Hello Friends!

In just a little less than two weeks, "The Great Halos of Hope Buzzz" fundraising campaign will come to an end on October 13 at 1:00 pm on the Market Floor at STITCHES East. I’ve spoken with Mark Moraca, Drew Emborsky, and of course, Pam Haschke. We are all so touched by the generosity of everyone who has voted.

In the spirit of doing everything we can to support the great works of Halos of Hope, we have added a few new twists that will shake this fundraiser up a little.

First, we’ve added a new button to the Buzz voting page. Now for only $20 you can vote to Shave Us All! That’s right… instead of voting three times at $10 each to shave all three of us, there’s a button that will allow you to vote that way for only $20.

Second, as our way of saying Thank You for participating in this fundraising campaign, we’re giving everyone who’s voted entrance into the STITCHES East 2012 Market for FREE on Saturday! Yes! If you voted and can make it to the Market that day, we want you to be present when one (or perhaps all three) of us gets our head(s) shaved. Your receipt from voting will be your Saturday market pass. If you didn’t save your Buzz receipt, please just e-mail us with your contact information and we’ll e-mail you a copy of your receipt. If youcan only make it to the STITCHES East one day, Saturday is the day you’ll want to be there!

And third, a few of our Hope Sponsors have generously donated some cool prizes for a few lucky voters. Everyone who has voted or will vote will be entered to win into these random drawings. The drawings will take place the week after STITCHES East. So let me tempt you with these amazing prizes…

Universal Yarns is donating 8 skeins of Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted, enough to make the largest size of Braided Fog, a piece from Yumiko Alexander’s new fall book, along with a copy of the book itself. This has a retail value of $75. One lucky voter is going to win this.

Fiesta Yarns is donating the yarn and pattern for the Waves In Motion scarf from Knitter’s Magazine K107. This scarf, designed by the Knitter’s Design Team, uses 3 different Fiesta Yarns—1 skein each of Starburst Rayon Boucle, Ballet, and Gelato. The kit also includes a copy of K107 and has a retail value of $95. One lucky voter is going to win this.

Cascade Yarns is donating a Great American Kids Afghan kit. This kit includes enough Pacific yarn to make the entire afghan (12 skeins) and includes a Cascade logo bag and a copy of the Great American Kids Afghan book from XRX Books. This has a retail value of $100. And one lucky voter is going to win this.

Interlacements Yarns is donating a 6 pack of their Sweet Feet Yarn (sock weight merino wool twisted with a touch of silk)—with enough yardage to make a great project of your choice. This yarn pack has a retail value of $180. One lucky voter is going to win this.

Kollage Yarns is donating the Lincoln Log Blanket kit. This kit contains 2 skeins each of Riveting Worsted in 8108 Lava Denim (A), 8102 Dusk Denim (B), 8106 Cloud Denim (C), 8107 Pebble Denim (D), and 8104 Charcoal Denim (E), and the pattern. This comfortable, durable and machine washable blanket in Riveting Worsted is everything you want in an everyday throw. This kit has a retail value of $195. One lucky voter is going to win this.

Craftsy.com is donating a large assortment of prizes as a bundle… 1 free Craftsy course of your choice, 1 pair of Kollage Craftsy branded square needles, 1 skein Kollage Sock-a-licious, 1 skein Bijou Basin, 1 skein Cascade Lana Bambu, 1 skein Malabrigo Lace, 1 skein Fiesta Gracie Lace yarn, 2 skeins Skacel Alpaca Silk, and 2 skeins Wisdom Poems Silk. This prize package has a retail value of $200. One lucky voter is going to win this.

And from XRX, Inc., we’re donating a Works Package to any STITCHES Expo in 2013 or 2014. The Works Package includes… 21 hours of classes (throughout the weekend), the Opening Day program & the Teacher a la Carte luncheon (on Thursday morning and afternoon), the Fashion Show & Dinner (on Friday evening), the Student Banquet and Style Show (on Saturday evening), and access to the Market all weekend. This package has a retail value of $695. And again… one lucky voter is going to win this.

That’s $1,540 worth of prizes that will be going to 7 lucky individuals who took the time to vote and support Halos of Hope.

If you haven’t voted yet, now is the perfect time. As I’ve explained before, just $10 will ensure that 31 people get handcrafted hats. If you vote for all three of us (only $20) 62 people will be touched. We're asking you to help Halos of Hope continue their fight against the despair that is cancer! On a behalf of Pam, Drew, Mark, and myself, we hope that, if you can, you’ll join us in the Market on Saturday to show your support for Halos of Hope and solidarity for those going through cancer treatment.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Levisay

Benjamin Levisay, CEO – XRX, Inc.
Knitter’s Magazine, XRX Books, and STITCHES Events

P.S. We wish to also thank all of our ‘Hope Sponsors’ for their support. These fine companies have generously donated money and resources to help Halos of Hope achieve their goals. We hope you’ll visit their websites and join us in thanking them for their support