In an effort to a) get me blogging (I’m very overdue) and b) get me thinking about running on the pavement instead of the treadmill, here are my Top 20 Favorite Running Songs.
Photo: http://www.fotopedia.com/
Special request: If you read this, please send me some of YOUR favorite running songs too!
#20 – “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor: Yes, I know this one is cliche, but does get the job done, so it’s in my #20 spot.
#19 – “Black Black Heart” – David Usher – This is a GREAT cool down song.
#18 – “Forever” – Chris Brown: Before you start the hate mail, I in no way support this woman-hitting dude. But I like this song. It has a good beat and it reminds me of one of my all-time favorite You Tube videos. (Sidebar: If you don’t love this video, you have no soul.)
#17 – “Put Your Hands Up For Detroit – Fedde Le Grand: Did you think this Detroit girl would not have this on her list?!
#16 – “Remember The Name” – Fort Minor: This song makes me think of Michigan State University football, which, naturally makes me smile.
#15 - “Stronger” – Kanye West: GREAT beat. Good lyrics. Simple enough!
#14 – “Sleepyhead – Passion Pit: Like #15, sometimes it is just about a good beat. This song has one too.
`13 – “Closer” – Ne-Yo: “I just can’t stop” = great lyric for that part of the run where I want to die, but keep going because I know it’ll do me good.
#12 – “The Longest Road” – Morgan Page: The Deadmau5 remix of this song is over 7 minutes long and is a good one for the middle part of the run where I’m just trying to maintain my pace.
#11 – “The Way I Are” – Timbaland: Great running song / great cardio song. Awesome repetitive beat.
#10 – “Bang Bang” – K’Naan & Adam Levine: I heard this one on Sirius one day not too long ago and really like it because it’s so damn catchy. And K’Naan and Adam have such quirky voices that they work well together. This song is just fun and if you’re not having any fun while running, what’s the point?
#9 – “Let It Rock” – Kevin Rudolf / Lil Wayne: For some reason, this song just gets me pumped up!
#8 – “Supermassive Black Hole” – Muse: Nope, I’m not a hipster. I’m not totally in love with their newest album like all the ‘cool kids’ are. I like their older stuff better. And I love that this song has been in a Supernatural episode and in one of the Twilight films. Insert inner-geek comments here.
#7 – “Broken” – UNKLE: Keeping with the inner-geek theme, I heard this in the credits of the latest X-Files film and I loved it immediately. It’s very atmospheric, which is great for when I want to get lost in a song and not think of any pain I may have in my body at that point in my run.
#6 – “Not Afraid” – Eminem: Duh, of course “Detroit girl” is going to have an Em song on this list too.
#5 - “She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult: Full disclosure here. I run to Keane’s cover of this. Sue me. I love Tom Chaplin’s voice.
#4 – “Whatever” – Our Lady Peace: Quite simply a kick ass ROCK song.
#3 – “Just Say Yes” – Snow Patrol: I could listen to this song on repeat forever. The driving beat is PERFECT for running.
#2 – “Spotlight” – MuteMath: If this song does not make you run faster, I have no idea what song will.
#1 – “Is It Any Wonder?” – Keane: I love this song. So much. I drive fast to it. I run fast to it. Yep, it’s perfection.
I’m excited to tell you about a really fantastic event I have the honor of helping plan with my friends GayeLynn Maddalena and Shane Carson. It’s an event supporting ABC’s “Detroit 1-8-7,” a worthy Detroit charity and the city of Detroit.
If you know me, you know I love pairing fandom and charity. When I watched the pilot of Detroit 1-8-7, I watched partly out of curiosity and partly to show support for my city. But it was really fun to watch as a local. And then each episode got better and better. And now I’m a big fan.
But now fans of Detroit 1-8-7 are scared it may not get renewed. So I got together with GayeLynn and Shane and we’ve put together an event to celebrate a great show and a great city.
The event takes place this Sunday March 20, 2011 from 8pm – Midnight.
It takes place at a super cool venue where Shane had been offering some pro-bono marketing services. The Motor City Java House/Artist Village is located in the Old Redford neighborhood of Detroit next to the historic Redford Theater (17336 Lahser Rd., Detroit, MI 48219). When GayeLynn and I drove up to the venue for the first time, we were surprised at how, like many venues in Detroit, it is really is a diamond in the rough.
