CAN A BUTTON REALLY CHANGE THE WORLD?

Buttons of Hope...a beautiful poem | verse one complete

   Sunrise, sunset swiftly flow the days...

Today is a bittersweet day for me and for Buttons of Hope...I know it will come as a surpirse for many of you....this quote from the funny and courgeous Gilda Radner really captures my feelings today...

“I wanted a perfect ending. Now I've learned, the hard way, that some poems don't rhyme, and some stories don't have a clear beginning, middle, and end. Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next. Delicious ambiguity.”

After much reflection and a bunch of mixed feelings I have decided to take down the website I launched 1,988 days ago on October 27, 2006. While today will be the end of the first verse for Buttons of Hope ~ I still love the idea and would like nothing more than for it to be my life's work...hopefully closing this door will open a window to a new future....

Like destiny something happened that gives me hope for that future...after going weeks without a button order, last night I received an order for just one button...Amanda Thompson is doing the Avon Walk for breast cancer in honor of her Mom. I found it so poetic and powerful that Buttons of Hope was ending right where it started with One person honoring a loved One with One button...

That’s been the simple yet powerful promise of Buttons of Hope all along...helping people like Amanda honor their loved ones and put a face on their fundraising one button at a time.

Hopefully soon we’ll be able to write a second verse for this beautiful poem Buttons of Hope. If you run a charity or know someone who does a partnership would make all the difference ~ contact me igibbs(at)mac(dot)com.

I’m writing a more complete au revoir and thank you to the many who've supported me and of course the courageous people on the buttons - I will post it here soon. But for now a very heartfelt thank you to Dale, Janine, Codie and Janie...they were the very early inspiration for an idea that has inspired thousands and helped change the face of fundraising...hopefully we made dents in thousands of universes.

And lastly I'll leave you with this....I had the honor of meeting Elizabeth my friend from across the pond shortly before cancer took her life... to me Liz was a delightful mix of Fraulein Maria and Princess Diana, one of kind ~ better than anyone she captured the simple promise of Buttons of Hope. I will always cherish this beautiful video gift she left me...thank you Liz!

Buttons of Hope - It's amazing how powerful small things can be! from Mike Gibbons on Vimeo.

 

 

A thank you to the people behind the Buttons of Hope

As I close Buttons of Hope verse one...I'd like to acknowledge and thank some very special people** who were behind the buttons. Thanks for believing in me and supporting this brave idea...

**you know how it is after six years you're bound to overlook someone ~ my apologies...if it's you please send me a note..it's really important to me that I remember everybody!

For more about whats going on please read Buttons of Hope...a beautiful poem | verse one complete

Writing this...this song seemed perfect I think

 

Thanks....

Rhonda for everything...plus making it OK to chase a dream(s)

Ryan & Emily for always being there no matter how crazy your Dad's ideas are
Mom for the always smart, sensible advice and for keeping tabs on my employee
Dad employee one, the only other person authorized to make buttons (the IPO was gonna be huge)

Aunt Teresa and the Lewis clan (Dale) for meaning so much to me in my life and then for letting me honor Dale with the very first button of hope
Mary & John Kelker (Janine) What Dale started as a spark Janine stoked into a flame - thank you for honoring me with your friendship and for allowing me to share your beautiful daughter Janine's story
Carroll Foster (Codie) one of the first Mom's I came to know who had lost a child...I've learned so, so much about life from these most courageous of Moms

Paul Burton for giving life to an idea by designing the website and best logo ever
Brian Bowers for adding the PHP website tech magic that made it all work
Jason Toff for making those very first buttons of hope and supporting me along the way

Molly Barker for inspiring me with who you are and what you do, plus coffee
Seth Godin without Purple Cow, your blog, your friendship this would not be possible
Spencer Lueders for introducing me to cycling, fundraising and of course Lance!

