Great Day Despite Spartan Loss

It ain't easy being green...
At least I was able to raise some green for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!



Today I headed up to East Lansing, Michigan, the home of the beloved Spartans. My objective today wasn't to see the 100th rivalry game against the U-M Wolverines. It wasn't to spend the early part of the day tailgating, either. Today was my first ever "Bead Drive", where I spent many hours giving away beads for donations to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

There couldn't have been a better day for tailgating, football games, or fundraising. The weather was cool but not uncomfortable. The bright sun offset the slight breeze that would have otherwise sent a chill down a spine every now and then. And the atmosphere on campus was one of hope and optimism regardless of where alliances laid.

I was a bit nervous when I first started heading into the crowds, not just because of the always-present fear of rejection (which I know I can usually quickly overcome) but because I was wondering if I could actuallly unload 400 strands of fairly heavy beads.

I found my co-worker, Peter, early on and was able to leave my rolling cooler, full of beads, over by his tailgate area while I loaded bunches on my arm. It took me a while to get into "the ask", but before I knew it, I was mingling nicely with both Spartan and U-M fans. The wonderful thing was that everyone I spoke with was equally pleasant.

I had colors that represented both sides of the rivalry today, and it ended up working out great. U-M fans were very appreciative that I hadn't left them out in my color scheme.

As I strolled through the crowds, I got many good lucks, many thank yous, and many offers for beer and food which I took a pass on except the one instance where I was inclined try some sausage that had been made with a gentleman's kill, a goose, that he had recently gotten. It wasn't bad at all, I must say!

At the end of the day, the Spartans suffered another disappointing loss. But the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was a big winner today. I was able to rid myself of all 400 beads and ended up raising $741 towards my mission. That's a lot of beer money that came out of people's pockets today.

So thank you to everyone who supported Team in Training today!!! Your money will be used wisely on cancer research and patient support programs, and that should make you feel great. And the best part is, you won't have a hangover!

--------

Help me in my mission to raise $4,000 in the fight against cancer!
Check out my progress at my new web page!!
http://www.active.com/donate/tntmi/andi

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