On March 27th, 2003, I held a very easy fundraiser for VHL Family Alliance. I decided to hold a Pampered Chef Party! This was only the second one I had ever thrown and it was a lot of fun! It’s a home sales party, like Tupperware or Mary Kay -- and let me just tell you that it’s almost always a fun group of women looking for a couple of hours away from responsibility.

A Pampered Chef Hostess came to my home and set up her table and items for sale. Then she showed us how to create simple dishes using everyday items from the fridge or grocery store. After her demonstration she served the food to us, played some fun games with prizes, and asked us to look through the catalog.

While this was a fun night for all, full of eating, drinking and shopping, I turned it into a wonderful night with a very important purpose. The proceeds from my show went directly to the VHL Family Alliance.

In a two hour show, coupled with donations, I was able to raise over $800 for VHL. Not all of my friends and family could attend so I passed out catalogs to my friends who live locally and sent an e-mail to those who live out of town. I reached over one hundred people via e-mail and close to one hundred people locally. Some people didn’t want to purchase anything, so they sent me a donation. Others could go to the Pampered Chef website and see what there was to purchase, then e-mail their order to me. They sent checks or called with credit card numbers.

It was a phenomenal success and I encourage everyone reading this article to contact someone locally who does a home-based show. There are tool shows for women, pajama shows, children’s toy shows, Tupperware shows and even lingerie shows! The possibilities are endless and all of these organizations have fundraising departments.

My son is going to be 7 in May. He was diagnosed at 5 years old with an endolymphatic sac tumor (ELST)¹ on his right side. There are two things I can do for him. I can be certain he gets the best medical care there is for him, and I can raise money for VHL to contribute to research. The endolymphatic sac tumor is the most rare and least researched tumor of all VHL tumors. My son is one of the youngest ever to be diagnosed.

I will not sit idle and be a victim, I’m taking action. I’m working for a cure for VHL and a better life for my son. You can too. Please, I encourage you to pick up the phone and call anyone you know who has a home show business. You will not only raise much needed money, but you will raise awareness, and for that there is no substitute!

1. See Screening for ELST, VHLFF, September 2002.

As printed in the VHL Family Forum 11:2, June 2003. For permission to reprint, please contact VHL Family Alliance, editor@vhl.org.