Preview of an Active Weekend

This weekend brings much fun and festivity, all in the name of good causes.

Mostly significantly, the annual JDRF Indiana Promise Gala happens Saturday night in Indianapolis. We attended for the first time in 2009, as my company is one of the third-highest level sponsors (Eli Lilly and Roche are two of the highest level sponsors, for the record). Being Type 1 for 26 years, I'd never had a chance to attend a Gala before and it was awesome. We lost out on some of the fun silent auction items before the dinner and ceremonies began, but managed to buy a charitable drink for a good cause. This year presented another opportunity through my employer to attend this annual event and I jumped at the chance. Since I've become more involved in the JDRF, it has even more meaning. The theme: Wild For The Cure. Many auction items that will surely draw some charitable giving, including a 5-month old Golden Retreiver male puppy! (Value: A Bonding Experience... Priceless!). Last year, a puppy was the highest-bid item of more than $1,000... No reason to think this adorable little guy won't garner the same response! Anyhow, many more great items that I'm sure we'll put a bid on and see what happens.

While that event happens Saturday evening, I'm taking the morning off work Friday to help set up. The hotel is just a couple blocks from my office in downtown Indy, so it works out perfectly. This has been a particularly grueling work week on deadline and I've struggled to get my work done early (as that word is interpreted by a procastinating journalist who can aruge about the definition of "deadline"...) But, all turned out on track with a little extra work in the evening hours and paved the way for a Friday morninng of volunteerism! Although, this meant missing out on some other D-Advocacy that popped up last minute: word came in Thursday night that one of the few Indiana Congressmen who'd been difficult to arrange a JDRF Promise to Remember Me meeting with finally had some time... an hour away from downtown Indy. Not able to personally attend, but some others noted they could - so at least that worked out and work deadlines, plus both JDRF Volunteering and Advocacy, can all coexist this time around!

Anyhow, after helping put the Promise Gala together in part, we'll have a chance to see the event come alive on Saturday and hopefully hear from those able to secure that meeting with Rep. Mike Pence.

That's only a part of the weekend, though. The rest isn't D-Focused, but is also exciting.

Another big event is the Indianapolis Humane Society's Mutt Strutt, where thousands assemble with their pets for a 2.5-mile trek around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Our own Riley (the D-Dog) has enjoyed this yearly event each spring since we adopted her from our local Johnson County Humane Society in June 2007. It begins Sunday morning and usually lasts a couple hours,  but we all have a blast and Riley is completely worn out for a nap for the ride home and rest of the day. We've made our $50 donation and are ready to Strutt it Up!

Those two events make the weekend most active, though this year we do have a change from the past - we won't be attending the annual Society of Professional Journalists dinner reception the night before. I've learned I'm receiving two awards for stories written in 2009, which adds to the wall in my home office. We don't find out ahead of time what place awards these are, as that's announced at the event itself. The honors are exciting, but that's not why I do the journalism and really I'm much more excited about the Promise Gala and Mutt Strutt.

Have a great weekend. Let's hope the cats don't choose this weekend for World Domination, so you can stay tuned for Monday updates from The D-Corner Booth.