my 54th Birthday will be Sept 15th hence coordinating this event with it when I will use our local press to flood the whole of Lincolnshire with as much information about not just our event but also Myeloma and what it is etc. etc. I will give the newspaper an interview about me and my journey and treatment over the past 12 years and the whole county will know about it.
Of course we also wish to give as big a cheque as possible to Myeloma at the end of it, so what began life as a spark of an idea a couple of days ago has now really taken off and is at an advanced planning stage with the help of Myeloma UK, our local press who have a team working on it already buzzing with ideas to make the day a success.
We will be also doing a free raffle on the day to encourage more business and I have been overwhelmed with gifts for prizes from local businesses including a Mountain Bike, A TV DVD Combi, Shopping Vouchers, Free Meal Vouchers from local Restaurants, Garden Centre Prizes, and many more that I intend to approach in the next few days. We will also try to encourage people to make a donation into the collection boxes for the raffle but believe that the best way is to leave that to people?s generosity and keep the raffle essentially free.
Also we are hoping to secure the services of an entertainer for the day of some sort we are trying to come up with ideas for this and it is still a recently borne idea, maybe some sort of themed character or something (if anyone on here has any ideas then feel free to throw them into the pot).
All my staff have kindly volunteered to give their services for free on the day so we will have loads of efficient hands on the job so that we can be sure to get everyone served efficiently however many customers turn up. I am confident that we will be able to raise a significant amount for Myeloma UK.
Also the latest development is that one of my staff Olivia who is only 16 is going to try and arrange a tandem skydive with the help of a fundraising package of support from Myeloma UK and to try and tie it in to our event at around the same time so as to maximise the publicity for the paper.
So all in all although I have had a pretty crappy few days on the Revlimid and Dex and haven?t been able to work as such I have been spending my time organising this and have made myself feel pretty good inside. I am really excited about it.
I will keep everyone informed of how things are going and how much we eventually raise and if any of you are in or around Lincolnshire on 14th Sept then please come along and make yourself known.
The Event will be held at my shop
The Clock Fish & Chip Restaurant, Seaholme Road, Mablethorpe, Lincs LN12 2AW Tel 01507 472882
We may be found on Trip Advisor and at the moment are number 2 Restaurant in Mablethorpe Area
If any of you have any ideas which I may have missed or anything to add then please fire away with your comments I would be grateful for your input.
Best Wishes to Everyone
John Banks
I have to say that I have been disappointed with my performance on Revlimid & Dex, because by contrast when I had the now primitive chemo CVAMP by slow infusion through a Hickman Line 11 years ago and there were side effects, I did manage to function largely and work and life was relatively normal except for some mild sickness and fatigue from time to time.
Then about 4 years ago Velcade and Dex where the Dex gave me superhuman energy levels and helped me to work 12 hour days, move house and come home after work and lay laminate flooring and decorate the house through the night.
So as you can imagine, my attitude for this course of Revlimid and Dex was pretty much ?Bring it On?.
Imagine my disappointment then to find myself being kicked into touch and that the Revlimid is so powerful that the Dex is not able to temper the effects. One of the side effects has been that I had become quite hoarse and husky in my voice. Since the Dex does have the effect then of making me a chatterbox and quite excitable it has been not powerful enough to convert to physical energy and enable me to function and work as I would like to. I suppose what I have inadvertently done is to use the the Dex in a positive way to sit in my office all day and organise this event talking to people on the phone until my voice has now almost gone altogether.
One of my favourite sayings all my life has been ?Without the Optimist, the Pessimist wouldn?t know how happy he isn?t? a great view that has helped me to be quite successful through life and I believe has been instrumental in my survival for so long with this dreadful disease. I never spend my life looking over my shoulder waiting for the Myeloma to return and try to live each day the best I can and be happy whether at work or at play. Sometimes it is hard to put everything in the right boxes but mostly I have a positive outlook on life and I truly believe it helps in the battle with the rogue invaders inside me.
I have had to act quickly to rearrange staff and work so that we may get through the rest of the busy season and that I may take part if I am able and having a good day, but if I need to rest I can because it feels that if I don?t listen to my body messages and try to push myself then it pushes me back with a vengeance.
The good thing of course is that if Revlimid has this effect on me then hopefully it is doing its job and zapping the PPs also. Pretty powerful drug but I have to say a bit of a shock to me from my previous experiences.
Best Wishes to All
John
I have also now set up a page at Just Giving where people can help sponsor our event and donate directly to Myeloma UK
http://www.justgiving.com/John-Banks0
Cheers John
Hi John
And what a read, sounds great to me but you are gonna be very busy so good luck on that and a well done to all your staff that are giving the time and wage they would have collected (you must have some good un)
Good Luck John and stay well 😎
Tom "Onwards and Upwards"
Hi Tom
Thank You
Hey remember the song, "Theres a guy down the chip shop thinks hes Elvis"
Well I think I have managed to secure an Elvis to spend the day with us entertaining the customers and performing a show in the evening.
Two of my staff are doing Tandem Skydives, My son is organising a sponsored night golf event with Glo Gear and the others are all buzzing with ideas to do their own things.
I have been overwhelmed to tears by how much they all want to give (didn't realise they cared)
Thanks again Tom do you reckon you could make it over to Mabo on the day, I would love to see you.
Cheers John
Na then John
Yes I do remember that song Lol and am sat here humming it now he he,well done with the Elvis theme 😎
I would watch those two Staff that are going to do a Tandem Sky dive as am sure they must be nutters lol (I dont do heights)
Its great for it all to happen and throw some money into MM and inform lots of people about MM and hopefully some GP's aslo as they dont know a lot about it:-S
Ye the visit to your Fundraising and Awareness Day sounds good to me and my young bride 🙂 just put it in dairy so as Grandkids dont turn up lol.
Catcha Lata
Tom "Onwards and Upwards"
Ps you Establishment could be full of MM folk and carers Lol. all with Caps on 😛
Hi John
I shoved your link on Face Book am sure you wont mind ?? take a look here its my page http://www.facebook.com/tom.lappin.5 if you aint got a page you realy should open one up as your chip shop ?
Tom "Onwards and Upwards"
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Clock-Fish-Chip-Restaurant/169343793123093?ref=hl
Look forward to seeing you Tom
John
Hi John,
I attend the City Hospital in Nottingham and I too am currently on Rev & Dex (about to start Cycle 7 next week). I live in Aslockton, equidistant between Nottingham and Grantham, so not so very far from Mablethorpe. I used to play semi-pro in folk, folk-rock and MOR bands, duos and solo… although MM has slowed me down in many ways and the PN in my hands has ended my 'hot hands' pretensions.;-)
But if I am well and if I am able I would love to do a few spots during the afternoon – fitting in and around any other entertainers you might find. I would enjoy doing a few sets of Paul Simon/Lindisfarne/Johhny Cash/Country/Folk Pop to help entertain the mass crowds as they strorm the doors of your shop.8-)
If I can be of any help please bear me in mind.:-)
Dai.
And you I John got you on Face Book now 😀 And Wow it looks like the place will be awash with MM tee shirts Dai.8-)
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