The Motor City Java House features specialty coffee, smoothies, fresh fruit, teas, dessert, soups, sandwiches, magazines, books, art, chess, poetry and much more.
Motor City Java House
Perhaps the coolest part of the venue is the attached Artist Village. Alicia Marion (Motor City Java House owner), Charles “Chazz” Miller (local artist and founder of Public Art Workz) and John George (founder of Motor City Blight Busters) founded it 8 years ago.
Artist Village is amazing. Naturally there is an art gallery. But there is so much more to the gallery and workspace. There is a massive lounge with a stage and huge projection screen for us to watch Detroit 1-8-7.
Shane, GayeLynn, Me and Motor City Java House / Artist Village owner Alicia on the patio
Both Motor City Java House and Artist Village were constructed using all recycled materials from abandoned villages in Detroit. Motor City Blight Busters helped with the amazing transformation. This is an amazing organization that has been helping Detroit for over 18 years. Blight Busters is a beneficiary for our event.
Inside the Java House
A few fun facts about Motor City Blight Busters:
-They can proudly claim 120,000 volunteers, who have contributed more than 658,000 volunteer hours to paint 684 homes, board up and secure 379 abandoned buildings, renovate 176 houses and build 114 new ones to make suitable housing for 1,160 people.
-In the process, they used 21,000 gallons of paint, 15,500 pounds of nails and 15,470 sheets of plywood.
-They demolished 113 houses with sledgehammers and people power and undertook 3,850 neighborhood clean-ups that resulted in 1,550 dumpsters of trash and 70,000 garbage bags.
In addition to of course airing the Detroit 1-87 finale, our event will feature fabulous food from two legends in Detroit – American Coney Island and Better Made Potato Chips. It will also feature beverages courtesy of Vitamin Water and attendee gifts courtesy of my company (Lindsay Warren Consulting), Urbane Apartments and WowShane Radio.
That’s not all. We’ll also have some really cool door prizes from Reaver Diamonds, Fist of Detroit apparel and American Coney Island. And, on top of that, we’ll have local artists and entertainers performing!
For GayeLynn, Shane and me, this project has been solely a labor of love for our city and one of our favorite TV shows, taken on by the three of us. Because of that passion, we unanimously agreed upon conception of the event that we would donate our services, and not accept any payment for this event whatsoever.
This week I’m featuring a woman with a very hard job. She’s got a job I’d truly never have the strength to do. Every day, she interacts with people who say things like “I’m moving and can’t take my cat with me.” (Uh, last time I checked, cats were allowed in every city in the world.) They also say things like, “We had a baby and we don’t want our dog anymore.” (Absolutely brutal.) And she does it with a smile…Well, 99% of the time! ;)
She also gets to save lives, create second chances and make many people very happy!
She’s the Adoption Manager for the Michigan Animal Adoption Network. Her name is Chris Wisswell and lemme tell you: She’s fabulous at what she does AND she’s a stronger woman than me!
Chris Wisswell
What city did you grow up in? I was born in Detroit, moved to Warren when I was 3, then moved to Shelby Township when I was 7 years old. I have been here ever since!
What was your first job? Data entry clerk at a lawyer’s office in Bloomfield Hills, MI
Where did you go to college? Macomb Community College
Tell me about your business/company. I work for the Michigan Animal Adoption Network (MAAN). MAAN rescues animals, educates pet owners, provides low-cost spaying/neutering and low-cost vaccination clinics, adopts out cats and dogs and provides food, straw and love to animals in need.
What makes it unique? The main subsidiary of MAAN is the Animal Care Network (ACN). The ACN goes “onto the streets” to make a difference in animal’s lives. Dedicated volunteers go out each weekend, year round, rescuing and providing relief to outdoor and indoor animals. Some of the supplies provided include: dog houses, straw, food, water, bowls and leashes. The Animal Care Network also hosts two low-cost vaccine clinics in Pontiac every year. At each clinic, over 1,000 animals are vaccinated. These are animals that probably would not have been vaccinated if it wasn’t for the clinics.
What do you love most about what you do? I make a difference in the life of an animal. I am able to match up surrendered animals with their new forever families.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you (hidden talent, etc.)? I like to roller skate when I have a chance.
Outside of work, what are some of your passions? Gardening, reading
What do you think is the biggest misconception about this state? That Michiganders are rude.
