As we have been raising awareness and getting attention for the States that have passed resolutions declaring July 14-21st 2014 AVM Awareness Week, many of you have generously offered to help in your state. Turns out you don’t need to be a political insider or well connected, just a little motivated.
Legislators want to help their constituents and passing resolutions takes little work on their part. Recognizing the effort of charities is a bipartisan effort and one of the few things that all politicians can agree on. So let’s get started.
- Go to the web site votesmart.org and get the name and address of your legislators or governor’s office.
- Call, write, or e-mail the elected officials office asking them for a resolution/declaration/proclamation. Don’t be afraid to ask your Representatives/Assemblymen, Senators and Governors, they work on these kinds of issues all the time. Legislators pass Resolutions, Governors make Declarations and Proclamations. Decide which one you want to try first and go for it.
- Be sure to include the dates you want. We are trying to get them all the same week, but since it is less than a month away and many legislators take the summer off, it might be best to try for next year or ask for a week that works around a fundraiser or special event.
- Attach the resolution and proclamation from Michigan and Wisconsin that you will find on this site. It will give the elected officials office a good starting point and they can customize as they feel necessary. Our resolutions were written to kick off a fundraising event or recognize the work of our doctors or hospitals. Feel free to personalize as you see fit.
- If they need more information about AVMs they can find it at kelleigh.org/about-avm or search AVM on the internet.
- Be sure to reach out to me if you need help as I have spent 25 years in government and am more than happy to assist you with this project.
Once it has passed we will do our best to spread the word and help build awareness for all those who suffer from AVMs!
Good Luck!
Dan Gustafson (Kelleigh’s father)
dan@kelleigh.org