I knew from the very first comment that I might have screwed the pooch on this one.
After five comments I knew if was going to be a horribly difficult task.
After twenty comments, I thought it might be impossible…
People need good food. They need new running shoes. Entries to 5K races and half-marathons. Spouses have been laid off and medical bills are billing up.
There’s a sea of need and I’ve only got one $100 life preserver.
Except when Anne at
Carb Tripper leapt into the fray and offered up her matching C-note. That touched me so much that I matched her match (but I called no re-matching after that!).
Plus, I’ve got a nice
$50 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift certificate to chunk on the pile as well. I can’t do everything I’d like, but something’s better than nothing, right?
At the end of the day, this weight-loss journey we’re on isn’t about money. However, I was looking for some way to make a tangible impact on somebody else’s trek. I truly wish I could lay some greenbacks on everyone who needs it, but I did the best I could…
The first winner…
Zaababy said...Since I just discovered that I can now ride a bike I would do just that--buy a bike. Raising 8 kids leaves very little cashola to spend on the Mother of the clan. And if I don't win I'll just keep borrowing bikes and running. Because I CAN!I love this! I wanted to do something that would have a lasting effect and a bicycle for somebody that can’t really afford to buy one for herself is exactly the kind of thing that appeals to me in this situation. Here’s to the wind in your hair, Zaababy!
For the second winner, I decided to go with one that exemplified the idea of using the cash as a motivation to reach a goal, and I thought this one was outstanding…
Stages of Change said... My 10 year high school reunion is later this spring, in a little over 100 days. I would break the hundred dollar bill into one hundred individual dollar bills. I would give them all to my sister's family, with one caveat: I would start a goal to workout every day for one hundred days, not killing myself, just doing it...every day. And at the end of every workout, I would go see my sister and she would pay me one dollar. I would post pictures and updates. After 100 days, (and hopefully, having lost enough weight to go back to Washington and see friends and family at less than 100 pounds higher than I was at 18 years old), all the dollars I had earned would be passed on to another weight loss blogger to do something cool and worthwhile with via this exact type of giveaway.Okay, I actually just had an idea to make my previous idea better. So, the plan would naturally be to workout all one hundred days, and thus pass on the entire $100 to someone new at the end. But, I think if I'm able to do it for all one hundred days, than I would double the amount. So if I workout all one hundred days, and thus earn back all $100, then I will add one hundred of my own, and pass on $200 to some other WL blogger.Third and last, I wanted to help instigate a change for someone. Maybe help provide the spark that ignites a life-changing course of events. There were several that fit in this category, but this is the one that stood out to me…
Allison @ I heart Change said... Well, Jack. Since you're sharing cold hard cash I'll share a cold hard fact. I am afraid of gyms. I've never been to one. I'm afraid to go. Right now I weigh 220 pounds. I've lost 38. And it's getting harder. So clearly, I need to go. But... I'm a stay at home mom. I have a hard time spending money on myself even though I'm supposed to consider it 'our' money. When I spend money on myself it feels like I am taking away from my family. If I won your giveaway I'd spend the money on a gym membership. It would be perfect because not only would I be providing the money myself (sorta) but I'd have to answer to YOU that I did was I was supposed to do with the money.As for the
$50 Dick’s Sporting Goods gift certificate, I went with a fellow blogger who is dealing with MS and has recently started incorporating regular exercise into her life.
~Oct said... I would use it to buy a very nice pair of tennis shoes to replace the $14.99 dime-store specials that kill my feet while I'm doing those now hour-long cardio sessions on the recumbent bike multiple times a week. I'd also send you a very sweet thankyou card for the shoes along with all of the motivation I've gotten from your posts and comments this past year. You are one of the bloggers who inspired me to exercise despite my MS. Because of our blogger community I now go to the gym at least 5 times a week (sometimes more) and have a personal trainer even though I wouldn't have believed in a trillion (lots, right?) years that I'd ever spend so much money on such things when the economy (and my bank account) is experiencing major suckage. Because of you–among the other bloggers who regularly read and leave little fires under my ass ... um I mean brilliant words of firm "you-can-do-it-ness"–I'm encouraged with every step. I now understand that sacrifices can be made in the name of a bigger goal. Money for a trainer rather than for a new outfit. Time for a morning workout rather than sleeping in. Lunch at my desk rather than eating out with the guys every day. And a few minutes to say thanks rather than updating my farmville while I de-stress a minute from all these crazy projects! All worth it. Thanks Jack. :)That’s it for the cash prizes, but I’ve also got some concilation prizes made up of (a) healthy treats companies have sent me for me to review that I forgot to and (b) assorted doodads laying about my office.
My runner-up list includes:
Fab Katewildfluffysheep (who says you never win anything?)
cmoursler TJ (only because there's something in my office I wanted to send her anyway)
Kimugly girl with a beautiful heartSteve (get a kitty at the pound, dumbass)
Mary (not Merry Life Mary... y'know, cuz of her mom)
Vb VioletIf the winners and runners-up will email me their shipping information, I’ll get your prizes out to you lickety-split.
Thanks one and all for your participation.
