Looking for 600 strangers willing to give me $50

I am taking a little different approach to my blog this week. First, I am glad to be writing at all. The car accident in November did result in a concussion which has resulted in terrible headaches for me for the last 3 weeks, and they have been getting worse. Today I am wearing my glasses because not wearing them hurt too much.  I still have a headache but it is much more tolerable. Back to the topic...

 So far I have raised $10,000 of my $40,000 goal for Pathfinders for Autism. I have a little over 6 months left to generate the other $30k. When I first started talking about this concept to my friends and family I said several times " I just need to convince 800 strangers to give me $50."  I figured, after that one guy managed to trade up from a paperclip all the way to a new home ( or was it a million dollars) that getting $40k in 12 months would be a reasonable goal. I have to say that the support from my friends and family has been great, but frankly it hasn't been enough, so I need to begin stage two..

Several people have told me that they would make a donation but have not yet done so. I must say, now is the time. With 2 weeks left in the year, you should get in your taxable donations now. otherwise you will just pay that money in taxes on April 15h. To all of my friends and family that have donated, THANK YOU! I would not be where I am right now with out you. Your support is truly appreciated. I am going back to the well to ask for your help again.I don't want you to donate more money (though that would be awesome) I want you to please share this blog post on your social media pages. The ONLY way I can get 600 total strangers to donate $50 is with good people like you telling your friends and family about what I am doing and encouraging to help.

I am sure there are many of you that have read my blog and considered making a donation, please read the paragraph above and apply it to yourself. This is the time of year when many people get their annual bonus and just feel in a giving mood  because of the holidays. If it helps, imagine me in a Santa suit with a fake beard, ringing a bell in the freezing cold standing over a green tri-pod with a red padlocked bucket for spare change.

Whatever it takes, I'm not picky. More importantly I am grateful! Because every penny goes towards my goal and goes to support Pathfinders for Autism, a great Maryland based non-profit focused on serving families in the state Maryland dealing with the every day challenges of Autism.

Thank you, together we can do great things

Mike

P.S.
The fun events will start back up in January, once I work through the whole car accident concussion thing, Thanks

The Holidays & Autism

Hello, I am Back! It been a rough couple months but I am pulling myself together for an "end of the year" push. Please share my video blog on your social media today and I wish all of you a safe and Happy Holiday season.

Thank you, together we can do great things,

Mike

Choosing the Right Advocate Can be Difficult

Hi everyone, thank you for checking in today. This week has been a real emotional roller coaster. I am still dealing with the aftermath of my car accident from 2 weeks ago, So I have not been training the way I should. I plan to get back on track this week and begin the climb towards my revised weight loss goal. I want to get my overall body weight back to 200 pounds, which would mean I will lose a total of 66 pounds. As for the fundraising, our event at MaGerks Pub did not have the turn out I had hoped for. I do want to thank all the people that did come out and make it a fun evening. On a VERY positive note, we received a huge $5,000.00 donation that has put our total at just over $9,600.00!

I wanted to take a few moments and talk about the value and importance of  selecting the right advocate for your child with autism. For those of you with typical children, you may not understand what an advocate does for you. Put simply an Advocate is just what the word says. It is a person who has your child's best intentions  and presents that on your behalf to the public school system. The advocates value is they understand the process of dealing with the public school system, they know your child's rights and they can recommend the necessary actions to get the services your child needs. I am sure many of you are asking "why is this necessary?" The simple and unfortunate truth is that the public school system does not have unlimited resources so if they see an opportunity to not provide a service, they don't. In fairness, the "Services" that your child may need are vast. There is no "black & white" or "yes & no " answers to what is and is not appropriate for your child's individual needs. To compound the matter, most parents ( myself included) simply don't know what we don't know. We don't know what questions to ask and we often trust the school system to do the right thing. So an advocate can be an essential part of your child's educational development.

So here is the down side to things. These are people you pay for out of your own pocket and the hourly rate can be very expensive. Our first advocate was someone that we knew, we were familiar with and we liked. They tried to help us but ultimately admitted that what our son needed was outside of their skill set. We had another company recommended to us "The Special Kids Company" in Ellicot City Maryland. That turned out to be a disaster. I wont go into details publicly, but I will say my wife and I are now VERY aware that there are many questions you need to ask before giving anyone a $500 retainer to advocate for your child..

