Behind the Button

Elizabeth Fallon and Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Sometimes the simplest thing can turn into an amazing phenomenon.
Here's the story of Elizabeth Fallon, a button and why this could change everything!

A friend of mine happened upon Elizabeth on Facebook and asked if I would make some buttons using her profile picture. In our wildest imagination we could not believe what would happen next...

After receiving the buttons (badges) as they're known in the UK - LIz asked friends and family for donations in return for a button. That’s when the magic happened...people started posting pictures wearing the buttons on Liz's Facebook wall (see some pictures at bottom of the post) - over 300 pictures from five continents buttons on celebrities, on babies, on dogs, on statues, on a coconut and even on the top of Kilimanjaro! The Road to Recovery buttons had become a global phenomenon on Facebook!

In liz's words "but it doesn't stop there" remember Liz used the buttons as a proxy for donations to her local cancer charity Harbour cancer Support Centre so far she's raised over $3500 far more then she ever imagined.

So what could this mean for Susan G. Komen for the Cure? First there are lots of Elizabeth Fallons out there eagerly looking for better ways to engage and motivate people to participate and/or donate! It’s not enough anymore to post a donation plea on Facebook or Tweet, Tweet, Tweet - you have to grab people with something different - it’s even better if you can offer them something tangible.

 
Fundraising is about motivation, inspiration yes but also excitement and fun. Elizabeth’s cause awareness and fundraising success are due to giving people something fun to do, a task if you will - more than just mailing a check. When they order a button people think about where to take the picture and then start spreading it to their followers on Facebook* - at each step in the process they are fully engaged with Elizabeth and her cause. *And because of Facebook they are effortlessly spreading to hundreds and hundreds of friends!

You can see why I think this could be so HUGE for Susan G. Komen for the Cure - imagine over a million of your fundraisers doing what Elizabeth has done! Thousands of their friends, family and co workers spreading the word on Facebook ...well the numbers would be staggering! If 1000 fundraisers made buttons they could reach 130,000 friends...of course those people, have (130) friends too so...well do the math (16.9 million) - OK that may be a little hyperbolic but you get the point! 
**average person on Facebook has 130 friends

I’ve always felt making custom photo buttons one a time with no minimums (you really can order one custom button) was a simple yet powerful way to engage, motivate and inspire people to do remarkable things. My friend Elizabeth Fallon is but one of I think millions of people ready to do the same!

So here's some more really cool stuff about ELizabeth's Road to Recovery...

We set up a button gallery just for Elizabeth where people can order their buttons (a gallery like this could be set up for any Susan G. Komen fundraiser) http://budurl.com/LizFallonButtons


In Elizabeth's own words...she captures beautifully what Buttons of Hope is all about

 

WBTV's Molly Grantham has been one of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Charlotte's biggest fans and advocates. It shows in her wonderful interview of Elizabeth Fallon on day one of her Charlotte visit!

 

Just some of the over 300 Raod to Recovery button pictures from Liz's Facebook wall...

 

Elizabeth Fallon | A button (badge) that changed the world

Elizabeth Fallon was a stranger; a friend of a friend of a friend on Facebook. Then came "the button, the badge" and Elizabeth became a customer and then my good friend!

Scott Helms asked me to make some buttons for Elizabeth who is battling breast and now liver cancer in the UK - Scott wanted to surprise Liz after coming to know her story through his Mom and a crazy purple wig. Suffice to say all this changed everything for Buttons of Hope and as you can tell for Elizabeth too!

Liz asked friends and family for donations in return for a button. She didn't expect people to take pictures wearing the buttons and then post them to her Facebook wall (see some pictures below) - over 300 pictures from five continents including celebrities, babies, dogs, a lonely coconut and the top of Kilimanjaro! The thing is with each button, each picture Liz' spirits are buoyed and of course the word gets out about her cause! If that weren't enough Liz has raised over $3500 for the Harbour cancer Support Centre

I didn't know it at time (November 2006) but Elizabeth Fallon was the reason I started Buttons of Hope - if I had known her then she would have been the inspiration now she is my muse. I always believed people would do amazing things with these buttons - here's proof! 

Elizabeth took these little buttons and she changed things.

I could go on...and...on but I think I'll let Elizabeth tell you why "these little buttons really can change the world"...thanks Liz!

Buttons of Hope - It's amazing how powerful small things can be! from Mike Gibbons on Vimeo.

 

 

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Pepsi Refresh Everything | Too Good to Be True

It's no secret (what a surprise) that I have some serious misgivings about the Pepsi Refresh Everything competition. When I first learned about it (though) I thought wow this may be just the break Buttons of Hope has been looking for...we seemed like a natural fit...

"...looking for people, businesses, and non-profits with ideas that will have a positive impact. Look around your community and think about how you want to change it."

