Progress Report and Cry for Help
I'm thrilled about the way the project is taking off.
But I'm pushing hard: pushing the dialup connection and pushing my health. I'm going to need more help.
Here's what I've done so far...
I wrote a pre-release and cover email and sent it to about 20 ME/CFS insiders: researchers, clinicians, journalists and patient organizations.
I wrote a full release and sent it with cover email and a 500-page article to an expanded list of about 30 ME/CFS insiders.
I sent the release with a personal cover email and the 500-word accompanying article to the health editors at the Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, San Francisco Chronicle, National Public Radio, Good Morning America, Oprah Winfrey Show, Democracy Now and 5 journalists with whom I'm acquainted.
I sent the same release and article to 20 additional journalists from a list given to me by a forum member.
I created a powerpoint slide and sent it to Dr. Klimas because one of our forum members said that Dr Nancy offered to include one in her upcoming talk... but I haven't heard back from her about this.
My daughter started the Facebook page for the project and I invited people to it, and it now has about 170 members. I've been posting updates there from time to time, as has talkingfox.
Talkingfox and I wrote copy for the
www.sockit2MEcfs website.
And of course I blogged about the project here at Phoenix Rising.
Talkingfox has been working like crazy on this, too, doing the physical, textile stuff and a ton of website work.
So... what next?
We've had some great suggestions for more publicity and sponsorship possibilities so I plan next to write a letter offering corporations the opportunity to sponsor the project so we can afford the cost of printed materials, the web hosting and display materials, sock and pin textiles, display permits and whatever else arises. I could really use some more help on the publicity front, with getting actual contact names and addresses and doing the mailing or emailing. We could get the word out farther, faster, with more of us doing that part. Right now I'm a bottleneck. A crashing bottleneck! And I'm sure talkingfox could use some help with making sock blanks and wee sockie lapel pins.
It would also be fabulous if anybody wants to step forward to start a branch of the project outside of the US. It could grow really unwieldy receiving and displaying socks from all over the world. So how about it---start a branch in your country, if you're not in the US! We'll give you logos, banner graphics, web code, and lots of support and encouragement getting started.
Oh, and I'm very slow getting snailmail out and I've researched all the email addresses I can handle so if someone has a valid email address for any of the following it would be a great help:
Dr. Bell (website email generates discouraging auto-response)
Dr. Peterson
Hillary Johnson (other than website email)
Fibromyalgia Network
OFFER
Assorted Health, Art and Craft Magazines (include an editor's name, please)
And of course, send in your socks! Get on over to
www.SockIt2MEcfs.org for the details.
That's all the news and pleas I can think of at the moment but I'll keep you all posted... later.
Resting now,
Creek