During the month of July, GreatScoop, Guidestar, and Planet Cancer are running the 2009 Cancer Fighters Awards, to identify the top-rated cancer fighting organizations in the country. Nonprofits with the most positive reviews in their category will be announced as winners and receive media coverage. Awards will be given out of 8 categories (5 geographic US regions and 3 budget size- small, medium, and large). The contest deadline is July 31st.

I sure you all can agree that The Oral Cancer Foundation does a lot within the oral cancer world. Receiving recognition of our impact and earning this award would be a huge deal for OCF. With that said, if you agree we can surely use your help! Click on the link below to write a review on our foundation. Your review will help others learn about OCF. The most helpful reviews speak from your personal experience. You can best help others understand your experience by providing details of your story and specific examples.

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/1481157

Thank you for your help and please feel free to pass this message on to others!

Megan

I would like to sincerely thank those of you who posted a review. As I read your kind and heartfelt words my eyes began to water. It truly means the world to us to hear that the foundation impacted your life in such a positive way, after-all that is what we strive for everyday. Thank you very very much.

Lets go OCF forum posters - write your review to hopefully help OCF. It is (unlike everything else we've been through), a painless process - just follow the link Megan has provided.

Donna

Is there a deadline to this? I will write mine over the weekend.


With 6000+ members of OCF and countless others who read this but havent joined, OCF should hopefully get lots of reviews.

COME ON GUYS.......If OCF has ever helped you at all, return the favor and take a few minutes to help OCF.

EIGHT PEOPLE OUT OF 6000. Yes, so far only 8 reviews (counting mine) Kudos to Cookey, susanspeaks, clroser, davidcpa, pandora99,RBCV and janabus10 for taking the time to fill out this rating. I used to spend a lot of time on Trip Advisor and this site aims to do the same thing for non profit organizations. Can't think of what to post or write? Just click on this link to see what we all have written for ideas. You can even just type in "I agree with DavidCPA's review" (us guys have to stick together on this female dominated board). OCF reviews on Great NonProfits It looks daunting at first but it is easy. bonus: never before seen picture of me right after my tongue surgery showing off my forearm flap scar in the hospital as part of my review. Thanks Donna (Pandora99) for the idea of including the photo. DO IT THIS WEEKEND.
PS. Megan: why is the "needs" section for OCF information BLANK and EMPTY. I suggest going in and updating: Donations and memberships
Charm

As we say here in Yorkshire "by 'eck yer a bolshy buggar" but i echo the sentiment Charm...(god god how ever did you pick that name!!!!)

love liz

I need a translation Liz - does that mean you have posted your review or are going to?? LOL. Lets go Forum posters - lets help OCF. We come here looking for help - maybe our reviews will help OCF help others!

Donna

hey donna lol
yes i did post yesterday!!i think the nearest translation i could think of is that charm has a bug up his ass about this.
Jeez i watch to much american tv.
love liz

Yes Christine there is a deadline! The deadline is the end of this month, July 31st! We don't have much time. Thank you so much for your help!

Mine is posted now. LOL Cookey!

Hi Charm,

I updated the OCF profile on great non-profits. We're also working on a statement listing what the foundation can do with various donation increments. Thank you Donna, Liz, Charm, Jal, Susan, Clroser, Davidcpa, RPCA, Janabus10 for your reviews!

I'll try to write this up over the weekend.

Let me make certain I have this correct. The section that says YOUR REVIEW is the big write up everyone has done.

The section that says WHAT DO YOU DO is the little write up that appears to in highlighted text to the left of the big write up? Is there a character limit on that one?

Take care,
Eileen

Megan showed me the effort she has been on with people on the board to help OCF get noticed in a positive light by an organization that reveals the good and bad in the non-profit world. Obviously, I was hopeful that this site, which allows those who wish to find worthwhile charities to connect with, might help us reach out to potential funders, and perhaps even to others in need that might find us through that means.

Overall I'm a pretty stoic kinda guy. I was brought up to tough things out, not be gushy or express my emotions and so much more. I've only had my emotional wall broken a few times in my adult life. Vietnam, and the intensity of that experience in manners that I could never express in words to others, bonded me to my comrades in arms, and often in private brought me to tears at the loss and horror around me, combined with the knowledge that too many of those I treated as a medic were not going to make it, and they shared that end with me in the most personal of ways.

Cancer was another intense ride that threw me around emotionally like a play toy in dogs mouth. The combination of pain, hardcore drugs, fear, and the sense of loss, was crushing.

As those of you who have been around awhile know, I am not the most emotional of posters on the boards. I was hurt greatly by the early losses of some of the finest people that I have ever met here, and I defensively stay now to the science issues mostly, leaving the emotional support to others better qualified to give it.

