I am inching closer tonight to setting up our own team for the Marathon Walk this year. I wish I could say for certain whether my logic is merely justifying my own ego or whether this is something that really does make sense to do at this stage. Part of me thinks waiting another year to go out on our own is the smart thing to do. But part of me thinks marching under our own banner will open more opportunities to raise money for NET research than marching with someone else will.

For example, creating our own T-shirts would create the possibility of selling space on them to both local and national companies. Caring for Carcinoid has sold the space on their shirts to a number of major national corporations. Honestly, I am not sure they have the space or the inclination to sell space to Greater Fall River businesses. If we had our own shirts then we could, perhaps, create a new stream of revenue to help fund research and education about NET. And one of my goals from the start was to find ways to bring new money into the fight–not simply redistribute the money that was already coming through the door.

Walking with Jane has begun to develop a reputation locally that could take us into places neither Dana-Farber nor Caring for Carcinoid could reach. In addition, when we do our first mailing, people will be more likely to donate to the local charity than one they may not have heard of. While eventually, we want to be national in the scope of our efforts, right now our roots are here, and in both the short- and long-term, we will need to draw our sustenance from this area. We can do that in ways the other two groups doing the Walk for this disease cannot.

My other major concern was whether or not we could field a team that was bigger than a single person. Last night I posted an event on Facebook to see if there were anyone else out there who would be willing to participate. As I write this, seven people have volunteered. Another two expressed interest earlier. Whether all of them will follow through on that offer remains to be seen, but the initial returns are satisfying and encouraging.

The question then becomes how much do we sell space on the T-shirts for. Is a logo worth $250? $500? $1000? Is a name in 24 point type worth $50? 100? $200? And how do we pitch this to the businesses?

And do we offer the shirts as an inducement not only to walk but to donate to the cause? How big a donation earns someone a Walking with Jane Marathon Walk Team T-shirt–remembering that the more T-shirts we distribute, the more valuable that real estate on the back of the shirt becomes?

If you have thoughts on any of this, please make a comment or drop us a line at walkingwithjane@gmail.com.