Recap of the Affiliate Marketers Give Back, 2010 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Chicago

On June 5-6, Team Affiliate Marketers Give Back set out on our 4th annual walk to fight breast cancer. This time, we took on the streets of Chicago for the 2010 Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

Our team gathered on event eve at Gino’s East of Chicago for a pre-walk team dinner consisting of lots of carbs (pizza and beer). Most of us got to bed early as we had to be up in time to make the 5:00am bus to the Opening Ceremony which was held at Soldier Field. It was an emotional event which gave us the motivation we needed to get walking as soon as they let us out the gates at 7:00am.

Day One’s walk took us from Soldier Field through the beautiful neighborhoods of Chicago, many of which I’ve never seen before. 26.2 miles later, we crossed our first finish line at Warren Park — the site of the temporary Avon Wellness Village, where many of the walkers camp overnight.

Some of us went back to the hotel while others decided to walk (hobble) a little bit further to a local Mexican restaurant to celebrate with Tacos y Cerveza.

Day two’s 13.1 mile walk came way too early for some of us. Standing in line at 5:45am feeling sore and covered with blisters, I had to question my sanity for a moment. But after seeing a few of the folks that were walking that were currently going through chemo standing on line with me, I had a much better perspective on what I was about to set out to do.

The route was extraordinary today. The views along the water were stunning while the walk through the Cancer Survivor’s Garden was met with mixed emotions of hope and sadness.

After a quick pit-stop at the Chicago Blackhawk’s Store to pick up some shirts to support the team later that night, we were back on the road to Soldier Field where I crossed the finish line with Melissa Salas of Buy.com.

After months of fudraising, 39.3 miles walked, dozens of team blisters and aching muscles, I am proud to say that Affiliate Marketers Give Back raised our highest team amount to date: $73,058.81. Our team was the 5th largest fundraising team and I was the 3rd largest fundraiser overall.

I’d like to thank all of the people on my team, all of the folks that supported us with donations and words of encouragement along the way and the rest of the walkers that took on Chicago with us.

In total, the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Chicago raised over $7.7 Million, most of which was distributed immediately at the Closing Ceremony to breast cancer organizations throughout the Chicago area to support the remarkable work they do in the fight against breast cancer; work that will someday rid the world of this disease.

We all have so much to be proud of as we showed the world what the power of a united community can do.

Click here for my pictures or here for Karen Garcia’s pictures of the event. (I will add more from the team as they get uploaded).

Shine on!

PS – Brian Chase, Melissa Chase, Kevin and Rhianna De Vincenzi, Sara D’Onofrio, Jenny Frederick, Karen Garcia, Jenna Jasso, Brian Littleton, Chris Pearson, Jaz Pester, Scott Richter, Amy Rodriguez, Melissa Salas, Brook Schaaf and Kevin Strawbridge: I am honored that you walked this year and I promise you… walking is like child birth. In a few days, you’ll forget about the pain and I swear you’ll want to walk again next year in Denver

Auction: @jimkukral Marketing Extravaganza!

*** Auction is now closed. Winner will be notified shortly! ***

Auction:  @jimkukral Marketing Extravaganza
Donated by Jim Kukral

This auction is for a Jim Kukral Marketing Extravaganza which includes:

• A signed copy of Jim’s new book, “Attention!  This Book Will Make You Money“.
• One custom Blog 4 U setup and creation service
• 1-hour private one-on-one consulting time via phone
• Dinner on Jim during Affiliate Summit East 2010

Retail value:  $3,500

Starting bid:  $500

All proceeds will benefit the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

How to place a bid:

The auction will run until 3:00pm EST on Tuesday, May 25th.

To bid on the item, simply enter your name, company name and amount you would like to bid in the comment section. The winner will be the highest bid entered before the auction deadline. (Please make sure that you use your correct email address when prompted, so that we may contact you if you are the winner).

**** BACK TO AUCTION ITEM LIST ****

Call for Item Donations for the 2010 Team AMGB Charity Auction

Based on the success of last year’s auction, I’m pleased to announce that we are going to be holding the Affiliate Marketers Give Back Charity Auction again, starting later this month.

I’m asking individuals and companies to please help us by considering a donation of an item or services for us to auction off on the website, so that we can hit our team goal of $50,000 for this year’s Affiliate Marketers Give Back, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, taking place on June 5-6 in Chicago.

Donated items will be listed on the website (along with information on the donor and a link back to their website) and folks can bid for the items by providing their name and bid amount in the comment section of the post. Winners will be announced after the auction ends and will also receive a link back to their website.

How You Can Donate an Item

Team Affiliate Marketers Give Back has never missed hitting our team goal, and we don’t want to start now. So please help us out if you can by donating an item to the auction. It’s a great way to get your name and services out in front of the masses and a great way to help raise money to fight breast cancer.

Please use this form to donate your item. Donations will be accepted through Wednesday, May 12th.

Check out Team AMGB’s Shirts for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer

affiliate.com is the sponsor of this year’s Team Shirt and I was delighted to see their final design for the 2010 Affiliate Marketer’s Give Back, Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in Chicago.

