Participants completely lose it during fundraiser
Posted Feb 19, 2010 By John Nelson
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Tweet ThisEMC News - Lynn Ford is hoping area residents will be willing to take it all off for a worthy cause.
Ms. Ford, president of TLC Ministries, has come up with a unique fundraiser aimed at helping people shed unwanted pounds while benefiting the ministries' charitable work in Mexico.
"It's a loss for a gain," she told the EMC of the Pledges for Pounds initiative. "It's a good opportunity to get healthy and raise money."
The idea is that would-be dieters seek sponsors for each pound lost and raise cash as they shed weight.
Ms. Ford added Pledges for Pounds is not just a temporary weight-loss effort but a complete lifestyle change. She stressed the importance of the involvement of a medical professional - doctor or dietician - in losing weight, noting such undertakings can be dangerous if not done properly.
Those wishing to participate undergo an initial assessment to ensure Pledges for Pounds is right for them.
"It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change," Ms. Ford said.
Participants are provided with information on how to get in the right frame of mind, how to get started and how to plan their lifestyle change. Information from the Canada Food Guide is also provided.
Ms. Ford said she found three individuals willing to take on the challenge, with a fourth person having completed her fundraising effort and bringing in $1,073.
"I had a lot of sponsors," said Mollie McKibbon, co-pastor at Winchester Baptist Church. "The whole congregation sponsored me."
Friends and family members chipped in, too, as Mrs. McKibbon lost 24 pounds in three months last year in preparation for a medical procedure. Her sponsors paid off on 40 pounds and she has since reached that goal and more, having shed 50 pounds.
"I'm still losing," she added.
Mrs. McKibbon noted that she was under the supervision of a dietician and stressed the importance of such guidance.
"You need that," she said. "It's not a good idea to go too fast. It takes time to lose weight."
Mrs. McKibbon said she felt no extra pressure with the knowledge that so many people were aware of her efforts and cash for a good cause was on the line.
"I found it was a very helpful thing," she said. "It gave me an extra reason to behave myself and not cheat. They all gave me support - moral support."
Ms. Ford agreed that sponsors have a key role in weight-loss efforts.
"It's another way of being there for people," she explained. "It's a whole encouraging process."
Funds are pegged for TLC Ministries' construction efforts in Mexico, where they are attempting to build a training and resource centre to be used by 35,000 indigenous people in the Sonoran desert region of that country.
Ms. Ford said the land has been purchased and construction is set to begin on the facility once enough funds are raised.
For further information on the Pledges for Pounds campaign, please contact Lynn Ford at 613-989-3042.
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