Fundraiser Profile

Name: Eric Milne
Occupation: National Credit Manager
Age: 58
Status: Team captain of Team Fujitsu
Number of team members: 10
Team total: $21,000

How did you go approach fundraising personally?

I approached my employer who agreed to match the teams fundraising efforts $1.00 for $1.00, this is a great bonus as you can tell everyone who donates that their contribution will be doubled automatically.

After this was approved, I emailed all our contacts and sent letters to all of Fujitsu's customers to ask them to support TEAM FUJITSU. I communicated what we were trying to achieve and why, and then encouraged them to visit our team web page to donate.

I kept our customers and contacts up to date with regular emails and letters on how the team was progressing in reaching the team fundraising goal.

I also rode to work wearing my lycra jersey, staff members contributed on the basis that I stopped doing that.

How easy and rewarding did you find making the effort to fundraise?

I have fundraised in previous years using a receipt book and asking for donations face to face, the new website made things so much easier, to both communicate to a wider audience and for our sponsors to show their support.

The website makes the process smoother also, as soon as someone donates to you online, you receive a notification and then you can send a thank you email immediately!

Compared to previous years the website was FANTASTIC!

Being able to check the website on a daily basis and see the donations and $ amount climbing was awesome and beyond description.

How did you go about organising your team? How easy was it?

My employer paid for our team jerseys which looked very smart and I just asked colleagues and friends to take part with the team. We did not have a huge team so not much effort on my part.

How did you go about raising money to reach your team target?

TEAM FUJITSU relied heavily on the internet and regular email contact to motivate to keep fundraising and update them as to our progress.

The Power of the INTERNET!

How easy and rewarding did your team find fundraising?

Our team members always approached the ride as a way to have fun and also support a good cause. There was great team spirit and we always notified each other by phone or email when more donations came in.

If you can take part in a great event and also raise money and support a great cause, then so much the better for all taking part.

Why do you support people with MS?

My son, a keen cyclist for many years undertook the MS Ride in 2004 as an exercise to see if he could do the ride, the family including me were there at the finish to cheer him over. I was so proud of him that I suggested we do the 2005 ride together. He agreed so I went out and bought myself a bike, and at 57 years old started to get fit. I lost 12 kgs and entered the 2005 ride. Unfortunately my son was unable to do the ride with me, so not deterred I did the ride by myself. That year I raised $4.5K and my employer matched that $1 for $1. So in 2006 I set out to beat that figure and entered TEAM FUJITSU.

At the outset I didn't know anyone with MS apart from various high profile sports people who suffered from the disease and who appeared in the press from time to time. But once I entered the ride friends would come to me and say 'my sister/brother/father/sister in law and so on has MS, thank you for what you are doing.'

The efforts of the MS Society to raise money to hopefully one day lead to a cure is just so motivating.

How did Team Fujitsu go on the day?

It was one of the most personally rewarding events I have ever undertaken (in 2005) in my life.

Unfortunately I was unable to participate in the 2006 event having returned from 6 weeks holiday in Europe on the Wednesday before the ride. We all agreed that a pizza, pasta and beer diet for six weeks (whilst it was a high carbs diet) did not constitute a training regime.

Coming back in 2007?

I will be there and so will some or all of the 2006 TEAM FUJITSU joined by some more of our business associates. I am unsure how much we will fundraise in 2007 but the team will do the best we can to help people affected by MS.