Margaret & Terry Cokeley (Elizabeth) for allowing all of us to bask in the sunshine of your daughter one of the most beautiful and nicest people I will ever meet
Scott and Anita Elam (Brandon) for having the most courageous and unselfish young man I will ever have the joy and honor to know and to the Dad who still proudly wears his son's button everyday!
Amy & Tim & Grace Potvin (Ellie) for having this wonderful little girl who "specialized in kindness" who will live in all of our hearts forever
Stuart & Shelby Stout (Hope) hard to imagine there will be a more unselfish, beautiful epxression of pure hope than Hope Stout
Nicole Kenney (Bill) for your inspiring devotion to your brother & your fundraising exuberance
Jamie Hushower (Dameon) for a special bravery in honoring a loved one lost to the most challenging of causes suicide
Becky and Tom Giblin (Rachel) I never met Rachel but Rhonda and I were with her on the MS ride when she was tragically killed we will ALL always carry a little bit of Rachel in ours hearts
Tom Barry (Lee Anne) all Tom and Lee Ann knew was riding bikes to help others - until Lee Ann was killed on just such a ride about 15 minutes before I was to meet her to ride the final few miles - such a tragic loss

Steve Hallmark for your dedication to a friend, Janine taken far too young
Regan White for capturing perfectly what Buttons of Hope was and still is about
Joan Petruski for giving 120% to the second most challenging of causes missing adults and for believing more than anyone in the power of personal billboards
Diana Wiles for your fearlessness and for your amazing words on behalf of BOH in Seth Godin's Purple Cow page 193
Jen Sherrel & Lisa Moon or the "oyster girls" whose courage is only surpassed by their humor and warmth
Michelle Brown for loving your son and Tony's buttons always in ALL CAPS!
Kyle Fleischmann's family & friends....I wish things didn't get so confused glad I was able to help in some small way
Scott Helms & his Mom Wendy for introducing me to Elizabeth & designing the original "Road to Recovery" button
Michele Kwok (Dad) whose story about running to honor her Dad just stuck with me
Pamela and Karen "California" for just being a pleasure to deal with and for completing the triple crown of fundraising
Cristina & Ray Cassidy for making the NC Special Olympics buttons a little less crazy and much more special
MojoRiding cycling team so many of you made buttons and raised over $550,000 along the way!
Gary Steelman for your friendship and for caring enough to help me find a way to make this dream a reality
Dennis Milligan for putting me on TV more than anyone should

There are hundreds of other stories I heard, I tried to write about as many as I could...looking back I wish I had written hundreds more...Buttons of Hope was ultimately about the stories, about helping people find a way to honor a loved one or support a friend to put a face on their cause...in one way it was so, so simple and yet in another way so profound and powerful.

Thank you to all until we meet again to share more stories...GodSpeed...Hallelujah indeed!

Hallelujah

Show them the Who!

 

It's easy to tell everyone how great you are...

...but what about when you screw up?

I owe much of my entrepreneurial knowledge to Seth Godin - I've read all his books and hundreds of his blog posts. This one Easy to type stood out, it's one of his shortest and most profound - today I got to put it into action.

Over the past five years I've made tens of thousands of photo buttons (yes me personally) I've messed up many and remade buttons before shipping - but this time I let them go - I should have known better. I screwed up, clearly. >> 

The Westlake Chaparral Band of Austin TX deserved better ...and they are going to get it (see below)! Thanks Seth and thanks to the Westlake parents for sticking with me!

How can you start 21,000 conversations about a missing person?

Seems impossible right....21,000 conversations...

Let's say (God forbid) a friend's child is missing (let's call her Suzy)...what do you do? How do you help?
Maybe you join a search, post fliers, tell your friends, but...you WISH you could do more!

What if as you went about your day people came up to YOU and asked about Suzy?
When you're getting your tires balanced, at the grocery store checkout, at school or work, at the little league game...everywhere you go people are coming up to you asking about Suzy...because

....you're wearing her "personal billboard" a simple button with Suzy's picture. Think about it if you saw someone wearing a button like this wouldn't you ask...Who's on your button? 

OK so what about the 21,000 conversations? Well let's say a 1000 people wear a button and just three people a day ask about it...that's 3,000 conversations a day, 21,000 a week...
21,000 possible leads!

It's a pretty simple, yet powerful idea. At Buttons of Hope we've even come up with a way to use Facebook to order buttons PLUS spread the word. What better way to get the word out than Facebook!