In my gut I know that OCF does good. I see the research that we have helped pay for that elucidates new, useful information, whose application - like what we have learned about HPV in the last 8 years- changing the face of screening and early diagnosis profoundly. I know that my testimony at government agencies has helped sway and alter policy that impacts the public good, as well as oral cancer patients specifically. I hear from others that my many, many lectures at universities, and interviews in the media have help teach, and increase understanding of our disease in both the public and the professional community, not to the extent that I would like, but it is an ongoing building process. So I am lucky to live this life of service that I have come to love and find so rich, and think of it now as one in which I finally, within my own self image- believe that I am, in a very small way, an agent of positive change, with my personal drive and OCF as the vehicles to accomplish very specific goals that our science board have helped me define.

But I was not prepared for the words in your postings about OCF, and certainly not your kind comments about me directly. I have to tell you that those of you that have articulated the good that you have found in OCF, touched me in a very profound way. Your very personal perspectives took me by surprise and raised a lump in my throat to read them. I don't really know what to say in response to them. That OCF which started as such a simple seed of an idea, could become what it has, a vehicle to actually do good in the world on such an individual and personal way, really speaks only to my tenacity, and more to the strengths of those of you who are the OCF family. Who come here during your treatments, and even in physical pain and emotional distress, find the inner strengths to put you own issues aside, and offer guidance, and emotional support to others. You are all truly heros in the purest sense of that word. Believe me I know of what I speak. And when I left the last batch of real world heros in a distant country decades ago, I thought I would never find their like again. I was wrong. It is a privilege to be in your company, and your expression of your positive feelings about OCF are the greatest reward I could every receive for the small part of it all that I play. I thank you all very much, for your support, for your caring, for your willingness to be part of the solution, and now for your kind words.

((((((brian))))))))

ATTENTION OCF POSTERS: Only 13 days left to go to Great Non Profits and Review OCF.
It's easy: Just click on Megan's link. Be sure to rate OCF 5 stars and click YES on the dropdown question about the Cancer Fighter Award. Tell it like it is.
Kudos to the 6 newest raters: mgm, ray1971, eva, miketuthill, tomgrogg, and jal. That makes 14 out of 6000. We can do better folks. Log on this weekend. You can even post pictures. Let's have a hundred reviews by Monday.
Cookey (Liz): I did not need a translation - guess I watch too much PBS British shows "Bolshy Buggar" fits me to a T. An appellation I wear proudly. Again, my cybername gives me 8 more years to become charming.
Finally Brian : What goes round, comes round brother. You have made and continue to make a real difference in this world. Bless you.
Charm

Talk about lumps in the throat. Brian, you are THE most humble person I am proud to call my friend!!!!!

I just finished the form and I was successful this time. I had tried a few days ago and just as I was about to finish, my Internet Explorer pooped out. I think this one actually was better than the first one.

I have still not made it through all the postings here on the forum since my return from Alaska last Sunday. I'm glad I did get to see this one (reinforced by Brian's email) and with my practice finally being sold yesterday HOORAY!!! I hope to get back here and get caught up.

OK, my turn....come on guys, get to the link...it's easy and could make such a difference. Can you even imagine your life without the OCF????

Jerry

I just finished mine, It only take about 10 minutes to complete the review.

Lets get OCF the recognition it deserves!!!!

Did mine yesterday...pretty quick and painless.

Deb

Charm, way to go, could not have said it better. We need everyone on this board to help OCF. This is the something you can do to volunteer. It only takes minutes, but can make a world of difference to this foundation. I have read the posts on this forum daily for the past year and a half and am absolutely floored by the caring and supportive people on here. I know tht all of you can take a few minutes and express your thoughts about OCF. Please fill it out before the 31st, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!

Thanks to you all!!

OCF is now up to 25 reviews.

Lets everybody take just a few minutes to write a few positive words about OCF. Its been a lifesaver for me and many others.

Please help the place you go to for help!!!!

Done!

Okay, not a hundred but 28. Review OCF. Since there are only about 30 "usual suspects" who post religously, we need to reach out to those who like to read OCF but not necessarily post. We need you to click on this link, write a little about OCF, give us 5 stars. So like they say on TV, wait there's more. Yes, in addition to helping OCF in a free and easy way, you can post a picture of yourself very easily on this site in your review. For those like myself who stay out of Facebook, Twitter, IM, yahoochat, this is your chance to see and be seen.
(separate thread on why I don't avail myself of 'social network" (hint: I don't wear a baseball cap backwards either)
Great picture Christine. To paraphrase John Milton: They also serve who read OCF, dont post, but review OCF.
After you do your review, you can check out your fellow OCF posters' comments.
charm

Brian , after reading your post, I have to admit to myself that you are one of the most caring indivduals I have met in my 73 years. You can make a person feel humble and appreciative with the words you put on paper, to express your feelings. This post moved me more than any I have read on ehre. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

Done- I'd do anything for you all!

