We have seven days left to reach our goal of $10,000 to be donated to the Charity Water campaign.
If you don’t know what I am talking about, you can read this.
If you are entirely sick of hearing about this, just give me one more week.
In just one more week, you and me will have given them ………..
photo copyright Becky Straw.
A few months ago, my entire family was moved by this video to join the cause and give up our birthdays in exchange for clean water.
We asked everyone we knew to donate what they would have spent on gifts for us, on our campaign instead. With the kindness and generosity of so many of you, we have raised just over $4600. I truly thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Seeing my friends names pop in, seeing complete strangers names, seeing those anonymous $1…every time a donation came in, my eyes would well up with tears. I was completely moved from head to toe. Thank you. THANK YOU.
Well, guess what?
In order to say thank you, and to reach our goal of $10,000, I am sweetening the pot. I am giving back. I am SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!
I am offering one complimentary photo shoot ALONG WITH the digital files from your session to one person who has donated.
That could be you! (Don’t you want it to be you?) I do!
Rules and Eligibility:
1. The shoot must take place in the Southern California area in March 2010. Any location, up to an hour away from Orange County is an option.*
*This means that even if you live out of state, if you can get your family here, you are eligible to win.
2. The shoot is for one family/couple/individual – no large family groups or events.
3. Proof of your donation to Charity: Water necessary
4. Donation of $10.00 or more
5. You can enter more than once, and you can also enter for other people!
So, whether you live here in SoCal or not, if you can get your family here in March 2010, and have donated at least $10, you are eligible to win.
To enter:
1. Make sure you can be in SoCal in March 2010 for the shoot.
2. Donate $10 or more here, preferably using the same name/email that you use to comment here.(If you have already donated, that counts too!)
3. Leave a comment on this blog post.
Winner will be drawn the first week of December.
If your name is drawn, I will contact you to obtain the proof of your donation, and once I have that you will be announced the winner!
Thank you so much – happy donating – and good luck!
xo
Tara
Not only do you inspire me as a photographer, you inspire me as a human being! What an awesome cause and what an awesome way to get people inspired to help. Blessings!!!
I would so love to win a free session with you! It’s been a long long year for me & only having a baby would beat having a session with you (the odds of winning either one are slim I know). Your photography is so inspiring to me & I love how you share your beautiful family with the world. Thank YOU for just being you.
Yay! What a great idea. Thanks Tara…hoping I win ;-) xxoo
It is so cool that you are doing this. Clean water is something so dear to so many people’s hearts, including mine; I really hope you reach your $10,000 goal!
Hi Tara, great idea!! I will spread the word on my dirtandsunshine.com site and through Facebook. I LOVE that you’re doing this and here’s hoping we’re the lucky winners!
Kathy, Paul, Dane and Tate
Great cause, goal is within reach. We hope to get to meet you.
You and your familyb are a true inspiration! Thanks for raising awareness on this issue!
Good luck Whitney family!!!! I may just follow in your footsteps and start my own family fundraiser. Hope you reach your goal!
pick me! pretty please.
Thanks for sponsoring such a great charity. I will be forwarding your message on to friends. Hope you reach your goal & God Bless!
$$ coming your way..would love to come out to So. Cal for the photo shoot!
Great Great Great idea!! I wish you loads of luck in reaching your goal. As more people start thinking of ways to help others during this Season, hopefully they will consider something like this. Thanks for letting me and my family help out too :)
What a wonderful cause to support! Telling my friends and hoping that you reach your goal :)
Great idea, I’m going to retweet this.
First i was inspired by your photography.Now.. it’s your heart!
Thank you for doing this Tara.
May God richly bless you and your families!
}The Yu family
I made a donation at the beginning of your campaign!
Sherri
Thank you Tara! You are inspiring!
what an awesome way to use your reach to help others. happy thanksgiving!
What a great thing you are doing, Tara! Blessings!
That’s awesome Tara.. Good luck in reaching your goal.. I donated back in the beginning of your campaign!!
i have been an admirer from afar for a long time and remember when you started this campaign. i loved the idea and intended to contribute and then…kinda forgot about it. i’m catching up with my blog reading now…and i must admit the possibility of a session with you made me go get my wallet. such a great cause. well done, whitney family!
I donated already but would definitely fly to CA for this!!!
Glad you’re encouraging so many people to help out in this important campaign…santa monica in the house!
I love your work!!
Love this idea. Good luck in reaching your goal. :-)
i would totally fly to OC for this!!! :)
Ya know I always donate to things, with no expectation of getting anything in return except the knowledge that I helped someone. This is an amazing idea tara, and thank you for being so generous and spurring us all on. :)
OK, after hesitating for too long, I did it… it’s such a great cause! (I only hesitated because I’m tired of my VISA card getting hacked after using websites, but that’s not gonna happen… it’s too good a cause, right???) Good luck
honey chile, i am donating again in hopes! such a worthwhile cause no matter if we won (which if we did, i might just have to pee my pants). go whitney wells!
What a wonderful cause! And a free photo shoot with you?!? Icing on the cake!
I just donated – What a great cause!
I’ve donated. What a great cause – thanks, Tara!
This is GENIUS. It was on my list to donate at some point, but this made me walk to my purse and get my credit card :)
What a fabulous idea! Thank you for your generosity all around :-) Donation made!
I donated! Hope you reach your goal!
What a wonderful gift all the way around! I could not help but donate. We hope your goal is reached. I can only dream of a photo shoot with you and my family. Thank you for your generous heart ….
You got my donation! Now hope I can win beautiful pictures :)
What a great cause. I hope I win your photo session! I wanted to book with you this last summer but decided it just wasn’t the right time to spend the money. My fingers are crossed!
Tara, I just donated. I’ll share this little story with you… we have 2 children adopted from DRC (Congo). They grew up drinking dirty water for the first 6 & 8 years of their lives. My daughter told me that she remembers her mother (who died needlessly of a treatable illness) teaching her that when they would fetch water, it was important to smell it first and if it was too stinky, they should not drink it. It breaks my heart to know that children like mine – children all over the world – are drinking whatever they can get their hands on. It’s awful and gross and dangerous. We do take clean water seriously in our household and we are thankful for every drop. Thank you for this opportunity – you are doing very important work! God bless!
wonderful idea! *squeal*
Ha! I had just donated on Cathy Z’s site. I was reading her FB page and saw her mention your page! Glad to help! I’m a big fan of your work! Hoping I get lucky!
Great idea T! I think it is great the way you have gotten your family involved in giving!
I donated, and am so excited to see you guys reach your goal. Good luck!
Thank you so much for getting awareness for this wonderful cause.
I have been meaning to donate… but the offer from you made me get up from my seat and get the cc… I wish I could say that wasn’t the case… next time it won’t be! I applaud you for your generosity starting this fundraiser. We should all be inspired to do the same!
I am a total stalker, but never took the time to see what Charity Water was all about…so glad I FINALLY watched the video. Amazing! I donated…and I hope you reach your goal :).
I’m so impressed by you. That’s all I can say. Thank you.
WOW! how awesome! a great win-win situation. thanks, tara…one person CAN make a difference!
Just donated, you’re awesome!
Great idea! You inspire me not only with your work, but with this fantastic idea! I would love to do something like this, and I think I will in the new year! Thank you!