Time for Swim for Melissa!!

I can't believe it, but it's already time for Swim for Melissa!! Where has the time gone?!

Our website is already up and running - www.swimformelissa.org.

This website is awesome. This is where you can sign your child up to swim in the event, which is Saturday, August 15th at Hampton Cove Pool. Here's how it works:

1. Sign up your child to swim at www.swimformelissa.org. Click on "Register Here" then "Start a Team."
2. Find seven friends to swim with you (must be at least 5 years old).
3. Have those friends go to www.swimformelissa.org and sign up by choosing "Join a Team."
4. Email your web page to your parents, Aunt Mary in Kansas, your maid of honor who now lives in Idaho, your 1st grade teacher, anyone you want!!! Ask them to donate online.
5. Call Susan Ready at Huntsville Hospital Foundation at 265-8077 or email susan.ready@hhsys.org and sign up for a time to swim.
6. Show up and have fun!!!!

We started doing online fundraising a couple of years ago and it is the greatest thing ever. Instead of taking your child's sign up sheet to church and door to door asking every to donate (and having to keep up with the money!) just email the web page to everyone in your address book and ask them to donate online. They will receive an email confirmation with all of the tax-deductible information. It is so fun and easy!!

For those of you who aren't familiar with Swim for Melissa, it benefits the Melissa George Neonatal Memorial Fund which my husband, Chris, and I established in 2005 in memory of our daughter who passed away in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Huntsville Hospital for Women and Children. Money raised at this event will go directly to the NICU to purchase equipment such as Giraffe Isolettes and Incubators.

Maybe you want to help, but your child is too young to swim. No worries!! We have a paddlers division. This is what my daughter, Ann Catherine, does. You can go to www.swimformelissa.org and click on "Register Here" then "Join as an Individual." Your child will still be able to raise money and will be eligible for prizes. Then on Saturday, bring the family out for a day of fun at Swim for Melissa! In addition to swimming, we'll have games and inflatables on the grounds of the Hampton House and lunch provided by Publix! This is a great option for those of you who had children in the NICU and you want to give back, but they are too young to swim!

Okay - confession here. I haven't set up AC's page yet. Cut me some slack, though - last week was a little crazy around here! :) I will be away from my computer for the next couple of days, but it is on my to-do list for this weekend!

Bloggin' friends - please help me get the word out about this great event!!! Post it on your blogs, link to mine - whatever you can do to help! We know we are in a "down economy" but I have lots of faith that we can raise a substantial amount to help those precious babies in our NICU. Last year we raised $145,000. Let's beat it this year!

Remember, this money is going directly into our NICU at Huntsville Hospital. Some of us have been directly touched by that unit. Some of you have friends, children, grandchildren who were in that unit. Some of you may not be touched directly by it now, but you could be in the future. I often say that our NICU is like life insurance. You hope you never need it, but when you do need it, you are so grateful it's there.

So help us spread the word about Swim for Melissa. And if you have a child who's five or older, sign them up today!