Jennie, love your picture

Thanks for the review, we are now up to 31

RED ALERT RED ALERT
Okay, for some reason you have not gotten around to posting a review of OCF on the great non profit site to help us win our rightful slot as a GREAT CANCER FIGHTER AWARD WINNER. Maybe you logged onto the site and it looked daunting. Maybe you have read the reviews posted and thought yours would not be as elegant, as moving, whatever. Maybe you just have been too busy. Maybe you think you will wait until the last minute on July 31st to barely beat the deadline. Or maybe it is just that you do not want to enter your email address. Whatever the reason, if you are reading this, then why not click on this link and read the OCF reviews and then click "Helpful" after each review. You do NOT need to register or write anything. We need your help because someone (probably an overly sincere proponent of one of our competitors) and it is only one, is going back and clicking Not helpful on OCF reviews, although they sometimes skip a screen. We will not sink that low as to go to their reviews, but I can honestly say that I have found each OCF review extremely helpful. Too bad it doesn't offer wonderful as a choice, So please read what your fellow OCF members have written if you haven't and scroll through each screen and click helpful then reconsider not voting but at least do this, we only have 35 reviews now and other cancer groups are making us look like the Washington Nationals baseball team. You only get to vote on each review once. Read OCF reviews
Charm

Just got mine in too. LOL EzJim

OK, I voted. I'll try to find time again tonight to rewrite the review. Any idea why their site froze up? My internet connection was working fine.

Take care,
Eileen

Everyone who reads this post......PLEASE take 5 minutes and do the review for OCF. There are only 38 reviews which is nothing compared to how many people visit this site everyday. OCF needs this recognition to spread the word about an often overlooked type of cancer...Oral Cancer!


http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/write/1481157

Yeah Christine!!

Done & done!

I am the world's worst typist. Is there a way to edit one's review? I'm not about to do this a third time and I'm on vacation starting tomorrow am.

Take care,
Eileen

Eileen

Congratulations on getting your review posted successfully at last. Enjoy your vacation

Everyone else
Okay 45 reviews still leaves us 20 behind the current leader in our category. Only one week left so please this weekend, Vote for OCF. I already see some of you who prefer to read have taken the plunge. For those who have not, please consider this message from Great Non Profits:
[quote]Plus everyone who writes a review is eligible to win fun wellness prizes such as a free copy of Everything Changes: The Insider's Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s by Kairol Rosenthal, free milk for a year from Organic Valley Farms, delicious baked goods from Dancing Deer Baking Co., spa packages from Osmosis Day Spa and Sanctuary, hotel stays from Joie de Vivre Hotels, and more![/quote]
So it's like a free lottery ticket! C'mon, this is a very easy way to support OCF. We do not even have one percent participation. Can 99% of you not be bothered? Please don't think you have to write an opus. You can fill this out with simple sentences like: I have found OCF to be very helpful to me - Just that, nothing more. My understanding of the rules is that VOLUME not eloquence nor length of replies is what it takes to win. So 100 one sentence reviews would help OCF more than 1 one hundred sentence review. One little sentence for each question, rate OCF 5 star, hit cancer fighter drop down, enter email and click, is it too much to ask? Please reconsider if you have not voted
charm

Done and taking it to 48 !!

Charm,

I don't know anyone can turn down your pleas.

It can be done!!!

Jerry

Bringing this up to the top.
Sure there are more than 48 people who post here regularly.
Get off your *ss and do it.!
M

3 days left to vote The good news is that OCF reviews have just about reached one percent! As I type this there were 60 votes for OCF on the great cancer fighters site.
We are still way way behind the Pediatric alliance but that could be that both parents vote for that group while on OCF it is usually either the caregiver or the patient, almost never both who post. Still, if you are reading this post, please reconsider not voting and click here: VOTE OCF Today
charm
__

3 Days to go! We are now up to 73. I sent out an email to everyone on the forum asking them to please review OCF. Hopefully that will lead more people to make a review. I am sorry that some of you who have already filled out the form will get this mail, but it had to be sent as a blanket selection of registered users of this board in the last 12 months. I have my fingers crossed. . . .

Thanks Megan for the blanket email for registered users. I got it at work this afternoon and would not have known about this otherwise. I posted my entry immediately then went on to read the other entries and voted each one as helpful.

Thank again.

I did this the other day I think....there is another thread somewhere right? When I clicked on the link from the first message here from Megan, it said I did it.

I think Charm had something out there and I don't want him upset with me!!! LOL Cookey said it best:)

Megan,
Thanks for the email. Since I don't visit the website often, I wouldn't have known about this, if not for the email. I just posted my review.

As I was browsing the other reviews, however, I found that OCF wasn't included in the sites listed in the "cancer" category. Don't know if that has a bearing on OCF being in the running for the award or not. Just thought it was logical for OCF to be included in that category and was surprised to not see it there.

