Well, we’ve figured out just how far I’m willing to go to raise money: this week, I shook my booty for cash. To clarify, I, the former 290 pound heavyweight, finally worked up the courage to teach my first two aerobics classes as fundraisers for Epic Change – a ZUMBA class and a Shake Your Soul session. For those of you who need proof, I’ve provided some supremely unflattering photos and you’re welcome to stop by my apartment and see the aerobics schedule – WITH MY NAME ON IT – hung proudly from a magnet on my refrigerator.

Apparently, fundraising fever is contagious:

• Sanjay’s friend Desh hosted a Halloween party in L.A. and raised over $1,000;
• My friend Lilly is hosting her own birthday party in November as a San Jose benefit for Epic Change; and
• Our newly appointed Northern California Chapter Head Colleen is planning a bake sale near San Francisco for December.

Personally, I’m most excited about Mama Lucy’s upcoming FIRST EVER fundraiser in Tanzania for Shepherds Junior: she’s invited her friends over to her home for tea to share with them some information about her school and ask them for donations. She wrote “The planned fund raising is my first one, so you can imagine how I’m feeling . . . the tension, etc!” It seems the trepidation associated with fundraising is a universal sentiment, so we’re grateful for everyone who’s faced the fear and fundraised on our behalf and to those of you who have donated freely without us having to resort to intimidation, coercion or outright begging (which we’re not above).

So, we’re now up to almost $28,000 in the bank, $2500 pledged for March, and another $5000 challenge grant (which is payable only if we raise another $25,000 by next October). For those playing along at home, you’ll notice that we’ve now raised enough to purchase the 3 acres on which to build the school, and boy are we psyched!

But now comes the real work. Yesterday, Diane arrived in Tanzania, and Sanjay & I are now en route and will arrive in Arusha on Tuesday morning (11/6) after a short stopover in London.

Start paying close attention – the real story is about to begin . . .