We set up a custom Facebook page for example "Help Find Suzy" - there is never a cost to the family. On the Facebook page people can 1) order a button 2) easily spread the word and even 3) post a picture wearing the button on the wall (pictures like this help spread the word even more)

Buttons are available individually or in bulk. Individual buttons are typically* $5 each ($3 from each button is donated back to the family or search efforts) bulk buttons are reasonably priced based on the event. *you set the price anything over $2 will be donated back (and the family always gets a dozen buttons free)

We hope you consider "personal billboards" as an interactive and powerful tool in the search for missing persons.

For more information please email Mike Gibbons michael@buttonsofhope.com or call my personal cell 704-517-5417.

A Personal Request: In memory of our friend Elizabeth

I don't normally make Behind the Button personal but this year is different. If you've read my blog you know I have written about hundreds of amazing people and their buttons. Elizabeth Fallon's story and friendship is very personal to me...I'll be riding my bike in honor of Elizabeth July 29-30 in the 24 Hours of Booty. (To benefit LIVESTRONG & local Charlotte cancer charities.) Learn more about the 24 Hours of booty here and about Elizabeth here! And please see Elizabeth talk about her beloved badges (buttons) in the video below!

Please consider the following DONATION request...thank for your donation and please help me spread the word on Facebook & Twitter!

Over the past six years Rhonda and I have spent countless hours on our bikes riding in honor of friends and family lost to cancer. We started in 2005 riding for our cousins Dale and Janie who sadly lost their battles with cancer.

Over the past six years our bike team MojoRiding has raised over $600,000 for cancer and multiple sclerosis charities....frustratingly these battles still rage on...

Some of you know that we came to know Elizabeth through her iconic “On the Road to  

Recovery” buttons (badges as she called them) we met Liz on her trip from the UK to the US to walk in Charlotte Susan Komen Race for the Cure.

What a difference a year can make...
Last July we rode in support of Elizabeth’s battle with cancer - this July we ride in her memory and honor.

 

If Possible please make your donation by Friday July 22 at noon!

Online
Donate direct to Michael Gibbons click here
http://www.24hoursofbooty.org/site/TR/Bike/General?px=1001974&pg=personal&fr_id=1150
Donate direct to Rhonda Gibbons click here

http://www.24hoursofbooty.org/site/TR/Bike/General?px=1003689&pg=personal&fr_id=1150

By Mail
Check payable to 24 Hours of Booty
4835 Sentinel Post Rd
Charlotte NC 28226

Buttons of Hope - It's amazing how powerful small things can be! from Mike Gibbons on Vimeo.

 

 

 

 

Button on a mission...

I made a single button today for a young woman (assuming she's young) she's embarking on a mission trip to Bolivia. I don't know the story behind the button or whether she knows this little boy? Hopefully she'll share her story when she returns.

This woman is on a mission and she has a story to tell...what's your story? what's your mission?
Who's on your button?

How BIG is your heart? Luke Ball Heart of a Champion

I make lots of buttons and I hear lots of stories. While every story touches my heart ~ some hit really close to home. Luke Ball's story touched me personally for a couple of reasons. First I too have a heart problem (nothing close to what Luke's been through) just a bum valve that will require a valve replacement at some point. Its still scary though and I only hope I'll be half as brave as this little guy!

The other thing is Facebook. I'm a big fan - I've connected with some amazing new people and reconnected with friends. I learned about Luke after stumbling upon my elementary school chum Mike Breen on Facebook. I hadn't talked to Mike in years but remember roaming the halls of Our Lady of Fatima school and then Iona Prep.

Mike's posts about Luke were so the passionate that at first I thought Luke was Mike's son. I understand Mike's passion now as I see the impact Luke has made on so many people who know him - heck half the Detroit Tigers starting rotation is sporting buttons!

But this isn't about me or Mike or buttons - it's about a brave young man ~ here's just a little bit of what he's been through the past year (from Luke's CarePages profile)

"Luke Ball is a 6 1/2 year old boy who was born with a complex congenital heart defect, but is now has successfully recovered from a heart transplant.  After spending 2 months in the hospital waiting, he received his gift on Dec 29, 2010.

