by Paula | Oct 22, 2016 | Anorexia sucks
Whoot! The 2016 Madison NEDA Walk is in the books, and it’s another record breaker! We had roughly 250 walkers– and raised over $23,000 –Thanks to all who contributed and/or walked! (Donations are still being accepted through 11/9 at Madison Walk site). A local TV news was there, and aired a brief segment about the walk: NBC 15 clip.
An important part of the event is the registration timeframe–there is a flurry of activity while people check-in and receive their T-shirts and totes. (After last year’s shortages — I’m happy to report that we had plenty this year!) Walkers had a chance to visit with sponsors, read through available educational material, get a snack, talk with others, enter into the prize drawing, listen to the live music, etc.
Our first, and featured, speaker was Jonathan Tsipis, the UW women’s basketball coach: He gave a great short talk about the impact of eating disorders on young people–especially athletes, and the negative messaging about their bodies that constantly bombard young women. He was warm and engaging – both on stage and off. (Maybe I’ll start watching basketball?)
We had two speakers who spoke of their family’s loss. The speeches were incredibly moving — I admire them so much for having the courage to speak of their loss with a message of hope and recovery to others.
The top team raised $8,000–an amount that puts them on the leader board nationally as well; sadly, that team was driven by the loss of a much beloved family member in August. I truly hope her family found some small comfort by honoring her memory at the walk.
A representative from NEDA, Lauren Smolner, had flown from New York to be with us; she led us in a poignant moment of stillness and silence to remember those that have lost their battle.
The day had started cold and crispy – but the sun made a much-appreciated appearance by walk time. The walk is a 1 mile stroll around around Vilas Park–an incredibly beautiful venue; you can see pictures on the Walk FB page. The walk is symbolic and reflective- versus being any sort of race. (I later learned that one participant showed up in race gear, expecting this to be some sort of 5K event – too funny!)
Upon the walkers return to the park, we held a drawing to award the many prizes that were donated by local businesses; many walkers received restaurant gift certificates, spa certificates, etc.
An enormous thank you to: the walk sponsors, in-kind donors, committee members, volunteers, family members, speakers and the WALKERS who helped make this year’s NEDA walk both a meaningful experience and a successful fund raiser.
Together — we did something special.
by Paula | Sep 7, 2016 | Anorexia sucks, Uncategorized
Readers of this blog know that I coordinate an annual NEDA Walk in my hometown of Madison, WI to raise funds and awareness in the fight against eating disorders. As such– I am the contact person listed on the website.
Recently I receive an email that stopped me in my tracks — it was from a relative of a young woman from our community that recently passed away from complications of her eating disorder–after struggling for many years. The relative requested materials about our walk to solicit donations in memory of their loved one.
When I received the email I was at an outdoor music festival, surrounded by music and the hum of a very vibrant crowd–including many friends. It was surreal–I sadly reflected on this woman’s tragic passing, while simultaneously being bombarded by the sights and sounds of a lively festival.
After a follow-up phone call to the relative to offer condolences and to arrange a meeting–I wandered the festival in a bit of a daze. I was (and am) awed by the family’s courage to use their personal tragedy to help others, while feeling an obligation (and privilege) to make this walk a special and meaningful event.
This loss has served to underscore the high stakes of the fight against eating disorders: what we do is important, and our walk does make a difference — to this young woman’s family as well as the hundreds, if not thousands, of other sufferers and their family’s in our community. We are providing an important rallying point to demonstrate support and compassion; advocacy and awareness at a time that our community is reeling from this recent loss.
I watch contributions to the walk increase with mixed emotions–knowing that the current uptick is driven by loss. Yet, what better way to honor her memory?
We will be incorporating a moment of silence for three young women who lost their battles during our walk. It will be somber, it will be sad. These losses remind us that the stakes are high.
The war against eating disorders needs warriors of all types. I fight with a blog and a clipboard (with a large dose of tenacity thrown in for good measure). Others fight by providing treatment to individuals and their families; or through lobbying, or through research, or through writing, or by sharing their recovery stories, or through organizations such as NEDA (National Eating Disorder Association. Others fight by donating to events, such as our walk.
I understand there are many good causes ‘out there’. People tend to participate and get involved in causes that are close to their own hearts. Dear reader – I hope you have a cause that you are passionate about, something that is bigger than yourself. Giving of ourselves keeps us human, keeps us humble and enriches our souls.
by Paula | Jan 30, 2016 | Anorexia sucks, Uncategorized
I recently learned that one of the 300 souls that participated in our September Walk against eating disorders lost her life due to complications of anorexia in December. She was 17.
Why did she die? Her passing is a grim reminder that 15- 20% of those diagnosed with anorexia will die — either directly from the affects of starvation or from suicide brought on by the despair of the illness. While we may be able to see the affects of anorexia on the body , we cannot always see the despair, anxiety and depression that underlines the condition. It is heartbreaking.
Why am I talking about this? The young woman’s mentor and teacher reached out to me because of my connection with NEDA. She wants to DO something to honor the young woman’s memory and to raise awareness in her community. She is translating her grief into activism. Some of the most dedicated eating disorder activists are those that have lost someone close to them.
What does this mean to me? It’s time to re-ignite my recently dormant inner-fire. It’s time to look at activities for Eating Disorder Awareness week (end of February); It’s time to convene the 2016 Madison NEDA Walk committee.
What does this mean to the NEDA walk? We are having our organizational kick-off in a couple weeks. We will honor the young woman’s memory and do everything in our power to prevent losing another walker. From any city. Ever again.