Also noticed that there are only 2 organizations with more votes than OCF. Of course, there could be others that should be there and aren't(in the cancer category).

If 40 more people would write a review, we could possibly take the lead. C"MON PEOPLE! Write that review! It doesn't have to be fancy or long. Browse a few reviews first to get an idea of what other people are saying, then just do it!

Yes, a long, detailed review would be great, but a simple one will suffice. Anything is better than nothing! Please? Do it for yourself. Do it for Brian. Do it in someone's memory. Just please do it.

Hugs and rainbows

rosie

p.s. It might be a good time for a small donation also. I must admit I get caught up in life and forget to donate as often as I should, but a reminder like this usually gets me moving. I will be donating tonight . I invite you to join me.

Hi,
Me again. Okay, I went to the actual contest site and saw that we are second for the West/Pacific Region. 18 more reviews will tie the leader. Of course, they will be looking for more reviews also, so more than 18 is needed.

Also, it was stated that July 30th is the deadline, not the 31st. So, unless they had a typo, there are ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT!!!

Ok,lets get off the couch and get this done!!

WooHoo, 2 more reviews just since I posted mine.

Way to go!!!

Rosie

Once again you come to the rescue. I think July 30 is a typo as the rest of their web site and the rules all say July 31. At 88 reviews, we still need a lot more to win here.

Megan
I was very relieved to see that most people must have gotten your email. I know I am registered and have gotten OCF emails before, but had seen nothing until I checked my SPAM box. SO HEADS UP PEOPLE, CHECK YOUR EMAIL SPAM BOXES AND MAKE SURE MEGAN'S EMAIL IS NOT THERE.

Charm

Charm,

You are right. It does say July 31st in the rules. Odd that it is July 30 on a main page. We're up to 91, but still need AT LEAST 15 to take the lead.

I was going to have my husband write a review, but guess he would have to do it from a different computer, because he got a message saying a review was already posted when he went to do it. So I guess it isn't really one review per person. It is one per computer. I'm sure it is their way to keep the contest honest, but still was disappointing. He knows how much OCF helped me and wasn't even too disgruntled when I asked him to do it!

I wonder how many people there are like me who used to visit the forum, but don't anymore. Even though they may have chosen not to receive the emails from OCF, I bet there are some that would write a review. If anyone here knows of anyone like that, maybe they could shoot them a quick note with the contest link.

Hugs and rainbows

rosie

Okay, gotta go to work now, but just had to post that we're up to 93!

Thanks guys. And thanks in advance to those who have yet to write their review.

hugs and rainbows,

rosie

Just posted my review this morning! I hadn't checked my home e-mail in a good while at home as I've been at the hospital or work most of the time. My sister got it though and forwarded it to me and we've both passed it on to as many people as we could think of hoping to get more reviews. And... I changed my email address from the home one to the work one on my profile... lol.

I tired to post a review, They said my email address is wrong. I went back to my profile and made sure I was useing the right one and tried again, won't let me in, but I'm here?
Rubyann

Okay, guys, kudos to those who have posted. We're up to 101.

Unfortunately, the Pediatric group has been busy. They have added more reviews than we have, so now we are further behind.

Don't despair, though. Keep writing those reviews. Even if we don't top them for the regional award, we could have a shot at one of the other 3, based on budget. Unless I am reading it wrong, it looks like there are only a few groups ahead of us overall. I have no idea what their budgets would be, so don't know who our competitors are, but I would say we have a pretty good shot at one of the top spots.

Soooooooo, keep on writing!!!

Go! Go! Go!

rosie

102 now

Right now its at 104

I will get my son to do a review today too. It doesnt have to be just the OCF members, others can also write one for OCF.

TO ALL THE NEW OCF MEMBERS..........PLEASE!!! Take a minute and give OCF a quick review, every single one will make a difference!!!!

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/the-oral-cancer-foundation1

106! Thank you all soo much! Sometimes its a roll of the dice when you send out a mass email. We got a lot of returned emails from those who may no longer be with us and we even received a few who are not happy with the idea of us sending them a "mass" email. However, on the plus side we are able to reach out to those who do not log-in on a daily basis and are willing to help with a review. I hope that we can get 50 more reviews by Friday! Thank you all again for your help and cross your fingers!!

my son wrote one....now up to 108

cant make everybody happy....glad we got a big jump with the members who are only occassional users.

108

We're doing it!

Doesn't it feel great?!?

But we need more, more, more!

Go! Go! Go!

Let's do it everybody!

Let's show the world we care.

Let's show Brian how much we appreciate him and his selfless devotion to the cause. OCF truly is his life. Honestly guys, for those of you who maybe really don't know, there would be no OCF without Brian. This is his baby all the way. I know he has some help now, and I am so glad that he does, but he is still the backbone of OCF and always will be.