As you can see, while this week had some great victories, it also involved some terrible defeats.

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving and thank you all for reading and sharing my blog with others.

Thank you, together we can do great things!

Mike Shelah

Come To MaGerks in Baltimore Tonight to Raise Money for Autism

Hi Everyone, sorry no blog last week. check out my video for all of the updates. I hope to see all of you at Magerks in Baltimore Tonight to Raise money for Autism.

Here is the Link To Register

MaGerks in Baltimore Raising money for Autism Tongiht!

Thank you, Together we can do Great things!

Mike S.

One Goal Down Two to Go!

I am very excited to announce that the scale read 225 Friday morning which means I have now lost a total of 41 pounds and completed 1 of my 3 goals. It has been a lot of hard work and it has been very rewarding. I hope this serves as inspiration to others struggling to lose weight. My new goal is to reach 195 in time for my run on May 19th 2012.

Donations are now at $4,200.00 so we are making slow but steady progress there. our event at MaGerks pub is still open for Registration. It's only $10 to attend and all of the money raised will go towards the "40 miles" campaign. Here is the link so bring your friends, your boyfriend, girlfriends, husband, wife and significant others to our next great event. I looke forward to meeting you all on 11-11-11

Register Here for MaGerks in Baltimore on 11-11-11

An Attitude of Gratitude

Hello everyone and thank you for checking in today. Great news, the scale read 227 this morning so I have lost 39 pounds of my 40 pound goal. In addition to that we raised $390 at Monday nights event , I received a $100 donation from a customer this week and I sold another T-shirt, so the Grand total is now just over $4,000.00! Thank you to everyone that has helped out so far. Please check out this weeks video blog for more great info and be sure to check out the facebook page to see all the photo's taken for my upcoming article in the "Cross & Crescent" magazine

Thanks

Mike

BTW, don't forget to register for out next great event on November 11th at MaGerks Pub in Baltimore, see you all then.

Autism FUNdraiser at MaGerks in Baltimore November 11th Register here!

The Big Event Monday Night!

Hello and thank you again for checking in to read the blog today. Weight held steady this week at 229, so I have lost a total of 37 pounds. So close to my goal, I cannot wait to cross that finish line. No updates on donations but should have some exciting news to share next week. Stay tuned for all the great details. Today I want to remind everybody about Monday nights event at Ram's Head in Savage Mill. The link below lets you register in advance for $10. You can pay at the door but it will be $15 then. Frankly, I really hope you pay at the door because every registration dollar is going towards the "40 Miles" goal of $40,000.00

I have a limited number of T-shirts available in Xl and XXL and will have them on hand Monday night

There will be some other great incentives to take advantage of that night too. Here is the link, so come network and help raise money and awareness for 40 miles for autism.

Thank you! together we can do great things!

40 Miles for Autism FUNdraiser and Networking at Rams Head Savage Mill

Please Watch this 3 Minute Autism Video & Share With Others, Thank you

Hello and thanks for stopping by today. The scale said 230 pounds this morning so my total weight loss is 36. No new donations this week. I hope you will share today's video with your friends on your social media pages today. I need to extend my reach and you can be a big help. I would love to meet all of you at one of my upcoming events. check the links below to register.

Thank you, together we can do great things!



Networking for a Cause 11-11-11 see you there!

Networking for a Cause At Rams Head Savage Mill 10-17-11

Started Autism Hockey This week

Hello and Thank you for stopping in today. Weight loss is stuck so I will be changing up my routine this week and should have positive results to report next week. We raised some more money this week and our official total right now is $3,464.82
Today Mikey started his second year of Hockey with the Baltimore Saints. They are a non-profit Hockey team that works with children with developmental disabilities. Everyone is welcome. We have close to 100 kids in 3 one hour sessions in Reisterstown Maryland and the majority of the kids are on the spectrum. I have to tell you a little about the people that started this wonderful program, Jimmie and Teresa Zinkham. They don't have children with Autism, they just love hockey and saw an opportunity to do some real good for the community through something they truly enjoy. They get up every Saturday morning before the sun comes up and Drive to Reisterstown to get the Ice rink ready for the first practice at 7:45. that's right 7:45 and they get there at least an hour before that and they live close to an hour away. You do the math, "Saints" could not be a more appropriate title. They have created a community where our son fits in and all of the other parents fell at home, it is truly wonderful. Mikey's coach "Coach Mark" has a little boy with autism too and the two quickly created a bond that I doubt will ever be broken. So, if,your in the Reisterstown area one Saturday morning and you want to see what these "disabled" children really can do in a positive environment, stop on by and say hello. We will be there every Saturday till the end of April at 8:45

Thanks for reading today. Please share this on your social media pages. Together we can do great things!

