What do bingo, drag queens and MS have in common?

Plenty…..especially if your bingo is hosted by a well known drag queen named Belle Aire and all the profits go the National MS Society. 

Tonight was our night and we (The JiggyWiggits) hosted our first fundraiser of the year and it was a hit. We netted just over $3,000, all for a great cause and all for a great organization. It was fun, entertaining (and how!), inexpensive and we gave away dozens of great prizes that were all donated by friends, friends of friends and businesses that we frequent. We kept it simple, low cost and I am sure that we will do it again next year and the next year and the next.

I am telling you this because I am very proud of what we have done. My wife and daughter took the lead on this event and made it all happen. It was definitely something different. More importantly it was something.

The key to fundraising is to do something. Girl Scouts sell cookies. Students sell chocolate bars. Churches have yard sales. Even neighborhood kids set up lemonade stands. If you want to raise money you have to do something.

The National MS Society gives people opportunities throughout the year to participate, raise money and make a difference. Then there are scores of people who do their own events be it concerts, tennis tournaments or bake sales.

The question for us is always what else can we do? Your question is what can you do, or better yet what will you do?

I recently read about a man who since 1999 has raised over one million dollars for the Society (Momentum Magazine - Winter 2010: “The Gillespie Whirlwind”). He has MS Walk teams in eight states, does a big wine tasting event and has enrolled the help of many others to achieve these results. I know that I can do more and he is my inspiration.

Bake sale? Carwash? Or just drag queen bingo? That is up to me. What will you do? I would love to know.

Participate. Make a difference. Live a life that matters.