I don't know about you, but I would have been so lost without Brian and the OCF. It was hard enough going through what we did, but I can't begin to imagine how much harder it would have been without everyone here on the forums.

Please - take a few minutes and write a review. The link is above in ChristineB's post.

And I find it astonishing that anyone who has been helped by OCF would object to a "mass email" like the one I received. Simply amazing, but as they say, it takes all kinds. I just hope "those kind" stay away from me. Besides, don't they have a delete button? Did they have to actually complain?!?

Oops! It's now 110!

Hey, guys, we're at 115! Way to go!

My husband was able to post a review on our PC. (I did mine on my iMac and couldn't post a second one using it.) So if you want to have a family member do a review, they will probably have to use a different computer, and it also has to be a different email address.

I also noticed that the award is for the most "positive" reviews. 3 of our competitor's reviewers only gave the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation 4 stars instead of 5. I know it's only 3, but maybe that means we're 3 reviews closer to winning?

Anyway, we are adding reviews at a good rate, but so are they, , so we have to keep adding them. I'm sending an email to my daughter and asking her to write one and to ask her friends and co-workers to write one.

All they have to say is that they know someone who was helped by OCF. As long as they mark it 5 stars and answer "yes" to the question about it being for the Cancer Fighters Award, the rest can be pretty brief.

I know most of them won't, but even if I can generate a couple reviews and some of you can generate one or two, it will help. Hey, it's certainly worth a try!

Keep it going!

You all are unbelievable. I want to write something profound, that will truly express my feelings about what you are all doing, but to be honest I'm a little too emotional now to do it. You have all, in the last week, made the last ten years of my life more meaningful to me than you can imagine. What those of you who are here regularly to help others make possible is far beyond my personal efforts, and have taken this vehicle farther than my wildest dreams of what OCF could be. It also reinforces in me that there is so much more to do. With all of you behind the effort, there is nothing beyond our reach.

Just to give you some idea of the organization that is ahead of us, (they are certainly not by leaps and bounds considering this next statement)

2007 marks the 25th anniversary of the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, a year in which they passed the $22 million mark in funds raised to fight the war against children�s cancer. They probably spend more on office supplies than we take in all year.

Ahh, but all of that would not be happening if you had not created the framework AND in addition continue to set the tone for positive interactions (and keep the loonies at bay).

So there!

M

Mighty oaks from little acorns grow Brian .We will get there one day,and when we do it will be because we followed YOUR lead.

love and respect

liz

Wow! 25 years and $22 million and we are within spitting distance in this race! Very impressive.

It's good to see that something has finally motivated enough people to give back a little for all the help they receive here.

Kudos to all of you!

And thanks again for the email. I'm so glad I could contribute to this.

And "ditto" to Markus and Cookey's posts.

Hugs and rainbows to all who wrote their review and to those who have yet to do so.

rosie

Okay, we're at 117.

I'm off to bed now and when I check tomorrow morning, I expect to see it up to at least 125. And 140 by noon. And 175 by 5 PM.

We're down to the wire. Let's git r done!

You can do it! I know you have it in you!

G'night.

120 as of now.
I'm going to my dentist's office with copies of the last few professional votes and request his participation. Today. Perhaps I'll pay my bill while I'm there too!:)

okay, it's up to 122. I see that Pediatric CRF didn't get any new ones overnight. That doesn't mean they won't add some today, so keep it moving.

I see that we have 2 separate threads going for this. Wasn't sure which one I should post on now. Are most people following both?

Even if we don't beat PCRF for the regional award, it looks like we are really close to getting one based on budget. PCRF and Spirit Jump are the only 2 with more reviews. According to Brian's post, PCRF is way bigger, but I don't know if Spirit Jump would be in our category or not, so we need to overtake them.

My wife just posted and we're at 126.

Jerry

I've gotten my wife, my Office Manager and my Bookkeeper to post as well. I've run out of e mail addresses.

I have gotten a couple more people to post. We are now up to 132!!!!

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/the-oral-cancer-foundation1

My daughter posted a review. That makes it 133!

But Pediatric CRF and Spirit Jump are still ahead.

Git a move on, people! We can do it! I'm so proud of everybody. I know there have been Walks and other fundraisers that have done well, but this is the best effort I've seen from this group online. Just wish we could get another 1% of the thousands who have been helped here.

Mines been added.

Still lagging behind at 135 reviews.

I posted a link on my facebook. My cousin wrote a review. Every single one helps. If we can all get one more person to post, it would take us over the top into first place.

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/the-oral-cancer-foundation1

Well, I must admit my enthusiasm is starting to lag. I really thought we had a chance at this, but it looks like it is going to take more than we have. How sad that we have to ask family, friends and co-workers to write a review when there are thousands of people here sitting on their hands.