If you want to know more about the Saints, just click on the link below

Baltimore Saints Hockey


Would love to see you at my next event raising money for Pathfinders for Autism. Click here for all for all of the details and to register.

Networking and FUNDraising for Autism at MaGerks in Baltimore

Mike S.

A Special Autism Donation of $25.95

Hi everyone, thanks for checking in today. Did not lose any weight this week, but I  did bring in another $145.95 in donations. Check out this weeks video for all the details. Don't forget to register for our next big event At MaGerks Pub on 11-11-11. Use this link to register as the guest list is limited to 100 people.

MaGerks FUNdraiser in Baltimore on 11-11-11

Thank you, together we can do great things!

Mike

As Parents it is Important to Tell People About our Children with Autism

Welcome back everybody. Please check out the link for our next great event on 11-11-11 I hope to see you all there. This weeks topic is very important to please share this with the people that you know. Increased awareness is one of the best ways to help solve the puzzle that is Autism.

Our next great event, click here to register

A great week and Announcing our next big Event

Magerks FUNdraiser for "40 Miles for Autism" 11-11-11 7-10pm

Hi everyone and thank you for checking in this week. I am down to 235 so that means I have lost 31 pounds since May 19th. Also, we only had one donation this week but it was for $500! So that makes for a very good week. We have blown through $3,000.00 and are inching closer to $4,000.00 thank you to every body for your help and  participation. As you can see from the link at the top we have our next event planned and we are giving you plenty or advance notice, so the only excuse for not being there is you waited too long to register. This event is limited to 100 people, so be sure to take care of your registration today!

Thank you all, Together we can do great things!

Mike S.

A Great week, A Great Event and More Great Events Coming Up!

Hi Everybody, This was a great week all the way around. check out the video entry and share it with all of your friends

Thank you, Together we can do great things!

Mike Shelah

Individualized Education Plan or "IEP"

Hi Everybody, thanks for checking in today. Did not lose any weight this week but I gave myself an easy week so I can't really complain. Sold a couple T-shirts which means another $24 raised for the cause. Monday night's event at the County Cork really should be a big catalyst for us. I hope to sell out the rest of the T-shirts from this run and get tons of new people out to one of my favorite restaurants in Carroll County. All the money goes to Pathfinders for Autism. we will be there from 5-9 so I hope you can join us, and please tell your friends.
We had our first IEP meeting for Mikey this week. For those of you not in "the know" that stands for "Individualized Education Plan." The Public school system, in an effort to provide my son with a "free and appropriate" education came up with this 45 page document detailing everything Mikey needs to learn and to hopefully overcome his disability. Now is a good time to make this point, Mikey's Autism is a "disability." looking at him you can't tell but after "watching" him people that don't know him would say "that kid is different." Yes, he is different, but that doesn't mean he is incapable of learning. When he is given the proper motivation he can do things like what you see in this picture below. Remember, Mikey is just 6 years old, but he is very bright, he just can't always communicate that to others.

Thank you for reading today, together we can do great things!

Mike S.

A Great Networking Event for a Great Cause

Hello and thank you for Stopping by. Please come and visit us at the County Cork Wine Pub from 5-9 pm. 1716 Liberty Road Eldersburg Maryland. Check out the video for all the Details!

Thank you, Together we can do Great Things!

