Team Mary Kate

Good Afternoon Knitters and other Fiber Enthusiasts! Today I am going to talk to you about a cause that is dear to my heart. And then I'm going to tell you how you can win knitting-related prizes for supporting said cause. Pretty good deal, huh?

The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America is a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to finding a cure for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. The Foundation funds cutting-edge studies at major medical institutions, nurtures investigators at the early stages of their careers, and finances underdeveloped areas of research.

My mother was diagnosed with Crohn's disease in 1975, a time when very little was known about the disease, and even less about how to treat it.

But times are changing, and the more support the Foundation receives, the more effort and funds can go into researching new treatments and perhaps one day, finding a cure.

Two years ago, the Foundation began the Take Steps, Be Heard walk for Crohn's and colitis. With 100 walk sites nationwide, in those two short years, the Foundation has raised over $13 million for Crohn's and colitis research.

My sister has signed up for the Baltimore Take Steps, Be Heard walk (June 5, 2010), and asked me to join her team, Team Mary Kate, to raise money in honor of our mother, who has now been battling Crohn's disease for 35 years (I hope to walk as well, but may unfortunately be out of the country).

I know knitters, crocheters, spinners, and dyers are a generous bunch, so I'm asking you to support my sister and me in our fundraising efforts.

And to thank you for your generosity, I'll be raffling off some fibery prizes! What are they? Well, this raffle is a bit of a work in progress--and the more donations we receive, the more prizes I'll add to the pot. But to start, you could win:

Norah Gaughan Vol. 1

or

a skein of Sundara sock yarn in Adobe, from the Santa Fe collection

or

a skein of Shivaya Merino Lace (from the now-defunct but much-loved Shivaya Naturals)

Leann, the dyer behind the Forbidden Woolery Etsy shop, and has offered to donate something from her shop to a lucky raffle winner.

And Deirdre, the purveyor of the newly-opened and fantastically awesome Flocks of Yarn is offering up the Transition Gloves pattern and the yarn to make 'em.

I also picked up a skein of Creatively Dyed Calypso yarn at Sheep and Wool, just for you guys!

For every $5 you donate, you'll earn one entry into the raffle ($5 = 1 entry, $25 = 5 entries, etc.). I'll keep the raffle open until Friday, June 4, and announce raffle winners on Monday, June 7 (unless, like I said, I'm out of the country--then it will be just a few days later!).

I know times are tough, but if you've got $5 to spare, please consider donating to this cause! Check out my fundraising page here, and if you do donate, please send an email to kristen dot jancuk at gmail dot com, so I can get your contact info, and make sure your name is entered in the raffle.

And hey, if you want to donate raffle prizes, I'd love that too, just shoot me an email.

And before I forget, please SPREAD THE WORD. If I can get just 50 people to donate $10 each, then I'll reach my goal of $500. I know I can do it with your help!