The Angel Ambassadors Program is a new initiative which has recently been launched by Imerman Angels at the start of 2010, designed to expand IA’s reach outside of its core market of Chicago.  To fulfill this mission, we are launching chapters in other cities around the U.S., where volunteers can help lead and participate in Outreach events in the cities in which they live.  There has been an overwhelming desire from volunteers outside of our home base of Chicago to get involved in spreading the word about the IA cause and now these dedicated individuals have a way to do so.

We’ve kicked off the program with 4 ‘test markets’ – Irvine, CA; San Antonio, TX; Winston-Salem, NC; and Jonny’s hometown of Detroit, MI.  Our volunteers in these locations are queued up and ready to hit the ground running. In fact, Detroit already has an event on the calendar for mid-February!  Once these chapters are on solid footing, we plan to expand the program to other cities with a goal of 10 total chapters in action by the end of the year.
If you have an interest in volunteering in a city with a chapter already in place, or are interested in starting a chapter in your area, please email Brett Lasher at blasher@imermanangels.org.

Laura Alexander, Director of PR/Events and Connection Specialist for IA, and Amy Rosko, Imerman Active Committee Chair (above), are kicking off 2010 with new ideas for our IA athletes!

Imerman Active involves athletes from all over the country.  Upcoming events include the Shamrock Shuffle in Chicago and the Half Marathon in Austin.  Thinking of running the 2011 Chicago Marathon?  It’s never too soon to start planning with Imerman Angels.

Reach out to arosko@imermanangels.org for more details or visit http://www.imermanangels.org/imerman_active.php

Save the Date!  The Harold E. Eisenberg Foundation will be throwing their 1st Annual “Eisenopoly” event this coming Friday from 6:30-10pm at the Macy’s Building in Chicago.

Harold E. Eisenberg is “one of the nation’s largest private organizations committed to gastrointestinal cancer research. The Foundation is dedicated to supporting this important and rapidly growing field that has, in the past, remained largely unpublicized and poorly funded despite this type of cancer’s devastating impact on so many lives.” 

Think you are the Donald Trump of the board game real estate market?  Come show your strategy and negotiation skills around customized boards with friends and appetizers/cocktails to support a great  cause.

http://www.eisenbergfoundation.org/events/upcoming-events.aspx

Heads up!  IA will be hosting a Volunteer Commitee meeting, as well as Sub-Commitee meetings, tomorrow from 7-8:30pm at the Loyola Law School Building in Chicago:  25 E. Pearson St. Kasbeer Hall- 15th Floor.

This will be a good opportunity to get up to speed on Outreach, Marketing/PR, Events and Imerman Active projects, as well as identify potential areas where you can contribute to IA efforts in 2010.  For Imerman Fans who cannot attend the Chicago meeting, we will be rolling out our Angel’s Ambassador program shortly, offering opportunities to volunteer all around the country.  Stay tuned for more details!

Need an excuse to get your fitness back in gear?  Imerman Angels will be riding at Cycle for Survival to support research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. The event takes place in NYC on January 31 and in Chicago on February 6. Cycle for Survival has already raised more than $2 million to fund research and clinical trials that bring new progress – and new hope – to people affected by cancer.

Feel free to gather a few riders together to form a team or coordinate through our Facebook Fan Page to find others to ride with you.  Go to www.cycleforsurvival.org to register and wear your Imerman Angels tshirts to help us spread the mission!

Not from the Windy City or Big Apple?  That’s okay!  You can ride as a Satellite Rider, in a gym or on the road.  Check out the website for more information.

FYI: Fundraising Minimum:

“To ensure that fundraising commitments are fulfilled, each Cycle for Survival team participating at an NYC Equinox location is responsible for fulfilling the $1,000 fundraising requirement by January 15, 2010. Teams participating at Equinox Chicago are responsible for fulfilling the $500 fundraising requirement by January 22, 2010. If funds are not received by the deadline, we reserve the right to cancel your team entry and transfer the bike reserved for you to one of our wait-listed teams. Please contact us with any questions regarding the fundraising minimum requirement.”