Mike

A Great New Social Media Tool for fundraising

Hi Everybody, this was another  productive week. I lost another pound so I am down to 240. That is 26 total pounds lost since May 19th. We also raised another $60 this week that put us over $2,100.00

It's the way I raised the $60 that is the best part. Trish Stone from Pathfinders suggested I check out www.crowdrise.com a new fundraising website. It's pretty simple, you load a picture add a description and then it allows you to mass invite people and notify via Twitter, Facebook and your email account. I set up my account in about 15 minutes and generated my first $50 donation in about 3 hours. The next day I generated another $10 donation, so it has been a very useful tool. It allows me to create a street team and people can "vote" for my fundraiser. The more fans I get the more points I get, the more votes I get the more points I get. The points have thresholds for additional donations and this website has a tracking bar on it to keep track of my total donations. So please go to www.crowdrise.com, become a fan, vote for my page and share this with all of your friends.

Thank you all so much for your help,

Together, we can do great things!

Mike S.

Stay tuned for a special video Blog on Monday!

A Special Thank You to the Bowie United Methodist Church

This was another great week. I lost another pound so I am down to 241. And we finally broke the $2,000 mark in donations. check out the "Bags of Cash" below and watch the video to hear more about a very special donation this week.

Thank you, Together we can do great things!

Mike Shelah

Twitter for Autism

This is a quick post. if you are on Twitter, please follow me @40miles4autism

Also, if we all add #autism to our tweets today or if we retweet anything we see with #autism in it, I think we cna make the twitter "trend" list

Let's Do this! Together we can do great things!

Mike S.

I'm Doing This for My Son & For all Children Growing up with Autism

Welcome Back Everybody, This week I lost 2 more pounds so  I am down to 242! We did raise a little money this week, between donations and shirt sales we brought in $55 this week. I just found out that our cost per shirt was a little less so once we sell this entire run we will make an additional $90 more than we thought!

I am sure there are many of you reading this blog for the first time wondering why I am going through all this trouble. My son has been my inspiration. When he was born in 2005, he was already behind the eight-ball. My son was a "super preemie." he was born 3 full months early and he weighed just over 2 pounds. My wife and I were terrified and 10 weeks later, we were relieved because he could come home. "It" was over. Really it had just begun. Mikey was a good and happy baby, but we started to notice around 9 months or so that he wasn't making the progress that a baby should. Now our Daughter was ahead of the curve of everything so we didn't want to unfairly compare them. But it became obvious that something  was "different." Lots of Doctor visits, school visits and educators later, they told us he had a speech delay, and then that he had "sensory integration disorder," then he was PDD NOS, and finally he was diagnosed with Autism. Boy, that's a relief now we can work to help him.
To put it bluntly, that is an uphill fight. The school system wants to help, but the bureaucracy of it and their lack of funds puts them in the unfortunate position that they will do as little as possible to help your child unless you yell and scream for more services. When you do yell and scream their are several services that can really benefit your child, but because they are expensive and would cost the school system money, they flat out refuse to do them. They will site "free & appropriate" public education and typically the law is on their side. We consulted with THE BEST lawyer in Baltimore for this kind of case and he told us that there is only a 15% success rate for parents that "file for due process" against their respective school system. Ask yourself how that must feel?You know exactly what your child needs to give them the best chance to succeed, but the school wont provide it and you as a parent can spend Thousands of dollars each year, just to level the playing field for your Autistic child.
And then there is the typical daily activities, like going to the store. How many times have you been at a grocery store or a department store and seen a child having an absolute meltdown and thought to yourself "wow, that is one bad kid!" or you thought "what terrible parents." I can tell you, I AM that parent and that is my son. He is not a bad kid and I am not a bad parent. Sometimes you have to go to the store and sometimes your autistic child just cannot be soothed, for a whole host of reasons.

So I am incredibly grateful for everything that Pathfinders for Autism does for families like mine. Now when I take my son to one of their events, I am in an environment where, if Mikey has a tantrum I don't have dozens of accusatory eyes staring at me, telling me I am a bad parent, Instead I am surrounded by people who look at me and say " I understand."

Thank you for reading today, please share this blog with your friends and please donate, remember $10 can go a long way.

Together, we can do great things!

Mike

This has been a Great Week! thank you

Hello again and Thank you for stopping by today, What a Great Week. I broke the 20 pound barrier and I am down to 244 ( that's 22 lbs lost in case you are wondering). Between donations and T-shirt sales and the bar event at Bad Decisions in Baltimore we have raised over $1,600.00 now! Thank you Fila for the training Gear, Thank you Ben Caplan and GPC print solutions for the T-shirts and thank you to all of my friends and family that have supported me so far.

