AWESOME ALERT: Win Prizes from Peloton, Levain Bakery, Uplift Studios and More!

Have you ever wanted to support a worthy cause, work out at a fancy fitness studio for free, and munch on some divine chocolate chip cookies at the same time? If so, I have some fantastic news for you.

For my 12th year of fundraising for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society in their annual MS Walk, I've organized a contest to try and raise $3,000 for research and programming to benefit those with this terrible, debilitating disease. 

The prizes are valued at over $1,500! For every $10 donation, you will earn one chance to win one of these items:

• 30-class pack to my favorite spin studio in NYC, Peloton Cycle ($650 value!)
• 5-class pack to the Fhitting Room, where you'll get an amazing high intensity workout and personalized attention ($170 value!)
• 5-class pack to the amazing, kick-your-butt in the best way possible Uplift Studios ($160 value!)
• 5-class pack to ((305)) Fitness, the best and most fun dance cardio workout from Miami located in the Village ($149 value!)
• 5-class pack to the Union Square cycling studio with all sorts of theme rides, Revolve ($140 value!)
• One dozen assorted cookies from the place in the world that makes them best, Levain Bakery ($71 value!)
• 2 eyebrow waxes to the place that does them best, Boom Boom Brow Bar ($50 value!)
• 2 2-packs of classes from Throwback Fitness to get your recess on ($35 each!)

To enter, make a donation on my walk page and include how many raffle tickets you would like ($10 per ticket) in the notes section. Be sure to include your full name and email address when donating so that I can contact you if you win. Entries will be accepted through 9am ET on Sunday 4/12. All winners will be contacted by Monday 4/13.

Please spread the word to friends! These prizes are too good not to! And thanks for helping fund vital MS research and programming!

Need Saturday Night Plans?

It's raining outside and the thought of getting your act together and making plans for tomorrow night seems incredibly daunting, right? Good thing some awesome plans were already made for you! I'm hosting an open bar event tomorrow night to benefit the National MS Society at Turtle Bay in midtown (987 2nd Ave; between 52nd St. & 53rd St.), and all my awesome readers are invited!

For $40, you will get an open bar from 8-11 including beer, wine and well liquor, with $10 going to fight MS. When you get to the bar say "MS Walk" and you will be able to purchase your open bar wristband. Our group will have a reserved section in the back of the dining room and I hope to see you there! Invite all your friends -- it's going to be an awesome night for sure!

Walk Like a New Yorker and Beat MS!

Every year for the last ten years I have walked in the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's Walk MS to raise awareness of the debilitating disease, fundraise to bring about new research breakthroughs, and honor my mom who was diagnosed when I was in high school. Walk MS 2013, a 6-mile walk starting at South Street Seaport and heading over the Brooklyn Bridge, is coming up in exactly one month. Over the past 10 years my team has raised more than $16 thousand and I'm aiming to raise another $2,500 this year.

By viewing my personal fundraising page, you can learn more about my personal story, why I walk and the meaning behind the team name, Straight Shooters 2. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will be sunny and warm as we walk across through the gorgeous area of Brooklyn Heights with our poster held high.

Straight Shooters 2 at the 2012 Walk MS

I would love to have any and all of my awesome readers participate and join the MS movement! To do so, you can either donate on my fundraising page, join my walk team (you get a free t-shirt if you raise $125 or more!), and/or come out for an open bar at Turtle Bay on Saturday April 13 from 8-11 pm! For $40, you'll enjoy a beer, wine and well liquor open bar, with $10 going to support our team! For more details on the open bar, RSVP here.

AWESOME GIVEAWAY: $25 to Sweetery!

Traditions are great and NYC is chock full of them. An eight-year tradition that I've brought with me from LA to Boston and finally to New York is coming up this Saturday -- the MS Walk. I'll be walking with my team "Straight Shooters 2" six miles through lower Manhattan and Brooklyn to honor my mom who was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis when I was in high school. Every year I increase my fundraising goal and this year I'm aiming for $2500. The money goes to fund excellent programming and support initiatives for people with MS and to enable breakthrough research.

By viewing my personal fundraising page, you can learn more about my personal story, why I walk and the meaning behind the team name. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the weather will be sunny and warm as we walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and through the gorgeous area of Brooklyn Heights with our poster held high.

Part of the Straight Shooters 2 in the 2010 Walk MS

Another addition to the NYC tradition roster, food trucks, more specifically Sweetery, will be featured this Saturday at the walk. They will be setting up shop at the MS Walk and will be donating 25% of their proceeds to the MS Society. Sweetery has also been generous enough to offer me a $25 gift card to give to one lucky person who donates to my team. You could use that dough to purchase delicious muffins, cookies, cupcakes or my personal favorites - macarellas!

Here's how you enter! Please include your email in any comments so I know how to contact you if you are the winner.

1) REQUIRED - Donate $5 or more on my fundraising page and comment back here to let me know you did so.

2) If you donate $10 or more, you will get an extra entry into the giveaway. Be sure to comment below with exactly how much you donated. 

I won't be doing extra entries for following me on Twitter, but I would really appreciate you telling your friends about this contest as an act of good will to help me raise $2500. Also, if you've already donated, you can still enter the contest. Just be sure to comment below with your name, email address and how much you donated. Lastly, if you're feeling like you'd like to do some fundraising of your own, I invite you to join my team! If you raise $100 by Saturday, you will get a swanky-danky T-shirt - ow, ow!

One winner will be chosen using Random.org on Saturday 4/30. You have until Saturday 4/30 at 12 p.m. EST to enter the contest. Good luck!