Why you should sign up for National Collections
Tesco staff member Gaucho Rasmussen blogs about his reasons for taking part in last year's Tesco National Collections and why he's rushing back to sign up for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign's Collections on September 25 and 26.
"We are probably all familiar with the notion that life can look completely different from one moment to the next. Two years ago I had one such moment when my father called to say that he had just been diagnosed with cancer and was getting ready for treatment. Luckily all went well, but for a while we were entirely consumed with the progress of the treatment and the potential outcome, forcing us to radically rethink what we thought the future held for us as a family. During this period we were all particularly struck by the dedication and passion of the nursing staff and know it had a crucial impact on how it made Dad feel.
"I therefore jumped at the opportunity to help raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care, last year's Tesco Charity of the Year, by taking part in their National Collections as a token of my personal gratitude to anyone involved in the nursing of cancer patients. The collection days themselves were hugely rewarding (notwithstanding that I had to disguise myself as a large and somewhat ungainly daffodil...) as well as deeply moving.
"I was very impressed by how generous people wore. Moreover, most donors had time to chat a little while about the charity and why they thought it did such an important job. A strikingly large number of people did also tell me about their personal experience of Marie Curie nurses. The memory of one lady in particular has stuck with me. She explained how wonderful it had been to have had a Marie Curie nurse support her daughter at home through her final days. The nurse had made all the difference in assisting the entire family in coping with a very difficult situation. The mother told her story in a manner which suggested that she had to come to terms with losing her daughter to cancer, thanks in part to the professional and tender care provided by the Marie Curie nurse.
"For me this was an important reminder of why participating in the fund raising activities of this and other charities really matter. Having found out about the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and their plans for Tesco Charity of the Year 2009, I had no hesitation in signing up for this year's National Collections. I'm looking forward to getting back out there to raise as much money as I can for this fantastic cause and hope that I can talk with people again about how important it is to support this charity by giving whatever they can. It just takes 2 hours of your time to take part and make a real difference to the lives of children with devastating muscle disease in your local community. It really is an enjoyable and worthwhile experience, I couldn't recommend signing up any more highly."
If Gaucho has inspired you to take part in this year's Collections, head to our online sign-up to register your interest.
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