ROAD TRIP!

Hello Everybody,

It has been WAY too long since the last blog post. I have been extremely busy with several different things, one of them being the subject of this post.

This month, between 3-23-12 and 4-2-12, I will be taking a road trip!

Though I would love to tell you all about it, I think this video I made pretty much sums it up...



Would you like me to come out near you? Use this link to let me know the details!

I hope everyone is in great health!

Have a wonderful weekend. I look forward to hearing from you.

-BILL

SWIM FOR A CURE-- Luke Hampton

Hello Everybody,


I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and that your New Year festivities were safe and enjoyable.


Today, I am blogging about a a young man named Luke Hampton. Luke and his family are the focus of my new SWIM For A Cure program. You may recall one of my more recent blogs in which I asked you all to suggest charities and causes that are dear to your heart. One of the responses I received was in regards to Luke. His story is quite emotional and it really hit home, after my cousin, Michael, was injured in a sports-related accident and was in a coma for a good portion of December. In the way that life works, I found myself drawn to the Hampton family's story, and I immediately began working with Luke's friends and family on developing this program's webpage(s). With that being said, I would like to share with you all Luke's story:


On December 3, 2011, just days after becoming the top ranked wrestler in North Carolina, Luke Hampton was severely injured during a wrestling meet. Luke went head first into a wall, which damaged his spine and broke his neck in two places. Shortly after his injury, Luke was airlifted to a local hospital for treatment.

Currently, Luke is paralyzed from the chest down and he is undergoing treatment in Atlanta, where specialists in the field of spinal cord trauma are working diligently on his case.

Luke has a long road ahead of him, and consequently, a fund has been established to aid the Hampton family with medical costs.


As always, 40% of the proceeds from the SWIM For A Cure eStore will go to the Hampton family, and you can also make private donations through the Hampton family PayPal page. (I established a link to their PayPal on my site). 


If you have a story similar to this one, or if you would like to make a suggestion, by all means, send me your ideas!


Thank you all for your time. I hope you take a moment to learn more about the Hamptons, and if you feel so compelled to do so, please tweet, post, forward, or blog about it. Hopefully we can all work together to shine some light into a dark situation.


I have some fun stuff that I am looking to roll out in the next 2-3 weeks, so keep an eye on my Facebook page and your inbox for updates!

Have a good one!

BILL

SWIM FOR A CURE 2012 GEAR UP!

Why hello ladies and gentlemen...

It has been exactly 1 month and 20 days since I last blogged. I am either very busy or I am just semi-diligent with updates.

Regardless, I just wanted to shoot you all a quick message to ask you for suggestions...

As you know, I like to give back to charities with my SWIM For A Cure program. In fact, in 2011, just under $1,000 was donated to 4 different causes.

In 2012, I am hoping to hit that $1,000 mark, and do so while impacting more people and more causes. However, I want to stay true to the original initiative, and look to give back to causes that impact my readers.

I would like you all to take a moment or two to reflect on your life. Think of any illness that has impacted you, a family member, a friend or coworker. Maybe it isn't an illness, maybe you know of a charity that once aided you or someone close to you during a rough time. If you think of something, anything, I want to hear your story. SHOOT ME AN E-MAIL and tell me all about it. If you think you know someone who would do a better job suggesting a cause, by all means, forward this on to them. I want as many suggestions as possible so that I can tally it up and make some picks.

I look forward to hearing back from you!

Take Care,
BILL

Jump start your Shopping list! Holiday Giveaway!

Holiday Giveaway!

'Tis the season to be jolly... and I am feeling pretty damn jolly!

How jolly am I feeling? Well, I'm feeling jolly enough to jump start your holiday shopping list.

I will be giving away 2 signed copies of my book, Swim: A Memoir of Survival, on Thanksgiving day. One copy will go to the winner of the raffle, and the other copy will go to the individual who referred the winner off of their Facebook page.

How does it work? Simply log onto my Facebook page, click the "Giveaway" tab on the left-hand side, then fill out the steps.

Actually, on second thought, I'm feeling SO jolly, that I'll give you all a direct link the giveaway: HERE YAH GO!

If you would like a step-by-step guide on how to enter the giveaway, see my 4th of July post!

Good luck to everyone who applies!

JACK'S MANNEQUIN'S NEW ALBUM, "PEOPLE AND THINGS"

WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME!?!?!?! I am absolutely amazed that I did not blog about this when it came out. I didn't even tweet about it!

As you may know, Jack's Mannequin inspired the title of Swim, (and a great deal of my motivation) with their single, "Swim" off of their Sophomore album, "The Glass Passenger". (Get it now, on discount, if you don't have it).

On September 22nd, lead singer, Andrew McMahon, and the rest of the band released their Junior LP, "People and Things". Personally, I am absolutely IN LOVE with the album. Unlike almost everything on Top 40 radio nowadays, the album is filled with meaningful lyrics and smooth melodies. Certainly worth a purchase, or at the minimum, a sample listen on iTunes.

Here is the title song, for all of you who have yet to hear "Swim":


If you like that track, check out the single from the new "People and Things" album:


That is all from me. I am going to head to bed now, amazed that it took me so long to blog that.

SWIM For A Cure - October 2011 and Beyond

It has been a while ladies and gentlemen. I believe I haven't blogged about anything in nearly 2-3 weeks.

I wanted to check-in with everyone so that I can make a formal announcement regarding SWIM For A Cure.

Lately, I have been donating proceeds to different charities/causes every 2 months. I have enjoyed doing it this way, but I have run into a snag in the system.

I began SWIM For A Cure during the awkward month of February 2011. Consequently, I began working with charities on a 2-month schedule when I only had 11 months left in the 2011 calendar year. Because of this, I had to either run one program between two calendar years, or give 1 charity/cause an intensely big month. I chose the latter.

With that being said, I am happy to announce that this month, 40% of all proceeds through the SWIM For A Cure eStore will be donated to the American Diabetes Association. I will also be making donations from book signings and events (dates TBA) and I will hopefully make up for that lost month by having a VERY active October.

How do I plan to do this? Let me explain:

Typically, I have relied on the Chicagoland area to host my SWIM For A Cure Events/book signings. However, this month I will be traveling. Below are the dates and locations in which I will be at speaking/visiting for other reasons.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10/7/11 - 10/9/11

University of Florida

10/13/11 - 10/14/11

Cleveland, Ohio (Literally, the city of Cleveland. No logo, nothing specific).

10/20/11 - 10/24/11

So I guess what I am trying to say is that if you have an awesome idea for a restaurant/bookstore/store/business/library/ANYTHING that you think would be a great spot to hold an event, let me know.  OR If you have a friend/family member who may run a business or have a great idea, forward them the blog. I'll have some down time before and after speeches and I'd much rather raise money for a cause than just sit on my iPhone playing "Cut The Rope" or "Angry Birds."

I hope everyone has been well since I last blogged! Take care, and hopefully I will see some of you out at an event!

Email me an idea: Click Here

SWIM turns 1!!!

I am truly amazed by how fast this past year went. This time last year, I was packaging the pre-orders and preparing to hand deliver them to my close family and friends throughout Northern Illinois (who were, obviously, the first to purchase the book). Exactly one year later, SWIM has spread to every state in America, overseas to Europe, south to Australia, and up north to Canada.

I would like to take this moment to thank you all for your support over the past 12 months. Your kind words and enthusiasm for my project has greatly contributed to SWIM's international success. Thank you all for your continued support.

-Bill

*Offer expires at 12:00 AM (CST) on 9/14/11.

*Limited Supplies. Orders will ship first come first serve. The potential for a backorder is great.

*50% off the total order + shipping.