Putting a face on fundraising is a unique idea and given my infamous "social media" bearing (Facebook , Twitter and this blog) I was confident I could marshal and motivate the forces necessary to compete - YOU - my friends, family, customers and acquaintances did your part voting and spreading the word (thank you) - honestly I am shocked that with our amazing effort we never moved an inch! Maybe I could not have hoped for the top ten but #170 - come on somethin's up??

I"m proud and appreciate all your efforts - we did it the right way - but I fear it will not be near enough. With our best efforts the project languishes in the #170s (dropping to #180 today - the top 2 win). Therefore I have decided to "pull the plug" to end the voting campaign - the project will remain on the site but I would prefer that you not spend any more of your time or energy voting or promoting the project. I don't like to give up and if I thought we had even the slightest chance to make a difference I'd hold on - but candidly I am not thrilled with how the whole project is being handled and specifically with what I think are voting anomalies - it's just my gut instinct that something is fishy - and given that YOU and I have better things to do.

Let me say again how much I appreciate everything you have done to support me, Buttons of Hope and our efforts here - Buttons of Hope will go on - I love this idea and will never stop believing that these buttons can change the world - because they already have (see)!

Think Different | a "crazy" reason to vote for Buttons of Hope at Pepsi Refresh Everything

Think different from Andreas Rosland on Vimeo.

Some people tell me "I'm crazy" (many more think it without saying so) - that's OK it's always been that way - it drives me forward. I'll never be one to just let things go - I like to shake things up, take the path less traveled and to change things.

Buttons of Hope has changed things for many people - the amazing Facebook phenomenon with Elizabeth Fallon and her Road to Recovery is testament to what these little buttons can do. Brandon, Diana, Tony, Janine, Dale, Rachel, Elizabeth, Ellie and hundreds more...have all been "changed" by buttons!
The Pepsi Refresh Everything grant competition is a great opportunity for Buttons of Hope to realize the promise of those first buttons I made of Dale and Janine. I know its "crazy" but we're up for a $250,000 grant - we've got some amazing plans for that funding - to help schools, missing persons and hundreds of causes! 

I'll be posting here on my blog each day in May with stories... "31 reasons to vote for Buttons of Hope". I hope you'll read & share some of these moving stories - see how people are making a BIG difference with a small photo button!

Thank you in advance for helping by voting and spreading the word about our mission.

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If you'd like to help us refresh fundraising then please vote* for us in the Pepsi Refresh $250K grant competition May 1 though May 31 - click on the pink button or this link  http://www.refresheverything.com/buttonsofhope 
*feeling inspired? yes you can vote 31 times - once each day for Buttons of Hope! THANK YOU....

cancer Doesn't Stand a Chance Against That Smile!

For me it's always been about the "eyes". I've made thousands of buttons (by hand one by one) sometimes hundreds of the same photo - behind each face there is a powerful story of courage, spirit and hope - making the buttons can be zen-like as I feel like I get to know the person through their eyes - but today it's different, it's all about...THAT SMILE!

My good friend and fellow Mojorider Scott Helms asked me if I would make some buttons for his friend "across the pond". I'm always interested in the stories behind the buttons people make (hint: everyone's interested in the stories - sharing a story is the BEST thing you can do to support your cause - and a photo is the best way to grab somebody's attention!). Well Scott shared the story of Elizabeth Fallon - he met Liz through his mom Wendy who happened upon Liz on Facebook....in Liz' words

"Sometimes...people are so kind and thoughtful that it brings tears to your eyes!!

At the Isle of Wight festival last year (I am in the UK by the way) I was in a tent that sold joke wigs.  I was trying to decide between a green one and a purple one - I chose the purple. I then had a photo taken that ended up being my profile picture on Facebook.

Around this time, a lovely lady in the USA named Wendy, was looking for a long lost school friend on facebook with no success. When the list of all the names of the people who shared her friend's name came on the screen, along with their friends, my picture popped up and she noticed my photo and my purple wig.  She then sent me a message just to say "hello" as she is a "purple person" and loves everything purple. We have been writing to each other ever since and as it turns out she is a lung cancer survivor (and has had more than one recurrence so knows all about the fight!)

Ok...through Wendy, I have become friends with her son Scott who has joined my Facebook group "Elizabeth's 'on the road to recovery' running friends" as he has started running in the past year or so.  Another of his friends, Michael, also joined my running group (he is a cyclist and has a picture of him on his facebook page riding with Lance Armstong in a recent fundraising ride!!!). Michael runs a website called "buttons of hope".  (Buttons in the USA are what we call badges).  Are you with me so far??!!