Like Christine said above, if each of us could get ONE more person to participate, we could win this thing. JUST ONE MORE for each of you. That is not fair to those of you who have already posted, though. Why should it be on your shoulders to carry this when so many are sitting here reading these posts, but doing nothing about it?

For Pete's sake!!!!! 5 freaking minutes!!! That's all we are asking. 5 minutes of your time. I know I shouldn't rant. As they say, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. But it's really hard to watch this effort go down the toilet.

Maybe someone should post this plea on every board, not just the General one. There are probably people who just go directly to whichever board they are interested in and never even glance at the others. I'm too tired tonight to do it, but if anyone else thinks it's a good idea, please feel free to do so.

Okay

We're up to 137, but still trailing. I just sent emails to relatives that I haven't even seen for a couple years. And i even asked one of them to forward it on to others. I had my daughter send it out to her co-workers, who don't know me and didn't even know Heather. I'm pretty much on my knees begging. I don't know what response I'll get, but at least I know I did my best.

This probably sounds strange, but I'm even considering posting the request on the member boards at the Motley Fool. (I don't do Facebook, MySpace, etc., so can't get help there). I'm thinking that at this point, since so many of the people here that have been helped won't do it, we need to turn to strangers to get this done!!! How sad.

Okay, guys, this is what I posted on the Motley Fool boards. If anyone is as crazy as me, feel free to use it to post your own appeal wherever you can. Also feel free to correct my typos, grammar, etc.

Hi everyone,

I have a request. My daughter had oral cancer, and during her illness, I found a wonderful organization who helped us tremendously, the Oral Cancer Foundation. It is a small, non-profit and is largely the work of one man, Brian Hill, himself a survivor of oral cancer. Unfortunately, my daughter did not survive, but during the 13 months that Heather battled for her life, the OCF Forums were my lifeline.

Right now, this organization is in the running for the Cancer Fighters Awards, which, if they win, will accord them national media coverage, which would be a REALLY good thing, because, if nothing is done to change it, in 10 or 15 years the number of young non-smokers who get oral cancer is going to be of epidemic proportions. Researchers have found there is a link to HPV, the human papilloma virus, which causes most cervical cancers, and which can be spread through sexual contact, so there are a huge number of people who are at risk, but have no idea what oral cancer is and what devastation it can cause.

The contest is based on the number of positive reviews that each organization receives. Unfortunately, tomorrow is the last day of this contest. I apologize for this being last minute, but I just found out about the contest a couple days ago. The details are here:

http://greatnonprofits.org/cancer

If any of you could write a review at this site, it would be a big help. This is the specific page for OCF:

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/the-oral-cancer-foundation1

The review can be really brief, something like "I know someone whose daughter had oral cancer and I know that the OCF was very helpful". The "What did i do part can be anything like "I think OCF is doing good work" or "I know how much they help people". Anything really. It doesn't have to be something that you did.

Plus you have to answer 2 questions out of 8 that they have listed. You can answer the one that asks what is their biggest challenge by saying they don't have enough funding. And What would they do with 10 million bucks? Help more people. Doesn't matter, just so you answer 1 in each column, I think.

Anything simple. The only 2 things you definitely have to do is give them a 5 STAR RATING and answer "YES" that it is for the Cancer Fighters Award.

You can read a few of the other reviews first to get an idea of what people say. and here is the OCF appeal if you want to read more:

http://oralcancersupport.org/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showf...

I know this is an unusual request and I really don't expect much of a response, but this is so very important that I'm pretty much on my knees begging anyone for help.

Thanks in advance to any angels who read this and respond.

Rosie
____________________

Well Rosie, it was a valiant effort, and while I still wish to speak to this in a future post, those of you that did come, gave me a very special gift, and touched me deeply with your comments.

There were 6,000+ emails sent out by Megan, and Lord only knows how many by those of you that really pushed for this. I would have to say that the response to this effort mirrors our fund raising efforts, and outreach for local events. I think it speaks more to people in general and human nature itself, more than anything related to OCF or cancer.

From here let's hope that people, as they feel moved to, will continue to post to great non profits when they have been helped. Those reviews will be helpful when strangers to us, consider us as a potential recipient of their philanthropy.

I think the important take away that was clear from the GNP postings is that the people, no the community of people who are the OCF family, who come and answer the questions, both simple and complex - both medical and emotional - are the backbone of the foundation, and its most valuable and prized resource.