What things draw you to downtown Detroit? Red Wings, Thanksgiving Parade
Lighting Round:
MSU or U of M? No preference
Ford, GM or Chrysler? Chrysler? Always have driven Chrysler vehicles and never had a problem with them.
Lions, Tigers, Pistons or Red Wings? Red Wings
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook
Favorite local radio station? WRIF
Favorite local TV station? WDIV
Favorite local brand? Faygo
Favorite restaurant? Anita’s Kitchen in Ferndale. And “I Luv Pizza” in Shelby Township is the best place for pizza!!!
Favorite place to vacation in Michigan? “Up North”
This week I’m featuring Bonny Wainz for my “10 Questions with Metro Detroiters.” Bonny worked wonders with helping me train my dog Pebbles to be well-behaved and we’ve been friends ever since.
Bonny and a few of her students
LW: What city did you grow up in?
BW: I grew up in Warren, but I thought I lived in the country. The subdivision was brand new and many streets were still dirt roads when I was a kid. Our house had a 200ft x 300ft backyard . The yard was perfect for all types of adventures and a great place to play with our family dog, Ryan.
LW: What was your first job?
BW: My very first job was a paper route. I used to deliver The Detroit News. The best part about this job is that occasionally I would take my Dog with me. I have to admit the first time I took him along it didn’t go so well. He knocked over my bike and peed on the papers, but I persevered and eventually he learned to do a sit stay next to the bike.
LW: Where did you go to college?
BW: I went to Oakland University and have a bachelor’s degree in Business.
LW: Tell me about your business/company.
BW: The name of my company is Alternative Canine Training and our primary goal is to help people and train dogs. We do in-home dog training as well as provide group classes and each program is tailored to the individual dog and person.
LW: What makes it unique?
BW: People often ask why it’s ‘Alternative’ and I always tell them it is a natural form of training. We teach our clients to think like their dog thinks. We use ‘Doglish,’ another words we teach them how to use their body, facial expressions and tone of voice just like a dog. This way the dog learns very quickly what we want and expect out of them.
LW: What do you love most about what you do?
BW: I am probably the most fortunate person around. I get to work with animals all day. What I really like the most is that I can help people. There is nothing more satisfying than to see an owner and dog’s relationship change. It goes from the owner being frustrated with their dog’s behavior and the dog from being a hyper, nervous and also frustrated to one were they are both calm, content and happy.
LW: What is one thing most people don’t know about you (hidden talent, etc.)?
BW: I love painting the little ceramic houses that you see at Christmas time. They may never be collectors like the Lemax Village houses, but I love methodically painting each detail. Sometimes it takes me two years to paint one house as I only do this in the winter time.
LW: Outside of work, what are some of your passions?
BW: It is hard for me to differentiate work and play as many of my hobbies are with my dogs. I love skiing, hiking, field training (all with my dogs), golf and traveling. They won’t let me take a dog in a golf cart.
LW: What do you think is the biggest misconception about this state?
BW: That Detroit is all bad.
LW: What things draw you to downtown Detroit?
BW: I love many of the activities in Detroit. I also love the nautical museum and planetarium at Belle Isle.
Lighting Round:
MSU or U of M? U of M (just because my Dad would always say “Go Blue”
Ford, GM or Chrysler? GM
Lions, Tigers, Pistons or Red Wings? Tigers
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook
Favorite local TV station? Channel 4
Favorite local brand? Chicken Shack
Favorite restaurant? 2 Sisters (in Rochester) or Nicki’s (in Royal Oak)
Favorite place to vacation in Michigan? Alpena
Favorite place to take out-of-towners? Frankenmuth
Here’s the next installment in my new feature, “10 Questions With Metro Detroiters.” Today’s interviewee is Michael Grosvenor, a multi-talented guy, who is not only a drummer, but a marketing maven!
Michael Grosvenor
LW: What city did you grow up in?
MG: Union Lake (Which sadly no longer exists!)
LW: What was your first job?
MG: McDonald’s…Totally cliché but true! I think I was 15.
LW: Where did you go to college?
MG: Full Sail University (Winter Park, FL)…School that at the time specialized in recording engineering (what I studied).
LW: Tell me about your business/company.
MG: Grove Marketing & Media is a company focusing on marketing, design, strategy, and social web communications. We specialize in music and creative industries.
LW: What makes it unique?
