Thread started by strgazermel at 01.23.07 - 5:42 pm

Hello ridazz,

My name is Melissa, I created the Supastition Ridazz back in October--the day before the ride my mother passed away from Synovial Sarcoma ("soft tissue" cancer). I'm currenly on a mission to help raise funds for the Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative by going on a non-competitive bike tour in July called Team Sarcoma and having people sponsor me. I also want to help raise awareness of sarcoma itself so I created a website www.ts2007mel.com, it is linked through this site on the "links" page.

I have never made a website before so I would like feedback.

Also I would like to spread the word out even more to the general public, does anybody have any connections to public television/radio? I overall need help in promoting my website to the public. Anybody who can help out a fellow rida would be appreciated.

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Hi Melisa,

I was with you when we scouted out your superstition ride and I was so sorry to hear about your mom's passing. I think it's awesome that you're doing something to help raise awareness of the disease that took her from you and at first glance the website looks solid. On one of the pages a window popped up that stated some sort of song couldn't be played and my one recommendation would be not to subject visitors to your site with any type of music that comes at them unexpectedly.It's better to have a link to the song so that visitors can chose to listen to something rather than force it on them.

As to media exposure, if someone can connect you with various news media outlets that would rock, but what you might consider doing in the meantime is visiting the various news channel websites. You'll find most have an online tip or news story suggestion form that can allow you to put your story out there.

If I can be of any other help, let me know.




Agent Orange
01.23.07 - 9:27 pm

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Thanks for the feedback about the song--I've gotten additional feedback from others saying the same thing about the song being an issue. I will definitely check out news websites and see if I can post my efforts. Thanks again, hope to see you at a ride soon. (if I can get over this damn bronchitis)



strgazermel
01.23.07 - 11:03 pm

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Stargazer you know that you have our full support. You might consider setting up a paypal button and posting it in this thread for donations!



Roadblock
01.24.07 - 3:33 am

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It's come to my mind to do that, although paypal and other services that set up accounts for donations online have fees. They are minimal, yes, but it means that some of those donations are channeled away from the cause. Instead, donations can be sent to my work (it will change in mid-March, the crime lab is moving to CSULA):

C/O Melissa Kramer
555 Ramirez St. Space 270
Los Angeles, Ca. 90012

I also thought it would be awesome for midnight ridazz to have a local Team Sarcoma ride while I'm in VT. You don't even have to raise money (although that would be even better) the main priority of the ride is to raise awareness to the public of sarcoma. Let me know what you think.

Melissa



strgazermel
01.24.07 - 9:26 am

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On first saturday of the month there is a radio program on KPFK called deadline LA that focuses on helping activists to get the word out about their own particualr causes. There is 2 PR specialists that guest on the program and answer questions.

You can find some of the archive shows here

Other than that I'd recomend scouting out the public radio in L.A. KPFK, KCRW, and KPCC and targeting particualr shows that may be intersted in your cause. Draw up a press release well in advance of any event you want to produce and make sure the right people get it. (a follow up email or letter really helps as well).

If you are doing a ride just say the word and I am sure many of the MR community will be down to help raise awareness and money.
When the time comes, I'm definatly down to help out.

V.O.S. was my first MR ride ... and it channged my life! Thanks.



trickmilla
01.24.07 - 10:40 am

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So I'll shoot across an idea I had for a local Team Sarcoma Ride. It would be one day in July (I'd be gone in Vermont but I can definitely help) and riders can pass out flyers about Sarcoma, something like that....



strgazermel
01.25.07 - 4:32 pm

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Just as an update I've had zero help from any public radio stations, zero sponsors from local business, I'm a little discouraged but I remain hopeful that the word will spread out.



strgazermel
03.26.07 - 11:11 pm

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