There is a guy’s and gal’s style and I think they came out great. We’re going to be one snazzy-looking team!

Thanks again, affiliate.com!

Meet Team AMGB Walker: Kevin Strawbridge

Kevin Strawbridge

For over ten years I’ve been in and around online marketing and e-commerce. After starting SmartPrice.com back in 1999, I joined jcpenney.com in 2001 and was their Affiliate Manager until 2004. I then spent the balance of the ‘00’s running marketing and e-commerce for various companies including Collectibles Today and Cards Direct. My current role is now on the affiliate side running DealTaker.com – a top 15 (comScore) deals and coupons website devoted to saving people time and money for their online purchases.

After last year’s incredible 40 mile journey, my excitement level is already off the charts for Chicago!

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Meet Team AMGB Walker: Brian Littleton

Brian Littleton

I am the founder of ShareASale and am proud to be part of the Affiliate Marketers Give Back team.

I’ve had a lot of fun over the years doing my best to help Missy Ward and Shawn Collins out with the charity efforts of Affiliate Summit, and I plan to have a lot of fun this year with all the great volunteers and fundraisers of AMGB.

I’m walking this year in tribute to the survivors that I have in my life and the inspiration that they bring to me and everyone around them.

I also plan to beat Brook over the finish line, even though he will not be aware of the race.

Meet Team AMGB Walker: Karen Garcia

Karen Garcia

I am the co-founder of GTO Management and have been involved in affiliate and performance marketing since 1999. I’ve had the pleasure of speaking at several conferences and in 2009 I was nominated for a Pinnacle Award for Affiliate Marketing Advocate of the Year and one of the programs we manage, BowlingShirt.com, was nominated for Exceptional Merchant of the Year, and I was awarded the ShareASale Pay It Forward Award for my contributions in combating the Ad Tax on behalf of the industry.

I’ve lived most of my life in the Sacramento, CA area and attended Linfield College in the Pacific Northwest, graduating with a B.S. in Physics and minors in Mathematics and Music. My husband Joel and I have three incredible children, Maria, Alex and Sophia, and they keep us on our toes. My hobbies include cooking, crochet, gardening, gaming and music. I volunteer as a late night jazz and blues dj for an online radio station once a week.

I am walking this year in memory of two people, a former co-worker and a dear family friend. Mary Flynn and I worked together for several years at berries.com and I had the honor of making her wedding cake. Despite her prolonged battle with breast cancer, she always kept a positive outlook and even on her roughest days, she had a calm strength about her that I always admired. She passed away in December 2008.

Stephen Shirley was my little brother’s best friend since they were six. They grew up together on the baseball diamond, learned how to restore classic cars together, and my brother was his best-man. While Stephen did not have breast cancer, three years ago he was diagnosed with both Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma which is incredibly rare. He went through several rounds of chemo and radiation before being referred to the MD Anderson treatment center in Texas, but it was too expensive for him to go. We thought it was unacceptable to give up the fight and set up SavingStephen.com to raise the funds he needed. Despite successful treatment, his remission was altogether too short. He passed away on November 12, 2009. He was only 28.

Stephen is the main reason I’m walking for the second time…I’ve seen the vacant hollow look in his young widow’s eyes and hole it left in my little brother and I want to work to see a world where there’s a cure and no one ever has to suffer the pain of a life cut short by any kind of cancer.

Meet Team AMGB Walker: Brittany Bankston

Brittany Bankston

I have been an Affiliate Manager at affiliate.com for the last 3 years.

When I’m not promoting offers on Facebook, I enjoy spending as much time possible with my beautiful 7 year old daughter, reading, decorating my house, and hanging out with the old man.

Having known many women who have battled breast cancer, I felt it was way past due to help out and do my part. I am walking in honor of the women (and men) who have had, and will in the future be diagnosed with breast cancer and to help raise awareness and donations to help find a cure.

Meet Team AMGB Walker: Chris Pearson

Chris Pearson

I’m a VERY dangerous Scrabble player. Also, I created Thesis, the best damn website software on the planet.

I’m walking for my ego this year. Last year, I was hobbled and broken after two days of walking for boobies, so this year, I’m out for REDEMPTION.

Oh, and it’s always nice to help the wonderful women I know whose lives have been affected by breast cancer

Meet Team AMGB Walker: Brook Schaaf

Brook Schaaf

I am the CEO of Schaaf Consulting and have been in the performance marketing industry since 2000 and have served as the Affiliate Program Manager for multi-million dollar programs at Zappos.com, Shoes.com, and Edmunds.com, growing one from $25,000 to over $1,000,000 in monthly sales in less than two years.

I’ve spoken at Commission Junction University, Affiliate Summit, Affiliate Convention, Google Affiliate Network Summit, ad:tech’s Content Revenue Strategies, and eComXpo. In 2003 I was recognized with the Commission Junction Horizon Award for Communications. I also serve on the board of the Performance Marketing Association.

I am proud to participate for the second time in what has now been established as the industry’s annual charity event. I’m also really looking forward to seeing if fellow walker Chris Pearson can make it all 40 miles in his Vibram Five Fingers.