MG: I’m a musician with a long background in marketing. We understand how the creative mind works. I’ve seen a big disconnect between artists and folks who market their art. We strive to eliminate that communication gap and work together to grow their reach.
LW: What do you love most about what you do?
MG: I have the opportunity to work with so many talented people. It’s so satisfying to believe in a project and be a part of their success from the ground up.
LW: What is one thing most people don’t know about you (hidden talent, etc.)?
MG: I once got in trouble in grade school by playing a Billy Joel song during show & tell where he uses the “F” word.
LW: Outside of work, what are some of your passions?
MG: Music is my biggest passion. I love to listen, perform, write, record…all of it. Also a big sports geek…Lifelong Detroit Tigers fan.
LW: What do you think is the biggest misconception about this state?
MG: So many people think that Detroit is beyond repair. We may be down but never out. Here there is a fantastic community of folks doing great things for this state and city. The energy and creativity of the people here is exciting and they are a vital part of this state and nation’s rebirth.
LW: What things draw you to downtown Detroit?
MG: Live music and sports. Detroit has one of the best audiences for both. We’re known around the world for being a great live music town and sports town. You can’t go wrong with a concert or game!
Lighting Round:
MSU or U of M? MSU
Ford, GM or Chrysler? Ford
Lions, Tigers, Pistons or Red Wings? Tigers…but the Lions cause me pain on a weekly basis!
Facebook or Twitter? These days, Twitter takes the cake.
Favorite local radio station? 93.9 The River or 96.3 WDVD
Favorite local TV station? WXYZ Channel 7. The #backchannel has me tuned in every day!
Favorite local brand? Better Made Chips or Garden Fresh Gourmet Salsa
Favorite restaurant? I have a few…Armando’s, Young’s Chinese, Buddy’s Pizza, Highland House
Favorite place to vacation in Michigan? Alanson on Pickerel Lake…The view and air is amazing there.
Favorite place to take out-of-towners? I’m partial to a good dinner and a ball game…or a concert depending on who’s in town.
I’m really excited about a new project I’m featuring on my blog – “10 Questions with Metro Detroiters.”
The goal is to showcase a few fabulous folks I know in Metro Detroit.
My first interview is with photographer Brendan Ross. Make sure you don’t just read the 10 questions, but stick around for the lightning round as well!
Brendan Ross
LW: What city did you grow up in?
BR: Saint Clair Shores
LW: What was your first job?
BR: I was a photographer for Fairchild Publications. I had a friend who was a stringer and she could get her work picked up if they had photos. It worked well. It was before I had a drivers license.
LW: Where did you go to college?
BR: Albion College
LW: Tell me about your business/company.
BR: Brendan Ross, Photographer is an independent photographic studio, specializing in manufacturing, metalworking and plastics. But I shoot all kinds of things. This week Sunday I was shooting christenings in a Gothic Church available light, Tuesday copying oil paintings for the artist’s portfolio and Friday/Saturday illustrating food for the opening of a new hamburger restaurant.
LW: What makes it unique?
BR: Every subject has it’s own challenge. I’ve taken pictures during open heart surgery, in coal mines and from helicopters. Several U.S. presidents and a couple of presidential candidates. Took photos at last year’s Detroit Marathon for a shoe company.
LW: What do you love most about what you do?
BR: It’s not the same thing day after day. It’s always changing.
LW: What is one thing most people don’t know about you (hidden talent, etc.)?
BR: I’m very good with color. An art director friend sent me a 100 color test once and I got one wrong out of a hundred. I scored about twenty points higher than he did.
LW: Outside of work, what are some of your passions?
BR: Reading, cycling and cross country skiing. Movies (although I have a terrible memory for titles and names of movie stars). Fixing and updating computers.
LW: What do you think is the biggest misconception about this state?
BR: The friendliest and most charitable people in the country live in Michigan.
LW: What things draw you to downtown Detroit?
BR: Architecture and the DIA.
Lightning Round:
MSU or U of M? U of M
Ford, GM or Chrysler? Chrysler
Lions, Tigers, Pistons or Red Wings? Tigers
Facebook or Twitter? Facebook
Favorite local radio station? WRCJ (Dr. Dave Wagner is a personal friend.)
Favorite local TV station? WDIV
Favorite local brand? Vernors
Favorite restaurant? Bucci Ristorante. I’m a Eastsider.
