February 2, 2005
Dear Committee Member:
Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to help us with this year’s
fundraiser. We know how difficult it can be to motivate when last year’s
fundraiser seemed like it was just yesterday and we’re all still recovering from hectic holidays. However, we applaud your can-do attitude and liken it to that our our father in whose memory we strive
to raise the funds for brain tumor research.
With your help we are able to keep his tradition of public service alive and well both in
the town of Eastchester and well beyond its borders, extending to wherever there is hope for a cure for brain tumors.
We are particularly excited this year with the change in format of the event from a luncheon
in June to a dinner dance in April. We are also very excited to present for the
first time “The Jim Doody Award for Distinguished Service in the Fight Against Brain Tumors” to Jeff Hass, a committee
member since the beginning and one of the Masters of Ceremony for the last two events.
From the very first time we mentioned our idea for the foundation to Jeff, he was our most enthusiastic supporter and
has been our “go-to guy.” We look forward to formally recognizing
his dedication.
We are also very excited to have a “celebrity speaker” this year. Many of you will recognize Kendra Farn from NBC News. Kendra
also lost her Dad to a brain tumor and has graciously agreed to help us with the cause.
Kendra will share with the audience her own family’s journey through the world of brain tumors.
It promises to be an enjoyable evening and the beginning of a new tradition. We have less time to accomplish the same amount of work but we are confident that, with your help, we can
accomplish our goal of matching the success of the last two fundraisers.
We do not intend to spend time bogged down in Committee meetings but, rather, we kindly ask
that you spread the word, seek out auction items and invite friends and family to the event.
Unfortunately, once you start talking about it, you will find more and more people who have or are being affected by brain tumors whether it be their family, friend or
neighbor. Urge them to do something about
it—perhaps they have a cool summer home they’d be willing to give up for a weekend. Maybe they own their own business and would be willing to donate their services or
take a journal ad etc. You never know until you start talking and start humbly
asking. There will of course, be other things along the way like addressing invitations,
publicity, set up, selling raffle tickets etc. but for now, our big push is soliciting auction items for the silent and live
auctions and that is where we need the most help.
On a final note, we will be visiting The Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University,
the beneficiary of our last two and current events, this coming April 1st for the Annual Angels Among Us Walk. It is at this event that we ceremoniously present the check from our last fundraiser
which is in the amount of $75,000. We know it is quite a trip but we welcome
you to be a part of that day’s celebration if you can. Please feel free
to ask us more information about our team’s entry, “Pop’s Pride”, because you are as much a part of
the team as the Doody family and your efforts should be formally recognized. As
you may know, you helped our team achieve the #1 Fundraiser Award last year and we hope to be near the top again. The day at Duke is awe-inspiring and makes you realize that you are a part of something so much bigger
than The Jim Doody Foundation; it is quite a rewarding experience and the gratitude of the staff and patients of the Center
is palpable.
Once again, thanks for being such a great team! You
all are the best!
Kathleen Doody
Redmond
Christine Doody Doherty
