Fundraiser Spotlight
Anna Miller: CHARGE Through The Year Calendar Fundraiser
Anna Miller’s daughter Andi was born in 2010 with CHARGE syndrome. Four years later, Anna published the first CHARGE Through The Year wall calendar. At the time, one of her responsibilities in her job at a publisher sales representative firm was helping get licensed calendars into wholesale clubs and on Amazon.com. That led to the idea to create a CHARGE calendar. “The lightbulb went on and I was able to utilize a lot of skills I’ve acquired over the years: page design, marketing, website design, order fulfillment, and so on,” Anna said.
That first calendar in 2014 featured 12 adorable children with CHARGE syndrome, chosen from participants in the CHARGE syndrome Facebook group. “In 2015, I opened up the calendar submissions to the ever-growing CHARGE Facebook community,” Anna said. “I found that families and extended families were gung-ho to purchase a calendar featuring their superstar, and the superstars from their CHARGE community. I think the most participants we’ve had was around 84 people with CHARGE syndrome featured in one calendar.” She said that choosing the cover image is her favorite aspect of creating the calendar.
The calendar fundraiser is a wonderful way to “celebrate both our CHARGE friends and our CHARGE angels as well,” Anna noted. “We’ve all been through so much; let us savor and embrace it as a united community.”
Anna’s advice to others considering a similar fundraiser is to start by thinking through all the components, such as how you will produce, promote, collect orders for, and ship the item, and the related costs. But for Anna, the CHARGE Through the Year calendar is not just a fundraiser; she also sees it as a service to the community. “Oftentimes (especially in the beginning), it can feel like you’re standing on an iceberg that is starting to sink. So anything we can do to rally, support, and appreciate one another is definitely worth it,” she said.