Second, that while this message board function is without doubt the most important thing that the foundation can provide to those in need, it is clear that we have done a poor job of telling people the many other things that we do. From educate dental students through countless lectures at universities, lobby at the NIH (at the NIDCR and NCI), CDC, and contribute information to congressional committees and the FDA on matters related to the population we serve, and in support of those who suffer the burdens of the disease. We were the first to call for non gender based vaccinations for HPV at the FDA, and our lead was followed by many other better known organizations. That we give money to support research in the areas that are hot ideas in oral cancer today like HPV research, and early detection. That I spend a great deal of my time serving and working with other stake holders in the oral cancer issue, to name a few the boards/work groups I sit on and work with each month; the American Academy of Oral Medicine Oral Cancer Task Force, The College of Prosthetics Oral Cancer Work Group, The Centers for Disease Control Oral Cancer Task Force, The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Prosthetics Oral Cancer Task Force, The American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Oral Cancer Task Force, (there are more but you get the idea), and that OCF is a primary information/backgrounder source and fact checker for numerous media outlets as it related to OC from the NY Times to the Wall St. Journal, besides being quoted and interviewed as a reliable and trusted source on the OC issue from a national standpoint in more print publications and TV stations than I can count. That we work with special cause efforts - like providing input to the Kennedy team on passing the recent Tobacco/FDA bill as advocates for part of the tobacco problem they had not considered (OC), that we disseminate more than a million public information "what you need to know about oral cancer" public awareness brochures a year through events and dental and medical offices. There is more to list here, but clearly I have not worked on telling people what we do behind the scenes, and people think that the website and this board are all we are. My failure to tell people about our activities has potentially not done good service to our growth opportunities. We haven't done enough press releases on much of what we have accomplished, because making time to toot our own horn, always seems to take second place to getting the important work actually done. This is what our lack of human infrastructure holds back, and of course that resource costs $.

But regardless of winning this or not, I could not be more proud of those of you that cared enough to make the effort. I hope that others will add to the significant base of comments that you have all built as time goes by.... because there is always next years ratings to work towards.

And those of you that have been the most vocal about making this happen, your passion has been extraordinary. The fact that we got this far was propelled in large part by your collective passion, and I thank you for that.

Brian,

I apologize, because I did think about some of the other stuff that OCF does, but left it out of my review and my appeals mainly to keep things shorter. I tend to go overboard when I write and didn't want to have it so long that people didn't want to take the time to read it. But you are right, many of us tend to focus only on the forums, which doesn't do justice to OCF.

On another note, my cousin Tom, who hadn't even seen Heather since she was a teenager, wrote a review for me. And he owns a small business and is swamped with work right now, but he still took the time to do this for me, because he has heard me talk so much about how OCF helped me.

I realize I was overzealous last night. Posting on the MF forums was way out there, but I figured there was nothing to lose. So they think I'm loony. Who cares? I'm too old to care about that kind of stuff anymore.

Thanks Brian!

I was struggling with what to write for my review because OCF is so much more than this message board. And if I were new to this and reading reviews looking for a site to go to, I'm not sure the board would be on the top of my list.

While I do appreciate this forum and the lasting friendships I have made here...when I first started frequenting the OCF, it was the information outside of this forum that caught my attention. I hope you don't mind I re-purposed much of what you wrote above.

I am so amazed and in awe of your tenacity and commitment to OC. Thank you for all that you do!

Hah!

I'm not so crazy, after all. Murph from Motley Fool actually wrote a review!

I'm flabbergasted! I don't even contribute to their forums regularly, so he has no idea who I even am, but he still wrote a review!!!

C'mon people, we really can do it. Including myself, that makes a total of 5 reviews I've gotten. Please, if I can get a review from a stranger, you guys can do it, too.

rosie

http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/profile2/the-oral-cancer-foundation1

p.s. Margaret, thank you for incorporating Brian's comments in your review. It is the reviews like yours that will help people down the road when they use GNP site. I know the ones I'm generating won't be helpful, but I feel that the shot at getting the national media coverage is worth it.

Alter egos!!
In the era of multitasking and parallel computing we should consider alter egos....

IF you go to
http://greatnonprofits.org/
from a DIFFERENT computer you can enter another review for OCF. I finally found an outlet for all these tiny voices that I constantly hear......

M (and others)

PS: Just make sure that your alter ego also writes a positive review

PPS: I do not think that it (system) checks the email address... most people have multiple emails anyway??

Yes I posted yesterday that I have had 4 done from 4 different e mail addresses. I don't think the computer IP address is important, just the e mail address.

If I try the same computer if will not let me do another review. (tried that on 2 different ones)

M

David you do not need a valid email address... but you need to do this from a different computer.

..... so back to work!

M

That is correct. I could not do my husband's review on my computer. I could do it on another computer in the house networked to mine, though.

Got another review from a Motley Fool member. Amazing! It's hard to believe that I can get a stranger to help, but can't get more people from here to help.

Anyway, we're up to 147. Spirit Jump is at 165, though, so if they are in the same budget category, we still need more to get that award.