Luke has undergone surgical palliation with a pulmonary artery banding and then was followed by a bidirectional caval shunt with further tightening of his PA band (hemi-Fontan surgery).  Due to continued enlargement of his right ventricle, they attempted unsuccessfully to close the band via cardiac catherization, and subsequently underwent ligation of his main pulmonary artery.  During the 11 hour catherization and surgical procedure he suffered a stroke, but has fully recovered...more"

Luke's had a tough road and he's going to face challenges going forward ~ but I get the feeling Luke has that indomitable spirit and courage... kinda like another "Lu" Lou Gehrig who in spite of the odds still considered himself the luckiest man on the face of the earth - the Tigers made me think baseball and I think this courageous video is fitting...

 

I hope you'll consider wearing a Button of Hope in support of Luke - I know he loves seeing everyone post pictures wearing his button on Facebook @ Friends of Luke. Please spread the word on Facebook and Twitter let's get hundreds of people all over world to post pictures knowing that each post is a smile for Luke! Order your button right here >> http://budurl.com/LukeBallGotHeart

If there was any doubt...

...that these little buttons could change the world.

Read Liz Hewer's (the bride) story about her friend Liz here and please consider a generous donation here

Liz' favorite charity  Harbour Cancer Support Centre

 

 

 

Wear Somebody.

Saw this - awesome video, awesome idea, awesome cause. Now take it to the next level show everbody not just WHAT you stand for but WHO you stand for. Wear Yellow & Wear somebody!

 

Elizabeth Fallon and Susan G. Komen for the Cure

Sometimes the simplest thing can turn into an amazing phenomenon.
Here's the story of Elizabeth Fallon, a button and why this could change everything!

A friend of mine happened upon Elizabeth on Facebook and asked if I would make some buttons using her profile picture. In our wildest imagination we could not believe what would happen next...

After receiving the buttons (badges) as they're known in the UK - LIz asked friends and family for donations in return for a button. That’s when the magic happened...people started posting pictures wearing the buttons on Liz's Facebook wall (see some pictures at bottom of the post) - over 300 pictures from five continents buttons on celebrities, on babies, on dogs, on statues, on a coconut and even on the top of Kilimanjaro! The Road to Recovery buttons had become a global phenomenon on Facebook!

In liz's words "but it doesn't stop there" remember Liz used the buttons as a proxy for donations to her local cancer charity Harbour cancer Support Centre so far she's raised over $3500 far more then she ever imagined.

So what could this mean for Susan G. Komen for the Cure? First there are lots of Elizabeth Fallons out there eagerly looking for better ways to engage and motivate people to participate and/or donate! It’s not enough anymore to post a donation plea on Facebook or Tweet, Tweet, Tweet - you have to grab people with something different - it’s even better if you can offer them something tangible.

 
Fundraising is about motivation, inspiration yes but also excitement and fun. Elizabeth’s cause awareness and fundraising success are due to giving people something fun to do, a task if you will - more than just mailing a check. When they order a button people think about where to take the picture and then start spreading it to their followers on Facebook* - at each step in the process they are fully engaged with Elizabeth and her cause. *And because of Facebook they are effortlessly spreading to hundreds and hundreds of friends!

You can see why I think this could be so HUGE for Susan G. Komen for the Cure - imagine over a million of your fundraisers doing what Elizabeth has done! Thousands of their friends, family and co workers spreading the word on Facebook ...well the numbers would be staggering! If 1000 fundraisers made buttons they could reach 130,000 friends...of course those people, have (130) friends too so...well do the math (16.9 million) - OK that may be a little hyperbolic but you get the point! 
**average person on Facebook has 130 friends

I’ve always felt making custom photo buttons one a time with no minimums (you really can order one custom button) was a simple yet powerful way to engage, motivate and inspire people to do remarkable things. My friend Elizabeth Fallon is but one of I think millions of people ready to do the same!

So here's some more really cool stuff about ELizabeth's Road to Recovery...

We set up a button gallery just for Elizabeth where people can order their buttons (a gallery like this could be set up for any Susan G. Komen fundraiser) http://budurl.com/LizFallonButtons


In Elizabeth's own words...she captures beautifully what Buttons of Hope is all about

 

WBTV's Molly Grantham has been one of Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Charlotte's biggest fans and advocates. It shows in her wonderful interview of Elizabeth Fallon on day one of her Charlotte visit!

 

Just some of the over 300 Raod to Recovery button pictures from Liz's Facebook wall...