Category Archives: Fundraising

Supporting Your Alum

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Or in this case supporting fellow, future Alumni.

Even though I now live 2,000 miles from home which is around the same distance to where I attended college, I still check out the news back home in Vermont. This morning, there was an article that caught my eye.

Four Champlain College seniors, who are going by “The Blue Eyed Grizzly Clan” are planning on taking part in the Mongol Rally. What is the Mongol Rally? Well honestly, I never heard of it until now either. The Mongol Rally begins in London this July. The “Adventurists” (you’ll see why I’m calling them that in a second) will travel 10,000 miles to Mongolia. Along the way, they will travel the most rugged terrain, mountains, deserts, you name it they will probably hit it. These Adventurists basically need a car and can take any route they desire to get to their final destination.

But there’s a twist…

The Mongol Rally asks that each team participating donate money to charity (about $1,600 US). Pretty awesome, right? The Mongol Rally asks that half raised be donated to Cool Earth and the other half to a donation of your choice which the group has chosen as Safe Passage.

Although, this all sounds pretty like a pretty incredible adventure to embark on before entering “the real world”, it doesn’t come cheap. There’s a flight, charity donations, VISA’s, buying a car, ensuring said car, registering the car in the countries they plan to drive through, not to mention everyday essentials such as food and gas. The Blue Eyed Grizzly Clan has set up a site for donations on the below site. If you would like to support their efforts or learn more about these four guys and follow their adventure – please check out the link below.

Blue Eyed Grizzly Clan Donation Page
Mongol Rally
Newspaper Article

Good luck guys!

Walk to End Alzheimer’s 2012

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Last Saturday morning, I woke up early to take part in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Meadowmere Park in Grapevine, TX. I had never been to Meadowmere Park but it was so serene and peaceful first thing in the morning. There was a slight chill in the air, definitely a breeze, the Alzheimer’s Association had the park reserved just for the walk, it was perfect. We got there a little early so we were there to watch everyone begin to roll in.
Once we “signed in” and got our t-shirts, we went to the flower station. Each participant would receive a pinwheel flower. The color of the flower was based on why you are participating in the event. The flowers were intended to be placed all together to form a garden while we walked but since it was so windy outside, we took them with us.
There were four flower colors:
Blue – Individual who has Alzheimer’s.
Purple – In memory of loved ones that have passed from Alzheimer’s.
Yellow – Representing those who have a loved one who currently has or is a care giver for Alzheimer’s.
Orange – Supporting the cause.
Before the walk, there was some live music, a short ceremony and a t-shirt contest (for the groups that designed t-shirts specifically for their team). It’s really amazing how many people came out to participate in this event and how into the event some teams got. It’s pretty special.
And then our two mile walk began! There was even a snake hanging out on the road along the way. (All the men stopped to look.)
It’s pretty special to take part in such a great event. It brings everyone together, young and old whether you have lost a loved one to Alzheimer’s, currently have a loved one with Alzheimer’s, are a caregiver or just want to support the cause. It was really nice to take part in and is very personal. Before the event, I received a hand written card from one of the hosts of the event for having a team. How often does that even happen anymore?
Thank you everyone who donated to the walk. Without your donations, the Alzheimer’s Association would not be able to provide care and assistance for those in need and fund research to find a cure. It truely means everything!If you would like to learn more about the Alzheimer’s Association, please check out the link, here. There are walks all over the country. It is definitely something to be proud to take part in. I encourage you to participate in an event near you!

It’s Finally Friday!

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Happy Friday Everyone! I’m so excited that it’s Friday! Even more excited that we will be going out to Dallas tonight to take part in the UT vs OU weekend madness. I’ve wanted to go since I’ve moved here and this year is the year! If you’re not familiar, the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma are big rivals. Each year during the second weekend of October, the Red River Rivalry takes place in Dallas. Tons of fans come to town and from what I hear they basically shut down a street in Dallas and it’s a big ole party. I’m going to say that Vermont wasn’t nearly as “football is life” driven as Texas so it’ll be pretty interesting to see what it’s all about!

Tomorrow morning, I’ll be participating in the Walk to End Alzheimer’s in Grapevine, Texas. I am walking in memory of my grandfather and my neighbor. Thank you to everyone who has donated and is walking themselves. It means so much to me and my family. Thank you! Thank you! If you would like to donate or find a walk near your home, please check out the website! Every little bit helps to fund research and offer care to communities throughout the nation.

Finally, I thought I would give you all a few facts about me!
  •  I have such a hard time thinking of facts about myself (that’s why you haven’t really seen “facts about Diana” in a post)!
  • My first language was french. I didn’t speak English until I started Kindergarten.


  • My graduating class was 28 people strong. I most of them when I was five and still talk to the majority of them today!
  • Favorite Shows: Duck Dynasty (if you haven’t gotten hooked on this one, you are missing out), Big Bang Theory and New Girl.
  • I want to go hang out at a true Texas ranch in the WORST way. Seriously, I’m ready to do all the ranch work. (If any of you can help me on this, email me). 
  • I’m terrified of heights. Terrified.
  • Snakes too. Not a fan.
  • I have a younger brother who is the best dad to the cutest little girl in the world. She is beautiful and awesome. I’m so thankful I can Skype with her and see her. Technology is amazing.
  • I’m crafty as all get out. When I’m shopping, it basically comes down to “I can make that.” Does anyone else do this?
  • I’m not a fan of socks or things on my feet in general. I would walk the world barefoot if I could however I don’t like looking at feet either.
  • I have a phone from 2007. It’s a flip phone. It’s pretty rad. Don’t worry, I’m getting a new phone soon!
  • When weekends come around, I would like nothing more than to just go on a drive to some unknown destination by taking random roads. I guess this is thanks to my parents bringing us on drives on the weekends. Look how great it turned out to be!
Have a great weekend y’all!