5K Team Members at EPCOT - First Race Completed!

The Disney Grief Relief Team had five members this morning take part of the Walt Disney World Fiesta 5K Race at EPCOT. It is the first race of marathon weekend and help set the awesome tone for our team.

Check out a few snapshots from Friday morning:

5K!

Comfort Zone Camp's Grief Relief Team for the Disney World 5K is en route to EPCOT!!! :)

Maggie B. Nick
Program Quality Coordinator
Comfort Zone Camp

One Week Until the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend and the Grief Relief Team Ready

It is hard to believe, but we are one week out from race day! This incredible team is 34 team members strong and has already raised just over $25,000 to send grieving children to Comfort Zone Camp!!! Fundraising efforts have already raised incredible amounts of awareness of Comfort Zone to donors from 23 states across the US. On race day, more grieving families who desperately need support will discover Comfort Zone because of this team flying the flag around Disney World. The ripple effects of the awareness and funds that this team is raising are just tremendous. 

You can follow along with our team while down in Disney via this BLOG for the latest updates, photos, & videos. The 5K kicks off Friday, January 6, 2012 at 6:30am; the Half Marathon on Saturday, January 7 at 5:35am and the Full Marathon on Sunday, January 8 at 5:35am. We will be posting updates and pictures from the course all weekend long. 

2012 Team Breakdown:

• Comfort Zone Camp Volunteers (24) 
• Camper Parents (4)
• Supporters (4)
• Comfort Zone Camp Staff (1)
• (1) Volunteer  who is a former camper.

2012 Team Breakdown By Event:

• Half Marathon Team: 15
• Full Marathon Team: 5
• Goofy Challenge Team (Half + Full Marathon): 6
• 5K Team: 6
• Cheer Team: 6

2012 Team Breakdown By State:

 VA (13), NY (6), NC (4), MD (3), DC (3), MA (2), NJ (2) and CT (1).

Help make a difference in a grieving child's life by making a pledge to support this team: You can donate to Comfort Zone's Grief Relief Team via our safe & secure website.

Beyond the Edge of Comfort

"At any level, the purest form of effort is just beyond the edge of comfort.  It is, for all athletes, that point at which they are no longer certain they are in control.  Being an athlete means pushing to the edge of uncertainty and constantly looking just beyond your capabilities...That edge is easy to define and impossible to find.  Most of us know only that we've gotten to the edge after we've stepped off the cliff.  Part of the learning process is to get closer and closer to the edge without falling off."

JOHN "THE PENGUIN" BINGHAM, THE COURAGE TO START

Accommodations at Disney!

Our Disney Team members will be receiving the Disney Team September Newsletter today.  Among other things, the newsletter has information about options for accommodations in Orlando, compiled by the Disney Coordinating Committee.  Below is more information about accommodation options:

DISNEY TEAM ACCOMMODATIONS

Team Houses (off-Disney)

Stay with your teammates in a spacious villa located in the gated Emerald Island Resort Community, approximately 3 miles from Disney in Orlando!  The number of houses rented will vary depending upon the number of individuals interested.  An example house might include: 7 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 2 family rooms and a screened-in backyard large pool/hot tub.  To avoid an accounting nightmare, we will be charging a standard per-person rate regardless of whether you’re staying for all 5 nights. 

The cost to stay with the team is a standard per-person rate for 5 nights (Thursday, January 5 – Tuesday, January 10) of $200/person. 

·         $150/person (or $30/person/night) for your portion of the rent for the house

·         $50/person for your portion of the refundable security deposit for the house (which barring any damage to the house, will be refunded to you after the race weekend)

·         This is the rate regardless of whether you stay 3 or 5 nights. 

In order to stay with the team, you must:

·         Put down a $100 deposit to secure your spot in a team house no later than October 7 (Checks must be mailed by October 5).

·         Pay the remaining $100 housing fee no later than October 21 (checks must be mailed by October 19).

Payment Options

You will have the option to pay via check or PayPal.  In order to pay via PayPal, you must have a PayPal account.  Setting up a PayPal account involves a multi-day account verification process where PayPal makes a deposit into your bank account that you then have to verify.  You are responsible for sending your payments on time, therefore please keep the multi-day verification process in mind if you are setting up a new PayPal account. 

If you are mailing a check, please mark “Disney Accommodations” on your check and send it to Comfort Zone Camp, Attn: Disney Accommodations, 4906 Cutshaw Ave. 2^nd floor, Richmond, VA 23230.

Have questions?  Contact Maggie Nick at griefreliefteam@comfortzonecamp.org or 866-488-5679.

Hotels

Lake Buena Vista Hotels

Lake Buena Vista is ideally located off I-4 at Exit 68, just minutes from Downtown Disney and the parks.  There are a number of hotels in this area to choose from.  Below is a sample of the hotels in the Lake Buena Vista area:

• Wyndham Lake Buena Vista
• Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista
• Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista
• Lake Buena Vista Best Western

Kissimmee Hotels

Kissimmee is located within miles of the Walt Disney World Resort®, with a number of hotels within a ten minute drive of the parks.  Kissimmee offers a huge selection of close-to-everything hotels, with a variety of features and services to satisfy every vacation need and budget.

Staying at Disney World

Walt Disney World offers a variety of on-site accommodations to meet a variety of budgets.  These accommodations offer convenience and save time getting to and from parks and race events.   Lodging choices range from value hotels to deluxe villas.

Choose Your Own Event!

For more information, visit

www.comfortzonecamp.org/grief-relief-team


To JOIN our Choose Your Own Event Team, visit
www.firstgiving.com/comfortzonecamp/choose2011

Team Update!

The Disney 2012 Team is now 15-strong & represents 6 states (VA, MD, DC, MA, NJ & NY). Our team has pledged to raise over $17,000 and has actually raised nearly $2,000, sending nearly 4 grieving kids to a life-transforming weekend at Comfort Zone Camp!!


We have 5 team members on our Goofy and a Half Challenge Team, 4 team members on our Disney Full Marathon Team, 4 team members on our Disney Half Marathon Team, 1 team member on our Disney 5K Team & 1 team member cheering everyone on!