Photo caption: Amy Helein and her husband, Gary, at their second annual Shake, Rattle and Rock event.
Team Fox member Amy Helein has learned a lot about fundraising over the years. When her husband, Gary, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 15 years ago at age 29, their lives instantly changed. One thing that has remained constant is their optimism and devotion to each other and their family.
Seven years ago, they planned their first event—a walk-a-thon—to benefit Parkinson’s research. This year, they celebrated their seventh year of fundraising with a new event, Shake, Rattle and Rock, an evening of live music, dancing, a silent auction and more. The event raised over $10,000 for Team Fox.
We caught up with Amy to learn more about their connection to PD and to get a glimpse at their fundraising strategies and lessons learned. Our takeaway: be optimistic, form a committee, never give up, and welcome change.
Team Fox: Your husband has had Parkinson’s since he was 29. How have your lives changed since his diagnosis?
Amy Helein: At first, we put our lives on hold trying to figure out what the future held for us. We read everything possible about the disease and the books kept saying that PD patients have about 15 years to live. At the time, Gary and I had been married only a few years and just had our first child. Talk about shock! What we finally discovered is that most books were written about PWP who were 70 years old, not 29. Since then, Gary had DBS surgery—we know that it isn’t for everyone, but for Gary, it is working well and for now is giving him a quality of life he didn’t have before. As a family, we try to live our life to the fullest. We never want to look back and say, “I wish we would have.” We have been blessed with two sons and an active life. Gary still works, participates in outdoor activities like hunting and four-wheeling, and we even manage time to take vacations together.
TF: For how many years have you put together your Shake, Rattle and Rock Fundraiser? How has it changed/grown over the years?
AH: This was the second year for Shake, Rattle and Rock. The committee I work with has decided this will be our new annual event. About seven years ago we started a walk-a-thon for Parkinson’s research. We had so much competition in the area—from other well-established walks to marathons and smaller races—so our committee decided to take a different approach. By making the change we have less overhead, which allows for more money to go to research.
TF: Do you implement any particular fundraising strategies?
AH: We have developed a variety of strategies over the years:
- We have a committee where each person’s strengths are the other’s weaknesses.
- We get corporations involved in sponsorships, especially those whose employees or families are affected by PD.
- For many people, fundraising for PD is emotional. As hard as that can be, you cannot allow the emotion to get in the way of making decisions that affect how much money you can raise. You need to treat this like running a business. The less you spend the more you can donate.
TF: What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned about fundraising/organizing an event?
AH: There are two lessens. They may sound elementary but I have been involved with other fundraising committees over the years and it is amazing how many people don’t follow these rules and cannot understand why they are not raising more money.
- Always keep an open mind. You never know how successful an idea will be until you try it.
- If something doesn’t work, change it.
TF: Anything else you’d like to share?
AH: Keep humor in your life and don’t give up. If we didn’t abide by these principles, Gary and I would not have had the last 15 years together. In that time, we have created wonderful memories and had two amazing sons. Something neither of us will ever regret.