Favorite place to vacation in Michigan? Ludington (birthplace)
On Wednesday, October 20, 2010, I attended the 140 Characters Conference at the Fillmore in Detroit. The 140 Character Conferences are put on by Jeff Pulver, the co-founder of Vonage. Since the inception of the #140conf, as they are dubbed, conferences have taken place in New York City, LA, London, Barcelona, Tel Aviv…and now Detroit!
As the name reflects, the conferences focus on Twitter (For those of you not on Twitter, you have 140 characters to post your updates) and the good it is providing both for-profit and non-profit business, as well as connecting people worldwide.
In a similar fashion the TEDx events, this conference features very quick presentations, generally 5-10 minutes long max. I took copious notes and want to share with you some of my favorite speakers and the takeaways I got from this FABULOUS event.
Before I go on, let me emphasize one thing. If you are not on Twitter yet, get there and get there fast. Not only can it help your business, but it can help the world!
My Takeaways from #140conf
(Each bullet point refers to a new speaker or panel)
-If you live anywhere in Michigan, you need to get to know Erik Proulx. Erik is going to create a wonderful documentary about all the GREAT things happening in Detroit and how the city WILL make a big comeback. That documentary is called “Lemonade: Detroit.” (Get it? Make lemonade from lemons, people!) He noted only 1/3 of the land in Detroit is occupied and instead of viewing that as something scary or negative, it is to be viewed as a sense of possibility. The goal with his film is to reverse the fixation of people viewing “ruin porn” and instead have the fascination turn to viewing “hope porn.”
Erik has a very unique approach to getting his film funded. ANYONE can sponsor it and become an IMDB.com credited producer of the film! For $120, I’ve sponsored 5 seconds of the film. You can do that (or more!) here.
-One of my favorite Detroiters, Stephen Clark of WXYZ-TV, spoke about the birth of the “Back channel” – his unique connection to his viewers who watch and tweet with him during his live television news broadcasts. He summed up Twitter and the #backchannel with this statement, “Strangers all gather to work together to create change.” Well said, Stephen!
-Speaker Becky McCraw comes from a town of 27 people! She is an entrepreneur who does not need to be from a big city to “get it.” She explained that limited resources simply equals tough, creative people. If that statement alone does not illustrate that we are all the same no matter if we’re from a rural area or a big city like Detroit, I don’t know what does! She also said something that more businesses need to listen to, which was, “Customer service is all you’ve got.”
Lastly, she coined a fantastic new term – “hybrid vigor” – which speaks to the hybrid always being stronger than the individual. Amen, Becky! I’m certain we will hear more from Becky in the near future.
-If you work in advertising, marketing or public relations, you’ve probably heard of Hajj Flemings. Hajj is the founder of Brand Camp University. Hajj showed this amazing video to illustrate the importance of improvising and not killing our dreams as we get older:
As I write this blog, this video has close to 3 million views. Clearly, people from all over the world identify with dreamers. Take a moment to watch this video as I’m certain you’ll be thoroughly impressed!
-The first panel of the day was about how entrepreneurs are reshaping Detroit. As someone who has successfully started and runs her own business, this panel really spoke to me. They reminded entrepreneurs to do two things: FOCUS and NEVER QUIT!Todd List said, “Surround yourself with people who are farther down the road than you.”
-Jeremiah Staes spoke about “Telling the story of Detroit in real-time: How do you deal online with a brand where some people mistakenly think you’re going to get shot?” He told the audience, “Don’t hide behind anonymity online!” Sound advice, especially when it’s easy to say something ignorant like “I don’t want to go to Detroit because I might get shot.” (Eye roll.)
-It was fascinating to see how some forward-thinking teachers are connecting with their students through social media and the huge benefits these teachers are seeing by reaching out to students where they already are. Nicholas Provenzano, a high school English teacher and education blogger, said, “Teachers need to be open to change or education will fail.” Provenzano has found success in using Twitter for transparency. All of his assignments are posted on Twitter, so students and parents alike can see what is due tomorrow! Talk about simple and effective. Good on you, Nicholas.
-The real-time news gathering panel also proved to be very useful to me. A public relations professional in the audience posed an extremely relevant question. He wanted to know what was the best way to pitch stories to the media, given all the changes in distribution. The media professionals on the panel agreed that picking up the phone or sending a personalized e-mail was still the very best route. They reminded PR professionals to ‘get to the point’ and asked everyone to participate with your local media. Also, one new way to share positive stories in Metro Detroit is by sending e-mails to dogood@freepress.com.
