4mydadTony Fundraising challenge

Hello little blog,

Sorry it's been a while since I last wrote - lots of things have been going on, but the most exciting has been to do with my Fundraising Challenge, to help people with MS!

You may remember that I wrote about my New Big Goal, which was an awesome starting point! Things have taken a slightly different direction, in light of my bipolar diagnosis, so I thought I'd share a little update with you all.

The original plan was for me to raise £22K to help pay for a big Wheelchair Accessible Car (WAC), that would fit all of the family and my dad comfortably. Well, now that I am probably not going to be moving out of my parents house for some time (well, not until a lovely fella comes along and sweeps me off my feet 😉) we had a re-think about how best to spend the money raised - the big WAC would no longer fit the needs of everyone. So we decided on a new plan - my parents would get a much smaller WAC, that would fit both of their mobility issues and I will save for a family car myself.

My dad hasn't been on holiday for over 2 years now - he either has to go into respite care or have a live-in carer stay with him, which I hate, as i feel so sad having to leave him behind, while we all go off for a fun family holiday. So, some of the money raised is going to go on a lovely family holiday - for my dad and the entire family to enjoy!

Then we had the job of deciding what to do with the rest of the money raised. Well, I met a friend of a friend whose wife also has MS like my dad and she attends a therapy centre for people with MS! So, that is where the remainder of the money raised is going, The Berkshire MS Therapy Centre!

I have already had a couple of fundraising events to help 'kick start' the money raising efforts -
Firstly I held an online Facebook Auction - I asked all of my creative friends if they would be willing to donate any pieces for the auction - to say that I was blown away with their generosity is a total understatement!! The auction went really well and overall raise £264! I have decided to hold another auction in December, perfect timing for some unique Christmas Gifts!

Some of the items donated!

 Next fundraising event, was a pamper evening that I held at a local Hotel. It was a really nice evening, with lots of different stallholders from massage therapists, to nails and skincare products 😊 the only downside was that where I had been so ill for 3 months, all of the final organising was crammed into just a few weeks! It was def a big learning curve and I have already got plans for another similar event next year! That event raised £261 and that was only with a few people there - plus all of the money from selling jewellery that a friend and I had made (we're going into business together - more on that another day!!)

If you fancy checking out my progress, I have a Facebook group called 4mydadTony - I've been uploading my progress and sharing videos of my fitness progress - did I tell you that I have signed up for Reading Half Marathon next Spring!?! I have found a personal trainer who is going to help me on the running side of things - I've been building my fitness levels with HIIT classes, aqua fit and walk/jogs, but I still have a long way to go before I'm Half Marathon Ready! So excited though! 😄

Oh and before I go, I just thought I'd share one little thing extra that I've done recently - I pledged that when my fundraising pot reached £750, I would dye my hair rainbow colours! Well, with generous friends and the online auction, we smashed that goal and so I got a hidden rainbow - which I LOVE!

My next milestone is £2K - then I will get all of my hair rainbow coloured! 😄