As I said before and I will say again, thank you thank you thank you! You all have done an amazing job campaigning for OCF! We still have until 11:59pm PST to get more reviews!! Currently we are only 38 reviews behind The Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation and 17 behind the 2nd place non-profit, Sprint Jump. As stated in the rules they will choose several winners based on budget size and geographic location. We are SOO close to being the top non-profit and we have a little over 13 hours to achieve that goal! I just sent out messages to friends of mine on facebook that know what I do and a little about the foundation. Although the majority of them have never been impacted by oral cancer they know more about oral cancer and how it's contracted through me. OCF has spread awareness to me which in turn has spread awareness to my friends and family. Thats all it takes to write a review. If you have facebook or myspace pages or emails of friends that know what you went through encourage them to write a review as well. YOU are their direct connection to us. So 13 hours... Im hoping we can make a difference in that amount of time.

Thank you all again for everything,

Megan

P.S.- I would also like to add, even if we do not make it to the top this is in NO way a wasted effort. All 147 reviews are extremely valuable to us. Im saving every review for our archives. These personal statements on OCF are now an extremely helpful for us to express to others the importance of our foundation. This is proof.

I emailed a few oral cancer members that never sign on anymore and asked them to write a review. I see at least one of them did and another had already written her review. I too can't believe how few people have responded to this. Come on guys, only 11 hours left. And thanks Rosie for your help.

Take care,
Eileen

Hmm...
I guess I could try to motivate some of my students.
Lets see if any of them want actually want to graduate...........

M

Just make sure they give OCF 5 stars.

Our perfect 5 star record has been broken by someone who only thought OCF was a 3 star organization.

Yes, I saw that and I'm afraid it might have been one that I solicited. If so, they did not read my entire appeal. I specifically said they needed to give 5 stars. I guess that is the risk in asking strangers. I am sorry.

At least our star rating is no worse than our 2 main competitors. Neither of them have a perfect 5 stars. Even so, if it was one of mine, and I'm pretty sure it was, I am very sorry.

I see some of Megan's friends have responded with a review and one of the old OCF people that I emailed also did, whether in response to my plea or Eileen's, I don't know, but all that matters is that she did.

The only negative aspect of this is that a lot of the reviews from non-OCFers are brief and impersonal and won't be useful for other purposes, but surely anyone running a contest like this would realize that sort of thing would happen. I feel bad, but also feel it was unavoidable. It is one thing to ask someone else to write a brief review to help. It is quite another to ask them to write a heartfelt review on a subject they are not even familiar with.

Rosie,
The plea that you posted on Motley is stated better and simpler than my attempts to explain.

Is it ok to copy and I will forward to my email contacts?

I will personalize it and acknowledge that you are saying what I would like them to do.

ginny

I sent a request for help to Amy (Minnies daughter) and Lisa (Pattys best friend). Im sure both will help.

Amy is my friend on facebook. I sent her a message on there. I will let her know you wanted to contact her.

Rosie.... please do not ever apologize to me for anything. You have always been one of OCF's strongest advocates, and been willing to tell your family's story when media opportunities have come up. Something that I am sure must bring back significant pain, but which you are willing to do anyway. I personally, and the cause, will always be in your debt.

Proud to have just posted my review!! I am blessed to have found you all!!! THANK YOU!!!


Edited to add: Thank you for the bulk email re: this or I might not have seen it in time!

ginny,

Yes, please use it any way you see fit. Just be sure the links copy correctly.

When i was posting on Motley Fool, the main link didn't copy right and it connected to a Firefighters Cancer group. I think that might be why the one guy did a 3 star review. He read my correction post, but maybe didn't fully read the original post.

My 3 grandkids are spending the night tonight, so I won't be on the computer much. I will try to think in once or twice, but I'm pretty much out of it now.

Good luck!

Rosie,

Great to see you back. Your sure are a mover and a shaker. I've missed you.

I hope things are going well for you.

Thanks for all you do.

Jerry

Hi Jerry,

Things are going okay. Glad to see you finally got the business sold.

By the way, I am "thinking" in for the first time, while the kids are eating. What a typo. I guess I was really "out of it"! Ha!

Six hours left to vote. Hurry, we are now in LAST PLACE for the West category. Only 154 reviews. Rosie has spelled out what you need to do. Click here and give us 5 stars, click yes for cancer fighters. and VOTE
LAST CHANCE TO VOTE FOR OCF
I could not wait for my nightly insomnia post, that'a how important this is.
Charm

IF someone WANTED to use the same computer to write more than one review. SOMEONE COULD go into their TOOLS and clear the cookies out of internet explorer. In theory SOMEONE MIGHT do that a couple of times. Say your children could right a review. You do need a different email address but it does not need to be valid.

Well this is unfortunate. My mother wanted to write a review and does not have a computer, so she used my laptop hooked to our home wireless netwok. It just will not post.

On the up side, my co-worker was succesful in posting her review tonight. She was even kind enough to mass email everyone else that was still on-site on my behalf. Being in her 20,s she had no idea oral cancer can strike at any age.