Team Player

I have finally dusted the cobwebs off of my running shoes and kicked off my 3-Day training regime.  60 miles in 3 days!  I can’t wait.  Although I must admit, I’ve taken a little hiatus from my fundraising to pursue another altruistic venture; I’m ramping back up in full force to help raise money for breast cancer research.

With that being said, I’d like to point you to my team’s newly redesigned Web site.  http://www.teamtiara.net.  I hope you like the site, as I really wanted it to reach out and say I’m pink, yet professional.

Why join a team for the 3-Day you ask?  Well I’m so glad you asked that question, as I was able to speak to a woman named Georgia on our training walk kick off shindig this past Saturday on this very topic.  Let me start by answering why I initially joined a team and the benefits I’ve experienced with Team Tiara…

In 2010, when I signed up for my first 3-Day walk, I had no real intention of walking with others.  I attended a Getting Started meeting and figured, well, it wouldn’t be so bad to meet a few people to walk with during the event.  I hopped on www.the3day.org and honestly, picked the team that had the highest fundraising at the time.  I assumed a group who could raise that much money must know what they were doing.  With a bit of selfishness, I figured I could learn a thing or two on how to be a successful fundraiser by partnering with these ladies.

What I gained though was a group of women (and one other man – Anthony) that really cared for one another.  We corresponded through e-mails and countless letters of encouragement were sent en-masse throughout the yahoo group.  Fundraising ideas were doled out by the truckload and although most of the larger events were held in Houston, there was no reason that one could not extend them to other locations throughout Texas.

So selfish motives aside, when the event took place, I felt like I was a part of a well-oiled machine.  Walker Stalkers were on the streets, pouncing at the opportunity to help a member out.  Team members were there every mile, cheering and always lending a smile.  I was so thankful to be a part of such a large team, as it not only gave me an opportunity to meet so many wonderful people, but it also provided countless pats on the back and encouragement when it was needed the most.

Through the entirety of the event, we ate together, had our tents in the same area, and laughed together.  I enjoyed it so much that I reenlisted with the same team with motivation to increase Team Tiara’s ranks in 2011.

So would I recommend joining a team?  Absolutely!  Would I recommend Team Tiara…absolutely!  Should you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.