We generally use this blog to report on multistate tax topics, from the taxability of SaaS in various states, to various issues faced by both “traditional” internet retailers and now marketplace facilitators, to new laws passed by states in various areas. (So I thought I’d get those in there…)
But today I’d like to use this space to talk about something that’s been near and dear to me personally for over 20 years – raising funds annually for the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Why? Because individual and corporate engagement, and with it, private donations are important in the fight against so many diseases in the United States. In the last couple of years, we’ve been talking about Covid-19 and the many casualties of that crazy pandemic. But cancer is still, behind heart disease, the leading cause of death in Americans. It’s likely that you’ve either known someone dear to you who has heard the words “You have cancer.”
Making Strides – It’s Personal
My mom heard those words over 25 years ago…and I felt helpless at first. Then I realized that I could take some small steps to help her personally. And then, I could join the greater fight and actually start raising money. I’ll be honest, in over 20+ years of raising funds, I’ve lost track of the exact dollar amount we’ve raised, but it’s right around $275,000 – all from private donations. $100 or $200 or $500 or $1,000 at a time. And each donation goes to either research, patient services or education and outreach. Oh, and by the way, Mom is still here with me as one of my biggest supporters! She’s a survivor.
Where the Dollars Go?
- ACS has a 24/7 hotline (1-800-227-2345) that people can call for questions about any kinds of cancer, at any time of day or night. It’s often staffed by people who have been on their own cancer journey and know the right things to say.
- Millions of dollars go every year to fund breakthrough research. I’ve had the opportunity to meet many of the young brilliant doctors who are fighting every day to find a cure.
- Patient services include rides to chemo treatments for people who may not otherwise have one; or places to stay overnight, if necessary.
So, since this is personal, why blog about it here? It’s my personal belief that when you are a business owner and you live in a community, you should support that community. I believe it’s important to be philanthropic. Miles Consulting Group is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. And while we engage with clients across the US, our home base is in Silicon Valley. We value our clients, our team, and all the vendors and partners who have helped us in our success over the past 20 years and we also want to give back to the community. Miles Consulting will proudly be sponsoring this year’s Silicon Valley Making Strides event as a corporate sponsor again this year. The event will be held on Saturday, October 22nd at California’s Great America.
Due to Covid, we were unable to do the walk in the same fashion in 2020 and 2021 – but we’re back to walking the walk in 2022. It’s an amazing energy rush to see Striders – survivors, supporters, fundraisers come out in full force and walk for this cause. If you’ve been before – I encourage you to come again. If you’ve not come out before, I encourage you to lace up your sneakers, apply some pink and come out and walk in support of a loved one. I do it with a tutu!
And, if you should feel inspired to make a donation, here’s a link to my personal fundraising page.
I’d be honored to call you one of my supporters in my quest to raise over $12,000 this year!
Thank you in advance for your interest and support.
Go team Monika’s Miles!