So, Scott sent a message on facebook last week asking for my address as between the three of them they had a surprise to send me.... and boy what a surprise!!!  Today, a parcel arrived with my very own "Buttons of Hope"  So, what I have done this evening on facebook is tell people that I'll send them one (while stocks last) if they make a donation to Harbour Cancer Support Centre in Gosport http://www.harbourcancer.org.uk/.  What's more, Scott ran a half marathon last week and was true to his word when he said he was running in my honour as he included his finishers medal in the parcel.  Some people are so kind!!!!  And to think... I have never met any of these nice people!!!  What an act of kindness that has given me so much pleasure!"    

Wow! I've often said that the magic of Buttons of Hope is that photo buttons can help people share their story - to put a face on their cause. These little buttons are powerful they can engage (Scott and Wendy), motivate (me) and inspire us ALL to do remarkable things.

I'll leave you with this thought - my vision is to make a million buttons for a million different people - after seeing what one button has done for Liz, her friends and her family - I can only imagine what a million buttons might do! Yup...together we might just be crazy enough to CHANGE THE WORLD!

Godspeed Liz and thank you for your SMILE!

A friend, cancer and a five year old post it note

...each year I do a cycling fundraising event the 24 Hours of Booty to fight cancer - it's an official LIVESTRONG event but also supports local Charlotte charities. The organizers asked if you could choose anyone - who would you like to have ride on your team in 2010...my answer

I did my first 24HOB in 2005 (my first cycling fundraiser of any kind) in honor of my cousin Dale Lewis. I'll never forget the impact it had on Dale when I asked him if it was cool that I ride in his honor. It really surprised me how much it meant to him. Dale and I talked often during the months running up to Booty - we re-established an old friendship and I know my 24 Hours of Booty efforts brought him joy and inspired him during the worst (and they were very bad) days of his fight with bone cancer. 

I've had an old post it note on my wall for five years - it simply says "Call Dale". That note was (and remains) a reminder to give Dale a call every once in a while - one of the things we talked about was plans* for Dale to come ride with me in 2006 - sadly Dale passed away four months after that first Booty ride. (Dale a lifelong dairy farmer lived in Woodstock, VT)

I am thankful everyday for 24 Hours of Booty for many reasons but especially because without it I would never have reconnected with Dale or found the inspiration to start a cycling team and to make the 24 Hours of Booty the first thing I put on my calendar each year. So who would I like to ride with?......I think you know

 

Buttons of Hope Go Global

New York, Boston, Rochester, Seattle, San Francisco, Sydney....yawn yet another global effort to honor and support a friend/colleague by wearing photo buttons. WAIT did you say Sydney?? as in Australia? ...no my friends this effort by Text 100 to honor their friend Lisa was much, much more ~ for heaven's sake she's dating Twilight's Rob Pattinson....duh!

Kidding aside I think what Lisa's friends at Text 100 pulled off is one of the coolest Behind the Button stories ever epitomizing the promise of these powerful little buttons! Support a friend ~ promote a cause ~ create some SMILES ~ change "a" world ~ all with a little bit of plastic, paper and metal!

I'll let Alicia tell you in her words what all this means to her and hundreds of Lisa's coworkers (around the globe)!

"Our beloved colleague and friend, Lisa, was diagnosed in August with stage four lung cancer. All of us who know her have endured the initial shock of seeing someone so healthy and full of life stricken by this awful disease. Since then, she has both inspired us with her courage and filled our thoughts daily as we strive to fill a void left by having such a positive and vibrant person temporarily taken away from us as she fights the battle of her life (key word here being "temporarily" because there is NO doubt that Lisa is going to beat this.)

When we learned of the Free to Breathe National Walk, without hesitation, current and former colleagues and friends from across the globe signed up and organized walks to show our love and support for Lisa and rally behind the noble cause so that someday no one will have to go through what Lisa is now enduring.

Walks were organized in New York City, Boston, Rochester, NY, Seattle, San Francisco, and even Sydney, Australia in honor of Lisa. All in all, we raised over $14,000.

What provided the comic relief we all needed, were the buttons you created for us. While we may have outed her secret crush of Tween heartthrob, Rob Pattinson, it was totally worth it for the collective smiles it brought to everyone’s faces, including Lisa herself. We learned of your company through the Free to Breathe website. Once we read of your work with charities and non-profits including the portion of the proceeds you donate to the causes, we knew that if we were getting buttons, they were going to be through you! Thanks for working with us to create the buttons especially on short notice, they turned out great!"

What a story! I'd like to say Godspeed to Lisa - you have a lot of people who care right there beside you - LIVESTRONG! And to everyone at Text 100 I hope you'll do what you do best ~ join me help spread the word about this "overlooked" disease lung cancer - and this story, Lisa's story. Follow Buttons of Hope on Twitter @buttonguy and become a fan on Facebook and then together on your Twitter, your Facebook let's spread the word around the globe!
Text 100 walks for Lisa *click on an image to enlarge

Who is on your button?...photo buttons are a powerful fundraising idea

People ask YOU about your cause...that's why photo buttons are such a powerful fundraising idea!

