Free flu shots are offered through the MDA (Muscular Dystrophy Association) at Walgreens for people affected with a neuromuscular disease. The flu can cause serious and even life threatening complications to people with Muscular Dystrophy. The flu shot is often the best defense against influenza so again this year the MDA is providing the funds to obtain them at Walgreens.

Please check with your doctor before getting a flu shot if you have any type of neuromuscular disease and if you are on immune suppressant medications. Those particularly at risk have a diagnosis of myasthenia gravis, polymyositis or dermatomyositis. The intranasal form of flu protection is not recommended for anyone with Muscular Dystrophy.

If your insurance does not cover the flu vaccine, the MDA’s Flu Shot Program partnered with Walgreens is providing vouchers for free flu shots. The flu shot voucher is available online or by phone at 1-800-572-1717

The 2010-2011 influenza vaccine will protect against H1N1, as well as the common influenza B virus and an H3N2 virus. So one shot this year will cover you. Thank you to the MDA and to Walgreens for providing flu shots for people with neuromuscular diseases.

Stand Up To Cancer will be working with the hit show Survivor and issue the “Challenge The Odds” Team Challenge with Stand Up To Cancer Ambassador and winner of Survivor: Africa Ethan Zohn. Zohn is in remission from Hodgkin’s lymphoma and is the spokesperson for the Survivor teams SU2C fundraising efforts.

CBS will engage its viewers on-air and online through Survivor fan sites in the challenge. The SU2C fundraising widget is available to all SU2C Team Community participants to share on blogs and social media platforms (i.e., Facebook and Twitter) in order to rally support and encourage donations. Top fundraisers between Aug. 17 & Sept. 1, 2010 will be announced on the September 10th show. One lucky team member may have the chance to Skype with a celebrity on air!

In addition, a CBS PSA campaign driving viewers to the Survivor SU2C donations page will launch tonight and run throughout the year.   Among the Survivors participating in the spots are fan-favorites such as Rupert Boneham, Amber Brkich-Mariano, James Clement, Colby Donaldson, Cirie Fields, Russell Hantz, Jerri Manthey, Rob Mariano, Jenna Morasca, Parvati Shallow, James ”JT” Thomas Jr., Sandra Diaz-Twine, Benjamin “Coach” Wade, Tom Westman and Ethan Zohn.

Watch the SU2C TV show on September 10, 2010, at 8PM EST & PST / 7PM CT. The one-hour fundraising event will be simulcast live and commercial-free on ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Bio, Discovery Health, E!, G4, HBO, HBO Latino, MLB Network, mun2, Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, The Style Network, TV One, and VH1.

To get involved by starting a team, becoming a member of Stand Up To Cancer, keeping informed of their work on Facebook and Twitter or to make a donation, visit the Stand Up To Cancer Survivor site.

Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. EIF meets all 20 BBB Charity Standards.

For those of us with a chronic illness, health issues or a disability we may not be able to volunteer in real life or at all. This is an easy way to pay it forward with Elmer’s Bag It Forward though. Just copy and paste the following:

This Back to School season, Elmer’s is celebrating it’s every day low pricing on back to school supplies at Walmart by partnering with Adopt-A-Classroom to help make a difference in classrooms across the country.
Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom with your participation. Join now!

The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward is charity blog meme, bloggers are able to raise $10 per blog post for Adopt-A-Classroom by writing a blog post or Facebook note and donating a virtual bag of school supplies . Elmer’s will donate $10 per each post written for Adopt-A-Classroom, up to $10,000.

HOW CAN YOU JOIN? It’s easy.