Our Next event is on August 29th at "The Cork Wine Pub" in Eldersburg from 5-9 pm. I will be guest bartending again and there will be drink specials all night. We raised $500 at Bad Decisions and I expect Carroll county to come out strong and help me Double that number.
T-shirts are just $20 , if you want one you can mail you check to Pathfinders for autism and notate "40 miles T-shirt" in the notes field and we can mail one out to you for just $2 shipping. or you can use the credit card link to pay and then send me a note that you paid that way. every Friday I will update the donation sheet and mail out shirts.

Remember, just a $10 donation goes a long way.

See you soon!

Mike Shelah

Thank you, together we can do great things!

BTW, the Carroll County times and "Carroll County Today" both posted articles about 40 miles. read them here!


carroll county times article


carroll county today article

Great event in Baltimore Last night, Thank you!

Great event last night, thank you John Reusing and Bad Decisions for hosting our event. We raised $387 dollars and sold 11 T-shirts. Thank you also to my boys from Phi Delta Zeta and UMBC for representin. See you all in Eldersburg on August 29th!

Mike Shelah

Together we can do great things!

The T-Shirts are Here, Ready for the Party Monday Night!!!

Hi Everybody. So the bad news is no new donations this week. The good news is I lost two more pounds and I am down to 247. The T-shirts are here and I already sold me first one ( SO I guess we did raise a little money this week). Come down to Bad Decisions Bar on Fleet Street in Baltimore Monday night  between 5 and 10pm and get your very own shirt. Drinks will be flowing, there will be lots of people having a good time and raising money for a great cause AND your truly will be pourin the drinks and workin the crowd.

Special Thanks to my friend Ben Caplan with GPC print solutions. He got the shirts at a great price and in time for the event.

As always, please share this page with others. If everyone that sees my blog donates just $10 we will reach our record in no time!

Thank you, Together we can do great things!

Mike S.

40 Miles for autism, anybody have good exercise tips?

Hi Everyone, The donation total is $865 right now. I am still at 249 this week. I figure that my exercise activity needs to go up plus i am sure that I have added a pound or two of muscle over the last couple weeks. In addition to my normal donation request, I would welcome good exercise tips.

Thanks for viewing this week. Please post this on your social media pages and please donate. If everyone that watches this donate's just $10 we will blow out the goal.

Thank you, together we can do great things!

Mike S.

40 Miles for Autism: The Logo

It occured to me that I haven't posted my logo on the blog. This is what the front of the T-shirt will look like and it is the current Avatar for the Facebook Page, what do you think? Bev Ginter, a very good friend of the family created the design for me, I love it and would appreciate your feedback

Thank you, together we can do great things!

Mike S.

40 Miles for Autism I need some creative ideas

Hi everybody and thank you for reading this week. I made a mistake on the total donations recently. Our total is up to $815.00 Thank you to everyone that has helped so far. I have lost 17 lbs so far and I am down to 249 lbs. Making great progress there.

Today I want to ask people for advice on fundraising. Frankly, I really did think more people would be willing to help me along the way and I've had many people say they will but have yet to do so. It's time to start swinging for the fences. I know over the next 2 months that the guest bartending events and the T-shirt sales will help, but It was brought to my attention that many companies have annual "giving" budgets that really start to become active this time of year. If your employer has  such a budget or you think they might just be willing to contribute, please let me know. I should be able to post images of the T-shirt next week. We made a couple changes to the design and I think they are going to turn out great. Thanks again to Bev Ginter for creating the logo for me, she did a great job.

Till next week

Thank You! Together we can do great things

Mike S.

40 Miles for Autism: Holidays and Children with Autism

Welcome Back! I have lost a total of 16 pounds and I am down to 252 pounds! We have raised over $835 dollars so far. We have several events coming up where you can donate in a more "entertaining fashion" and the t-shirts are being ordered and will debut on the blog in the next week or two.

Don't Forget! July 25th 2011 guest bartending night At "Bad Decisions" in Baltimore from 5-10 pm

August 29th 2011 guest bartending at "The Cork" in Eldersburg from 5-9 pm.

This weeks video is about how holidays can really be a problem for families of children with autism.

Please watch, Please Share, Please Donate. Even $5 means a lot to this cause,

Thank You!

