I got an email a while back from Jilladair Carlson, the music producer for the upcoming MSAA benefit CD: Everybody Falls (see previous post about the CD and email from Malcom at the MSAA). I wanted to know what I could do to help. I figure we all deserve a better quality of life with this illness and if there is something I can do than I want to do it. After all...this helps each of us who are touched by this illness.

I had a nice conversation with her and they need people to volunteer time trying to promote the CD locally. The Safeway stores in her area are letting them set up a table to promote and sell the CD. I decided to see if the Safeway store in my town would also let me set up a table. Every CD sold helps us..so why not? Unfortunately the Safeway stores in my area were unwilling to let me set up a table. They are overwhelmed with all of the breast cancer fundraising. I got the phone number for the regional corporate offices however, and I am hoping that in March we can set up a way for the Safeway stores to ask people when they are checking out to donate a dollar to MS. It seems to me every time I go shopping they ask me to donate to this charity or that one, but it is never for MS. Since MS awareness week is in March they said they can probably do something at that time (I am hoping for a full month, however...a week just is not long enough).

Next I called Costco. I figured this is a company that is founded out of Washington and may want to help (CD was created and produced out of Washington as well). They have a corporate policy that states they cannot allow anyone to sell items that are not directly part of Costco. The manager was very nice about it and explained that there are some organizations that they would not want to be associated with and the law states that if you allow one organization to set up you have to allow all of them (no discrimination I suppose). He wanted to help however and asked that we contact the corporate office donation person to arrange for a donation to be made. It is nice that they want to do something! :)

Finally I called Wal-Mart. I have heard that they are disability-friendly and sure enough. I am all set to promote/sell the CD starting on the 25th. They are giving me the afternoons on Wednesdays and Fridays at the Richland location and then I get to set up on Saturdays and Sundays at the Pasco location. They were really excited to be able to do something to help out!

Next I sent out an email to the local high school clubs asking for volunteers to help promote/sell the CD. I have not gotten any bites yet but it is still early. I then got a hold of the three local news stations, KNDU, KEPR, & KVEW, and they are going to do a news story on the CD and our fundraising at Wal-Mart....according to the newsroom they will probably come out the first day I am at Wal-Mart and do the story. This should give us some good advertising so maybe people will come out and purchase the CD to support the MSAA. I am also hoping to get a hold of the local newspaper so that a story can be published. It is about time there is some awareness in my area of MS.

So even though I have not been feeling the greatest I can say it felt pretty good to do something good today! It was nice to be able to get on the phone and make some things happen....especially knowing this will help each one of us touched by MS.

If you are interested in helping out as well, please let me know. Leave me a comment or email me. I am sure the Wal-Mart in your area would be happy to let you come by for a weekend or a couple afternoons to also promote the CD. The more people who help out the better! For more information on the CD or to purchase it online, please go to www.brightercd.com

I hope you are all doing well. Take care.

Jaime