* Participate in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward by giving away a virtual bag of school supplies and creating a blog post or Facebook note with specific rules described below.
* Elmer’s will donate up to $10,000 to Adopt-A-Classroom.
* You can give as many virtual bags as you want.
* The Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward will officially begin at 12 AM EST on July 22, 2010 and end at 11:59 PM EST on September 10, 2010. Blog posts submitted to us before or after that time period will not be counted.
* The blog post link has to be submitted in the comment section below for your participation to be counted.
* In addition copy and paste the following text into your blog post:

ELMER’S VIRTUAL BAG IT FORWARD RULES

* Copy and paste these rules into your blog post or Facebook note.
* Create a post giving a “virtual bag of school supplies” to other bloggers or write about your Back to School shopping trip at Walmart.
* Link back to the person who gave you a bag of school supplies.
* Let each person you are giving a virtual bag of school supplies know you have given them a bag.
* Leave your link in the Elmer’s Virtual Bag It Forward comment section. You can also find the official rules of this virtual #bagitforward program there.
* Elmer’s is donating $10 for each blog participating in the Virtual Bag It Forward Donation to Adopt-A-Classroom (up to total of $10,000 for blog posts written by September 10,2010).
* Please note that only one blog post per blog url will count towards the donation.

Here is the photo you can use for your virtual bag or create your own!

I’m tagging anyone who wants to pay it forward with Elmer’s Bag It Forward.

Please help support Myasthenia Gravis awareness at the CBS Early Show on Monday, June 7, 2010. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America invites you to join us for a LIVE taping of the nationally broadcast TV show, the Early Show on CBS on Monday, June 7 at 7:00 AM EST in front of the Apple store at 59th and 5th (near FAO Schwartz) in New York City.

In order to make a big impression on TV and help raise awareness for MG, we need your support! June is Myasthenia Gravis Awareness Month! Please show you care by attending the CBS Early Show on June 7th.

We hope to see you there bright and early at 7 am. We will create a large presence on the plaza with T-shirts and a large banner to increase visibility during this time. Please bring your family and friends! The more people, the more likely the cameras will show the group at the CBS Early Show.

I am involved with a number of health related non-profits and I help raise money for them. Since I’m affected personally by chronic illness and have family members who are too, I want research done and a cure found. I research non-profits to learn how they spend their money before getting involved. Once I do though, I try to help as much as I can.

A lot of the fundraising I’ve done for these types of non-profits includes an awareness portion. You’re not only raising money, but educating people about a disease, the symptoms, the effects and treatments available. You can provide that information in written form and includes support for the patient and loved ones. Don’t get bogged down with answering questions though as your main goal is raising funds. Allow people to get the material they need and leave their address or phone number for contact at another time.

You’ve probably seen cheerleading fundraisers. Go for that type of atmosphere. Bring on the spirit! Smile, greet people and let them know quickly what you’re raising money for. If you can do this outside a large store where there will be lots of people coming in and out, you’ll have good success in raising money.

It’s always helpful to be aware of as much information on fundraising that you can handle, especially from the non-profit you’re working with. Never do something without their permission because you are using their name and raising money for that group. Pass your ideas along to them and get their approval in writing before you proceed. Most large non-profits have large fundraisers that go on across the country at the same time. This way people are aware and it makes it easier to approach someone about donating money.

Brought to you by your friends at FastTrackFundraising.com

Hershey’s is holding a Better Basket Blog Hop where for each blog post  Hershey’s will donate $10 to Children’s Miracle Network. All you need to do is follow these easy rules:

• Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.
• Create a blog post of giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.
• Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.
• Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.
• Leave your link at http://betterbasket.info/bloghop/ where you can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s.
• Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).
• Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

I’m giving my virtual basket to Jerri Ann at

http://www.productreviewsbyme.com/
http://www.lifeinreality.com/
http://www.gadgetmagnet.net

Here’s something you can do for someone with a chronic illness to pay it forward -

When you’re going to the grocery store, give your friend a call to ask if they need anything.  Let them know they know you’ll be at the store any way so grabbing a few things for her isn’t a problem.

Jerri Ann can add a blurb about a random act of kindness, paying it forward, etc. if she’d like too.