Erin Dennis gets around (in a good way)! Erin, a busy mom gets around to the supermarket, the Target, her church and school... and everywhere Erin and her girls (above) go people ask about Ellie Potvin! Why would a friend, family member or total stranger ask Erin about Ellie Potvin?

Because Erin is wearing a photo button with Ellie's 1000 watt smiling face and people can't resist asking Who is on your button? And every time they ask - Erin is ready to share her personal version of Ellie's story. 

I don't think Erin is using the button as a fundraising tool but if she were you can see how powerful a fundraising idea it is. Think about it...the hardest part (it's just human nature) of fundraising is asking for a donation - even just starting that conversation can be uncomfortable for many people..and yet with a button pinned to her shirt or her purse or knapsack - people start the conversation, they ask Erin. The other amazing - powerful thing to consider is that without the button none of these conversations would have happened! 

This is what Erin had to say about wearing the button...

"I've been asked about the Ellie Potvin button in many places - the bank, my church, the supermarket, Target, at the YMCA - people ask me all the time about the button - one mom even purchased one. Ooh - I forgot. I also wear my button to work - I teach at Community College. The students ask about Ellie every week we meet. One of my students even brought in a gift for me to give to Ellie!"

So next time you're looking to spread the word about a cause, honor a friend or raise money for a charity - consider making & wearing a custom photo button right here @ Buttons of Hope. Photo buttons may just be the most simply powerful fundraising idea...ever!

** Erin's kids weren't the only ones at the Miley Cyrus concert - here's Ellie (left) with her twin sister Grace and Ms. Montana and her button!

Can Seven Photo Buttons Change the WORLD?

*just added a beautiful picture of the "Potvin Girls" Grace, Amy & Ellie

There's a story behind every button. But sometimes the buttons themselves become part of the story. If you'll bear with me I'd like to share a story of how making buttons leads to so much more.

I received what seemed to be a normal order for seven buttons and one hope stand ~ Ellie Potvin ~ "In It To Win It" buttons. Hailey Arthur, my customer called me to say the buttons were beautiful but I had forgotten to include the hope stand. Hailey's in Charlotte so I decided to run the hope stand out to her - she recently opened PigTails & Crewcuts the place for kids to get their hair cut!

If I've learned anything writing Behind the Button ~ it's this ~ there's a profound story behind every button ordered - and Hailey's is a powerful one. When I stopped in to give Hailey the stand I knew right away this was much more than just an order for buttons. The hair stylists were all wearing Ellie's button on their smocks bringing to life Hailey's idea to support Ellie Potvin who just happens to live a stones throw from the shop! I asked Hailey why she felt moved to do this...

"We are glad that we can help spread awareness of this family and Ellie's courageous fight. If anything, I just hope the Potvin family will get additional prayers sent their way.  As I mentioned to you, having a child with special needs is so hard**, I can not even begin to imagine the pain and difficulty they must be experiencing. I also have two year old boy/girl twins, so I see that twin bond as well and feel for little Grace (Ellie's sister) in this situation too.

My sister, Mary Claire Busby, in Greenville, SC works with Tim (Potvin) at Merck.  She does not know Tim personally, but is aware of who he is and has always heard wonderful things about him.  She forwarded me Ellie's Caringbridge site in early October and I have been following them ever since."

**Talking to Hailey I learned that she has a six year old son Shep with special needs - Shep's fight with cerebral palsy was the inspiration for opening Pigtails and Crewcuts - a simple haircut can be a traumatic experience for children with special needs - Hailey wants to help other families in this situation. (I will be writing a post with more details about her shop and special mission) more about Hailey here at Charlotte Smarty Pants

To some this might not be a big deal - but think about it for a minute - those little buttons can be pretty powerful and a surprising catalyst for great things! From these seven buttons people will ask Who's on your button? learning more about Ellie, I learned (and now you did too) about Hailey's shop and her mission and Hailey shared with me some promising treatment ideas for my nephew Jack Vaden who suffers from mitochondrial disease ~ all this from a simple button, a simply powerful button!  

**So DID seven buttons change the world? You tell me!

Over 10,000 buttons - every one has a story and every story is different!

If ever there was something that defined what Behind the Button is all about...
well this takes the cake! I know there's a story behind every button (I've personally made by hand well over 10,000) sometimes the story is shared / sometimes not but either way there's a story here like that of twin sisters Ellie and Grace Potvin.

For me the stories are more than curiosity - as I'm making the buttons I feel like I get to know these people (it's the eyes) and I wonder if I could be as brave as the people on these buttons and my customer/friends who order them. I stumbled upon this video of Ellie and Grace from just last month September 2009 - knowing what was (and is) going on at that time I doubt I could ever be as brave as these little girls or Amy the camerawoman ~ Godspeed team Potvin!

If you'd like to wear a button in support of Ellie see button gallery here