2011 Heart Walk

October 22, 2011 was the first Heart Walk for Ron's Mustache Mafia.   As a Team Captain, I annoyed my teammates on a daily basis with motivating emails and encouraging Facebook statuses (you're welcome).  However, it all paid off in the end:)  I had so many selfless teamies that rose above and beyond to bring awareness about heart disease and stroke, landing us at the top of the leader boards!  I had set a goal to get 25 teammates, and raise $1,500 as a team.  Those goals had to be adjusted 3 times as our fundraising spiked each week.  With a total of $7,151.00, Ron's Mustache Mafia was the 1st place community team in Pittsburgh and in the top 10 overall (meaning top corporations)!  We were a huge contributor to the total amount raised for the entire walk which was over 1.2 million dollars! 

WAY TO GO TEAM!!!

Wondering why/how we all grew those glorious mustaches?  If you knew my dad, you knew him first and foremost by his stache...

Garsh he's handsome:)  So I wanted to pay as much of a tribute to my dad as I possibly could, and having a mustache was the best way to do that.  I know he was up there laughing at how ridiculous we all looked that day, but also so touched by all of the good sports who wore them. 

I didn't expect the walk to be as successful as it was, coming from such a small town and it being our first year.  Believe it or not, we actually have a fan base and stirred-up quite the competition for future years.  So... we can't stop now!  It's on to our second year as the mafia.  With bigger goals and more teammates, I am thrilled to share this experience yet again.  Which means- get ready for those annoying emails and status updates;)  Congrats, Ron's Mustache Mafia on an amazing and successful 2011 Heart Walk!  I hope to see you all again (and any new friends who would like to participate) on November 3, 2012.





Mafia Pride: Born 6/25/2011

For some people it's coffee, for others it's getting a good work-out in; but for me- creating Ron's Mustache Mafia was my wake-up call.  Thanks to Facebook and my good friend, Brandon Berns, The Heart Walk was brought into my life.  It was perfect timing to pull me out of my sadness and see how I could make a difference.  In no way shape or form am I changing the world, but the feeling I had through the whole experience was that of pride. 
Everytime I got an email saying that someone had "joined" my team, I smiled.  Then came the emails that someone had made a donation- my smile turned into a warm heart.  I'm not sure I've ever felt these feelings before in my life.  To know that people cared, that they wanted to make a difference, and that they could potentially be saving someone's life made every single day on this journey worth it.  People I didn't even know donated.  People I hadn't spoken to since high school or college donated.  We hear about such tragic news day in and day out, and think that all that's good in the world is lost... then you get moments like these. 
I'm so proud of myself (which I've never felt before) for starting Ron's Mustache Mafia.  I never thought it would take off the way that it did.  I'm so proud of those who joined my team, for coming together to raise awareness for heart disease and stroke.  I'm proud of those who donated, for giving a little bit of themselves in memory of someone they lost, in honor of someone who is fighting, or just out of the kindness of their hearts to stop these diseases.  I'm proud of those who walked that day- who gave up a few hours of their weekend to see that their efforts did make a difference, especially to those who lost loved ones.  You may never know how much that is.  Finally, I'm proud of my family.  For joining me and supporting me on this mission, and for all of the physical and emotional ups and downs we've had since September 9, 2009.  We made it- TOGETHER!

 

Although the team is named after my father, we were walking in memory of so many more loved ones we had lost.  My initial fight was for my father and Dennis Buggey.  By the time the walk came around, we were walking in memory of my grandfather, Elwin Morrow as well.  And as I started thinking of everyone we had lost, I realized that was WAY too many lives that were cut too short.  As a team, we were ALL walking in memory or in honor of someone we knew with heart disease.  So please know that the team name is not to raise money in memory of my father alone, but for all who have suffered, are suffering, or may suffer in the future because of heart disease or stroke.  Everytime I make an effort to raise money or awareness for the American Heart Association, I can feel my angels' pride in me... so don't expect me to stop anytime soon, because this feeling doesn't come around very often:)