Share your stories of your grassroots fundraisers and we will post them in this section to encourage and inspire others in their fundraising efforts.

Send your story to:
Marlene Portnoy 
marlene@dtrf.org

Running a half marathon for DTRF

In December 2008, 26 year old, Sera Snyder was diagnosed with an abdominal desmoid tumor.  After surgery to remove the desmoid with margins, one of Sera's main goals in recovery was to run a half marathon and raise money to support the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation.

After months of difficult recovery, Sera reached her goal on September 20, 2009 by running the Philadelphia Distance Run and raising over $5,000 for DTRF!  To make the victory even sweeter, Sera ran PDR faster than the previous two half marathons she ran in 2008, pre-desmoid surgery!  She is proof that, in fact, these tumors can make us stronger - in body and mind!

Click on Pictures Below for more details and larger images.

Women's Sertoma Club of Venice

Left is Sheila Kaufer, a member of the Women's Sertoma Club of Venice.  The Club made a $250 donation to the DTRF for the second year in a row.  At right is her daughter, Cindy Kaufer, who has had an intrabdominal desmoid tumor that was diagnosed 3 years ago.  Cindy is a patient of Dr. Sein Aung at Franklin Square Hospital Center in the Baltimore area.  Her tumor is responding well to the therapy.

July 2007 Photo Exhibit and Fundraiser

The first public exhibit of photography by h. Ford Pierson was held in Carmel Valley, California, on Sunday, July 15, 2007.  Created as a fundraiser for the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation, the presentation was held on a beautiful, sunny afternoon at the prestigious Bernardus Lodge on the Central Coast of California.  About 100 people stopped by throughout the day to enjoy incredible photographs as well as exceptional Bernardus Vineyard wines and delicious food.  Quite a few pieces were sold, as well as several direct donations made to the foundation, raising about $400 from the afternoon.
Hugh Pierson, the photographer and a desmoid tumor patient, will continue to donate a portion of his art sales to DTRF.  His work can be viewed and purchased at www.hfordpierson.com. 
It is critical that we continue to support the ongoing research to cure this disease.  Simply by adding the DTRF website to the invitations and presenting information at the event, with envelopes and donation cards (which we printed), we were able to educate and encourage continued donations by the public. 

Successful Letter Writing Campaign

I have been a desmoid patient for 25 years and have had two tumors. I have had two inpatient and dozens of outpatient surgeries, 6 weeks of radiation, three months of chemotherapy and a year and a half of potent anti-inflammatory treatment all told. I have not had any luck in treating the current inoperable tumor in my shoulder.
When I discovered that the Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation (DTRF) had been created, I was overwhelmed with emotion, a mixture of gratitude and hope. I wanted to contribute somehow and my own financial situation being what it is after so many years of medical bills, well, you can imagine. So I took a tip from the fund-raising ideas given on the DTRF's website and drafted a letter.
I sent this letter to everyone in my address book, family and friends alike.
Within a matter of weeks I had collected over $2200, an amount that would be matched by a corporate donor. I found that when people learned the details of this disease and its conditions and how they exist for a few million of us, they wanted very much to help. Again, my heart is full of gratitude and hope. Making this effort has given me such a boost of morale and energy, to quote the DTRF's own Jeanne Whiting, "It turns you from a victim to an advocate, and is very empowering!" I will continue to do what I can to raise money to fund research for a cure.

Lynne Parks