Dana’s Tennis for the TMA

Hello Everybody!  My name is Dana Mathewson and I’m 15 years old.  I have had Transverse Myelitis for about four years and I recently did a fundraiser for The Transverse Myelitis Association.  It involved one of the things I love most, and that's wheelchair tennis.  I have been playing tennis for about two years and I absolutely love it.  It’s the exact same as regular stand-up tennis except we get two bounces instead of one.  We play on the same court, with the same rules, and same point system.  It’s played worldwide and there are tournaments every three months or so, usually in the California area.  I enjoy it so much. I like that tennis is a solo sport, because I am able to see myself improve each time I play.  Also, tennis has really helped my self confidence, because it’s a sport that you usually play alone, and you really have to work yourself in order to improve, instead of relying on a team.  Because I love tennis so much, I decided to have my fundraiser revolve around a tournament I played in this year in May.  My fundraiser was a major success and I raised more than 8,400 dollars.

Setting up my fundraiser was really easy and fun!  The staff at TMA was incredibly helpful and was with me every step of the way.  They set up a website for me, complete with pictures and links, and even set up a way for people to pay with credit cards.  They really thought of everything possible in order to make my fundraiser a success.  All I had to do was send out emails to my friends and family telling them about my fundraiser and asking them to send me pledges for every game I won or a fixed amount.  I was surprised at how quickly people responded to my emails!  I got tons of responses the very next day, and continued to receive them for weeks.  The TMA really made my fundraising experience an easy and fun one.  After doing this fundraiser, I really feel a sense of pride and I feel honored to be able to raise so much money for such a deserving organization.  The TMA does nothing but help others and spread awareness about Transverse Myelitis, and I can't think of another group who deserves the funds more.  Overall, fundraising for the TMA was both enjoyable and rewarding, and an experience which I encourage others to experience as well.  To start your own fundraiser, just email Sandy Siegel, the president of the TMA, and he'll help you set it up and tell you what you need to do!  It’s easy and they’ll help you every step of the way!

This was my second fundraiser, the first being a “Hop-a-thon,” where I would ask people to pledge on how many hops of jump rope I could do each day.  If you are thinking about doing your own fundraiser, I suggest having it revolve around something where you are going to be doing something like a sport or some type of competition.  It’s fun for those that are pledging to your cause to be able to watch your progress and how you are doing in your event.  Those are my only words of advice; there are endless ways to raise funds for the TMA.  However you do it, it will be greatly appreciated and I can guarantee that you will feel proud of yourself and will be very happy about the fact that you gave back to the community.  I know that’s how I feel, and it’s a great feeling to have.