-Yisrael Pinson, a Rabbi serving the Jewish recovery community, taught us that Twitter is tremendously helping recovering addicts. (Who knew?!) He said, “Social media and recovery are a match made in Heaven.” Is there anything Twitter can’t do? It is so inspiring to see all the good this new technology is providing!
-Charlie Wollberg really struck a chord with me when he spoke. I’ve been utilizing social media for several years now to fundraise for charity. He said, “Click does not equal care. There is no substitute for real action.” He meant that hitting the ‘share’ button on Facebook or the ‘re-tweet’ button on Twitter was good, but not good enough. I could not agree more. Social media is amazing for spreading the word about non-profits and the amazing work they do, but we must do better. We need to donate our time and our money to causes that mean something to us. (And I’ll step off my soap box now.)
-Anissa Mayhew was without a doubt one of my favorite speakers at #140conf Detroit. Anissa talked about the human side of social media and how what some might consider total strangers (Facebook friends, Twitter friends, etc.), she considers real friends. Anissa witnessed the power of social media after she had a stroke. Her family kept the world abreast of her progress while she was in a coma in the hospital. When she came home, she found thousands of cards, e-mail and other forms of support waiting for her from these friends. All these people had never met her in person, but they rallied for her online.
She stated, “Friends are friends.” As someone who has been making wonderful friends online for a while now, I agree with you 1000%, Anissa. I met one of my absolute dearest friends, Kathy through MySpace (back in its heyday), and I’m incredibly thankful to have her in my life, not to mention countless others.
-Another person you have to get to know is Nelson de Witt. Nelson is from El Salvador and was separated from his parents at birth. He is creating a documentary film about his amazing life story – and his family that he finally got to meet! Despite his very struggles, Nelson always remained positive.
He had a perfect message for Detroit: “Pick up the pieces and keep going!” He also said, “Recognize the opportunity we all have to change the world.” I absolutely loved his enthusiasm!
-Chris Brogan had a bunch of useful takeaways for Metro Detroiters. A few quotes from him:
“No one is coming to save you.” This was not meant to be a negative statement. I viewed this as a reminder that WE Detroiters are the key to our success and how great will it be when the city does turn around and we can all take the credit for it?!
“Discomfort is an investment.” This said to me that if you want to grow, you must get outside of your comfort zone. Thank you for the reminder, Chris!
“Tithing is alive and well. For every project, find a cause.” This is a man after my non-profit loving heart! ;)
-Fred Jacobs spoke about one of my favorite things -music!- and how Twitter is ‘pulling back the curtain for music fans.’ Jacobs is the creator of the classic rock format. He said, “Social media re-creates a grass roots dialogue for classic rock artists.” I definitely agree with Fred and I’ll add that I think that if artists are genuine on Twitter, every musician/band have the opportunity connect to fans in a more intimate way, creating even more loyal fans! It seems like a no brainer win/win for the music industry, which is no stranger to the economic challenges that have occurred over the past decade. Jacobs emphasized that Twitter provides authenticity and personal engagement. Where else can an artist or band communicate with fans like that once they’ve become popular?
A few more notable quotes from the 140 Characters Conference in Detroit:
“There’s always been hope here. There’s always been hard work,” Ron Levi
“This city can be a renaissance…Your life is not just about you. Everything that you do inspires others.” Ja-Nae Duane
“The art of listening is suspending your mind,” Geo Geller
“Social media is causing people to look up,” Mandi Mankvitz
And lastly, Ryan Doyle said, “Throw out probabilities. Focus on possibilities!
To sum up my conference experience…
A never give up attitude, an openness to change, interactivity, transparency, accountability and good customer service are paramount to being successful on Twitter and other social media. It is best to view social media as not the ‘new, hot technology’ but as a tool used to create a stronger connection to each other.
Well, I think I’ve finally recovered from my whirlwind trip to Los Angeles and back to The D just 3 days later! My busy week was all for good causes though – the animals!
My SupportSupernatural.com website co-founder Heather and I made the trek out to LA to support the annual fundraiser for A Dog’s Life Rescue. The event, entitled “Pawsitively Hilarious,” featured a massive silent auction (I won an awesome Supernatural prize pack that featured items signed by the show’s creator, Eric Kripke!), delicious vegetarian and vegan food, tasty adult beverages, ridiculously funny comedians and even some fun musical entertainment!
