Allan Boshell is a good friend of mine. As nice a guy as you could ever meet.
Well, bad things happen to good people.
But those same people take action to make things better.
And Allan has done that in a BIG way.
How many people do you know have created a charity AND spoken in front of Congress about funding?
Allan has.
He’s an amazing guy with an amazing story.
Please read the entire email from Allan below.
Then take ACTION to make this world a better place.
You know I love ya.
- Jim
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Dear Jim,
Today, I need your help in a big way. Let me explain and please read this entire letter even though it’s a bit long.
As you know, two years ago my wife Patty died from pancreatic cancer. This is the most devastating form of cancer.
And although we had only four years together ours was a marriage that can only be described as a true, love story.
When you were at my house recently in Boca we talked a bit about Patty. I really wish you’d had the chance to meet her. She was an inspiration to almost anyone who knew her.
Patty flew airplanes. She rode the backs of elephants in Africa. She canoed the far reaches of Thailand.
She even traced her mothers’ family roots to Japan. Even though her life was cut short it was a well-lived, passionate life.
Patty taught me much about embracing every day and to smile no matter what.
In fact, her life and sadly her untimely death inspired and changed the life path for many of her close friends. In particular was her friend Lisa Young.
Lisa had a nice corporate job but deep down inside her was an artist screaming to be let out. Merely days before Patty died Lisa and I sat at Patty’s bedside.
Lisa was describing what Patty’s life had represented in comparison to her own. And now, with her best friend only days away from death she had made a decision.
She was going to start living the way Patty had lived – fearless, happy, passionate.
First, Lisa was going to leave her corporate job and paint full time (become a real artist she said).
Second, her first paintings were to be for a design of cards that she wanted to sell and donate all of the money to charity. Do good works and honor her best friend Patty.
Incredibly Lisa and I sat there while this beautiful, dying woman selected the logo that would go on the back of these cards.
In her last days Patty was eloquent, elegant and never once desperate.
We talked about how the logo would be used. She compared colors and designs. She was as clear and precise as if she’d be here forever.
And it was there that day Jim that the roots for what would become the Patty Boshell Pancreatic Cancer Foundation www.pancreaticcure.org were put down.
We didn’t know it yet but this was going to be a big deal.
Patty died 5 days later.
Shortly afterward and with the help of some incredible people the organization came together. The Patty Boshell Pancreatic Cancer Foundation www.pancreaticcure.org is now two years old.
I’m happy to say that in our short existence we’ve raised enough money to get the attention of one of the nations largest and most active non-profit organizations. That organization is the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN).
And now, we have committed to working with them and others to wipe out this killer disease.
For 2008 and beyond Patty’s foundation will underwrite several research grants known as career development, research merit awards.
The awards are organized by PanCAN and are for $100,000 each.
They are judged under the strict guidelines of the American Association of Cancer Research. Awards go only to scientists who devote 100% of their time to the study of pancreas cancer.
You probably don’t know it but pancreatic cancer is the 4th leading cause of cancer death in the U.S.
Yet this deadliest of cancers receives only about one-tenth the (less than any other) funding for research as the others.
Jim, in the next 12 months 37,000 people will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
In the 12 months that follow that diagnosis 34,000 will be dead.
The rest will die in less than five years. Yes, for now at least, this diagnosis is tantamount to a death sentence.
I’ve recently been and will return to Capital Hill to lobby for better research funding.
Yet, the real difference is going to be made by ordinary people getting involved and doing extraordinary things.
We need a grass roots effort to raise the voice of advocacy for the families and victims this terrible disease strikes each year.
We need research for early detection, treatment, and prevention. Research costs money.
That is why we, the members of Patty’s foundation have made such a large monetary commitment with the merit awards. But we need to go further.
This year, we plan to raise $1,000,000 to benefit pancreatic cancer research.
We can only do it with your help and the help of others.
Jim, what I’m asking you to help us do is this. Help us get this message out and with it the opportunity to make a real difference in peoples lives.
Our goal is to have 1 million people see this message and the message posted at:
http://pancreaticcure.org
Jim, we need everyone who sees this message to pass it along to everyone on his or her list.
1 million visits to http://pancreaticcure.org is our goal.
Please help us reach our goal by sending this to your client base, your friends, customers and your Internet business associates.
Ask your contacts to simply read this letter. Ask them to go to the website and just read about our cause.
They can decide if it is something they want to be a part of and if so moved make a contribution.
Our entire board and staff are volunteers. All of the donations are used for research.
There is even a contest for those who visit.
If we can get 1 million visits to http://pancreaticcure.org and only 2.5% makes a $40 donation we will reach our goal of $1,000,000 this year.
You’ve never let me down teaching me how to go for it and win in business. You’ve shown me the power of the Internet.
Now I’m asking you to ask everyone you know to go for it, demonstrate that power, the good will of people, and support our effort to wipe out the deadliest cancer on earth.
Thank you for reading this long letter and thank you for your support in the past and on this important effort.
Sincerely,
Allan Boshell
P.S. Here again is the link: http://pancreaticcure.org
P.S.S. Every seventeen minutes someone is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 75% of those live less than 12 months from hearing that diagnosis. 95% live less than 5 years. Please, help us make a difference. Ask every client, trainer and friend you know to circulate this email and go
to http://pancreaticcure.org Thank you.