What does this mean for you? To all of my readers (I know there’s at least three of you): Please consider registering for the Minneapolis NEDA Walk in February Mpls NEDA Walk link… or to donate to the walk via my page: Donate here. Learn more about How your NEDA donations help. If you can’t go to Minneapolis — Stay tuned for more information about local events associated with Eating Disorder awareness week.
Be well my friends.
by Paula | Sep 26, 2015 | Anorexia sucks, Our ED Story
At the end of the day – It’s all about the people; and the people of Madison came through big time for our National Eating Disorder Walk! I could not be happier or prouder of the result.
The weather and the venue were perfect. There is nothing as sweet as a warm September day in Wisconsin; and there is nothing as beautiful as the views by Madison’s lakes. If you could overlook the backdrop of the dumpsters behind our registration tables–the other vistas were gorgeous.
The only committee member to actually arrive at the venue on time to setup, took a gorgeous picture of the lake next to Vilas park; a picture of calm before the crowd began to arrive. And… It. Was. A. Crowd! We had over 300 people attend the walk – well over anyone’s expectations when we started out last winter.
The first crisis of the day was immediate and urgent. The bathrooms were locked. My Son, Ben, did his first good deed of the day by tracking down a park ranger to unlock them. His second good deed of the day was bringing his wife, Jessica, who was a terrific help at the chaotic on-site registration desk, along with my daughter, Kelly. Guzzy finalized the volunteer troupe of my kids, by staffing the prize table with her BF and with Ben. Hubby Dan also stepped up big time; at one point giving the shirt off his back to a volunteer who needed one for a photo op. (Giving us all a cheap thrill)
Other committee members recruited family members to flesh out our core team to about 20 volunteeers. We needed all of them! We had music, we had refreshments, we had fliers and prizes from our sponsors, we had temporary tattos, we had loads of prizes, we had bandanas for the doggies, and once the speakers got underway–we had tears and we had hugs.
A local news channel covered the event; we appeared in a 15 second blurb on the evening news. If you look really closely you can see me clutching a clipboard and Guzzy strutting her stuff while carrying the banner with Dave leading the walk. See it at News coverage. Although the news anchor said we hoped to raise $10,000… we have raised over $18,000 and I expect that to climb to $19,000 by the time all the after-walk donations are in.
I Emceed the event, which required frequent navigation of the maze atop our small stage; which contained a variety of sound and musical equipment. Two of our lessons learned for next year: Rent a bigger stage and get a bigger sound system — they had a trouble hearing in the back.
Our first speaker was Dave. Dave is also a member of the walk committee AND was our TOP fund-raiser after coming on like gang-busters in the week preceding the walk. Dave’s story was both incredibly sad and incredibly inspiring. He was/is a brilliant young man with a bright future; but at one point he lost almost everything due to his eating disorder; but he has since managed to take back control over his own life. Later during the event, a young man approached me and told me how much Dave’s story meant to him. I am hoping the two of them connected in person.
The other speakers were also fantastic – everyone showed up (which is always a concern) and did a great job. A local pizzaria delivered 10 large pizzas at the end of the event (JUST in time); all of which were quickly devoured.
Our contacts at NEDA HQ watched our progress with interest – we were one of several walks being held last weekend, and the comment that was shared with me was “Madison is Kicking Butt”! Yah… That’s Right — we kicked us some ED butt and it felt good!
by Paula | Aug 19, 2015 | Anorexia sucks, Our ED Story
Yesterday I received a text from my husband asking why there were 6 large cartons on our front stoop. A quick call confirmed that these are the National Eating Disorder Association tote bags that we will be filling with goodies and giving away at the Madison NEDA Walk. In addition to 6 cartons of tote bags, I am also struggling to stash away the many in-kind donations and prizes we have received. My closets are bulging (a good problem to have).
I received the ‘tote text’ just as I was arriving at the home of one of the walk committee members for an in-person planning session with the whole team. With everyone’s busy lives, we have struggled to meet in person, so it was great that almost all of us (5 out of 6) were able to be there in person; the room buzzed with the resultant energy (although the lightening storm outside may have also contributed). This group has enough ideas and energy for 6 walks!
With the walk only a month away, we are now pulling out all the stops to promote the walk, align volunteers and finalize logistics. The teamwork is great, and it is gratifying to see the walker count and donations steadily creeping up and up. It feels really good to be doing something tangible in the fight against eating disorders. We are going to line the NEDA Walk route with Eating Disorder related facts–which help keep us all focused on WHY we are doing this. Here is a sampling:
- In the US, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life.
- 40-60% of ELEMENTARY school girls aged 6-12 are concerned about their weight or about becoming too fat.
- Anorexia Nervosa has the highest premature mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder. (that’s the one that sends shivers up and down MY spine)
- Eating Disorders affect over 30 million people, but only receive $28 million in government funding for research. In contrast, Alzheimer’s affects 5.1 million people and receives $450 million.
- The average American woman is 5’4″ tall and weighs 165 pounds. The average Miss America winner is 5’7″ and weighs 121 pounds. Fashion models are thinner than 98% of American women.
- 95% of all dieters will regain their lost weight in 1-5 years.
- Eating Disorders don’t discriminate. They affect Whites, Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians at similar rates.
- The treatment costs of an eating disorder in the US ranges from $500 to $2,000 a day.
- Dieting and body dissatisfaction are among the greatest risk factors for the development of an eating disorder.
Another local fact, is that there are very limited treatment options in our own community — most families need to go to Milwaukee or Minneapolis for treatment. That is a real hardship for families as well as a barrier for treatment.
Even as I continue to promote the walk and get tangled up in the details of planning this event; it is important to keep focused on WHY we walk. It is our personal experiences with eating disorders that motivate many of us. In my case, I started walking for Guzzy, but I continue forward on behalf of everyone’s sons and daughters. How can I not?