A Dog's Life Rescue Success Stories
The event also featured photo galleries of all the animals that have been helped since the charity’s inception and photos of animals still in need of a forever home. Stylish A Dog’s Life t-shirts were for sale as well. (We of course each bought one!)
There was an impressive raffle too. Prizes included large goody bags full of dog and cat supplies, toys, treats, food, etc. AND a pair of round-trip tickets anywhere Virgin Airlines flies in the US.
While I do not have exact figures, I can report that the event came close to meeting its fundraising goal. A Dog’s Life Rescue is still in need of donations so they can get to that goal though, and if you are interested in helping this wonderful charity (that is run by 100% volunteers), visit http://www.SPNangelsforanimals.org to donate.
I want to take a moment to thank the co-founders of A Dog’s Life Rescue, Allison Lange and Julia Pennington. When Heather and I were contacted by folks in Jared Padalecki’s camp who asked for our help in fundraising for them last year, we had no idea that we would have the opportunity to interact with the wonderful folks running the non-profit and hear the daily stories from the streets.
We have not only have we gotten to hear first-hand about all of their challenges and their successes, but Alli and Julia have become friends and two women that we both look up to. These women talk the talk and walk the walk every day. They help ALL animals – from birds on the side of the road to a large feral cat colony to hundreds of dogs. They somehow balance their careers and volunteering to save animals in Los Angeles AND stay sane throughout the process. These women truly are an inspiration to not only animal rescue advocates, but to women everywhere!
Alli / Me / Heather on stage as we received our plaques
Alli and Julia presented Heather and me with plaques thanking us for helping raise money for the charity with the Supernatural fandom. This is an incredible honor and I would be remiss if I did not thank every single Supernatural fan who joined with us to not only meet and bypass our fundraising goal in 2009, those who are helping us reach our goal in 2010, and those who are helping us get the word out that animals need us to speak up and be their voices.
Thank you, Supernatural fandom. You are kind, generous, passionate and all around amazing. Let’s keep it up! We want to reach $30,000 in donations this year!
Back on the home front…
With just enough time to get off the plane, pick up my luggage,make the 45-minute drive home, shower and eat a late lunch this past Saturday, I was back in the car – off to another annual animal rescue fundraiser!
This event, entitled “Bowl-4-Animal Rescue,” was put on two more amazing women, Aleta Sill and Michelle Mullen.
Sell-out crowd at the 5th Annual Bowl-4-Animal Rescue
Aleta and Michelle are two other women that I look up to and you should too.
Aleta is the very first female bowler to reach $1 million in prize winnings…and she really has too many other honors to list! And Michelle is just as amazing, being named a collegiate All-American bowler not once but three times, and is also a USBC Gold Coach.
Fun fact – there are just over 30 GOLD Coaches in the world, and less than 10 are women!
In addition to being accomplished bowlers and business women, they are extremely passionate and supportive of animal rescue. In their first four years of putting on their fundraiser, they have raised over $45,000 for the animals! I really am blessed with some amazing folks in my life, huh?!
Michelle and Aleta also own a pro shop called Aleta Sills Bowling World and they coach at Country Lanes in Farmington – the venue for their annual event. The event is a fundraiser for the Michigan Animal Adoption Network and the Friends for the Dearborn Animal Shelter, two groups doing so many positive things for animals in Metro Detroit.
Aleta (far left) and Michelle (far right) with some of their dear friends
This year was the 5th annual event and featured bowling, tasty food from Domino’s and Red Robin, a cash bar, karoake, a huge raffle auction , 50/50 auction and copious door prizes! In addition, a 32′ flat screen TV was given away in a special raffle.
The event was a sell out and a true success! This event had a fundraising goal of $15,000 and while official figures are not out yet, I’m confident they will be close. This will raise their total fundraising figure to $60,000! Way to go ladies!
Donations are still being accepted at http://www.yourbowlingcoach.com.
This event was special to me for many reasons, beyond the general success of the night!
#1 – I’m a proud volunteer for the Michigan Animal Adoption Network.
#2 – Michelle and Aleta are my awesome clients.
And #3 – Rich and Pebbles came to the event and we celebrated our two-year anniversary of adopting our sweet rescue pup!
It was another great night celebrating animals and I’m so glad I was able to be a part of it!