Mike Shelah

Check out my Fantastic new Sponsors! 6-24-11

Today I am very excited to announce my three new sponsors for 40 Milers for Autism.

Fila The sports apparel company has kindly agreed to provide me with training clothing in preparation for my 40 mile run. Thank you Fila for your kind and immediate offer. I asked several companies to sponsor me and Fila did it without hesitation.

Bad Decisions is a bar in Baltimore owned by my Fraternity Brother John Reusing. On Monday July 25th 2011 I will guest bar tend there from 5-10 pm. John is donating a big chunk of money from some of the bar Drinks that night. Thanks John, it is truly appreciated

Bad Decisions

1928 Fleet Street
Baltimore MD 21231
410-979-5161

The County Cork Wine Pub in Eldersburg Maryland  is a fantastic restaurant in Carroll County. On Monday August 29th Arlene the owner kindly agreed to open up just for my fundraiser. We will be there from 5-9pm and all Natty Boh Pints will contribute a $1 to the cause along with our special drink of the night.

The County Cork Wine Pub

1716 Liberty Road
Eldersburg MD 21784


Thank you to all of my new sponsors.

PLEASE BE SURE TO CLICK ON THERE WEB PAGES ON OUR SITE AND PATRONIZE THESE FANTASTIC ORGANIZATIONS.

BTW,  I will update with the video later. I totally botched it up this morning and I need to get it right.

I will also update the weight loss and money raised at that time too.

Thank you for reading today

Mike S.

Happy Father's Day to all my fellow dads of children with autism

May we all survive the day!

Mike S.

40 miles for autism blog update 6-17-11

Hi everyone, another week, some more donations and I lost another pound. Check out the video for a great experience we had last night courtesy of Pathfinders for Autism. Also stay tuned because I will be announcing my first major sponsor for this program, in just a couple days. Please share this blog with your friends and please donate if you can.
Together we can do great things,

Thanks

Mike Shelah

week june 10th 2011

Check out this weeks video for all of the updates. If you are a business owner or the director of marketing or giving or philanthropy for your company, please contact me about a sponsorship!  Enjoy the video and see you all again next week.

Thanks

Mike S.

Week 3 june 6th 2011

Hi Everyone: thank you for stopping by today Good news, I have lost 6 pounds so far and I am down to just under 260. Even better news, we have our first donations and we are just over $525.00

Thank you to everyone that helped so far.

I have created a facebook page called "40 miles for autism" so please go to facebook and "like" my page  and then share it with everyone you know. I also created a YouTube channel also called "40 miles for autism."

thank you for reading today, together we can do this & Thank you for your support.

Mike Shelah

Week 2 May 27th 2011

Hi Everybody, thanks for checking in this week. Lost three pounds so I am down to 263. No reports on donations yet but I have gotten some great feedback from people. Please mail your donations to the adress on the right or you use the "donate here" link to pay online.

Thank you again for your support. together we can achieve this goal

Mike Shelah

May 20th 2011, week 1

Hi Every body and thank you for checking out the blog today. It is my first run so I promise that upcoming videos will look better, but you will get the idea. All the money I raise will got to Pathfinders for Autism is hunt Valley Md. you can make donations on line or you can mail your donations to:

Pathfinders for Autism
303 International Circle suite 110
Hunt Valley MD 21030

Please note "40 miles for Autism" in the memo field on the check
you can contact them at  410-330-5370 for more information

I ask you to do 2 things:  donate whatever you can to help me reach me goal

Tell all of your friends

thanks

Mike Shelah

I am going to raise $40,000 for Autism awareness and support

Hi: I am so glad you stopped by my new blog page today. On May 19th 2012 I am turning 40 years old and I plan to celebrate by doing something really positive. In the next 2 weeks I will begin an exercise and eating program to lose 40+ pounds of dangerous body fat. I also will be training my body to endure a 40 mile run to raise $40,000.00 for an Autism charity. I am currently working on several sponsors to help me achieve these goals. Please stand by for my first video post on May 19th 2011. I will tell you my start weight, where you can send donations and I should have my charity verified by then too! Each week I will post an update on how I am doing with fund raising and the pound losing. As the big day gets closer I will approach various media outlets to increase exposure for this event. Please share this with your friends and.....

thank you for your support!

Mike Shelah