Greetings everyone!  Steve MacNaull has written a great article in the Daily Courier about Room To Read and the Ironman!

Ironman website Article!
October 05, 2008

Please take a look to see a great article from the Ironman website!  www.ironman.com

Tri-ing for $500,000.00
September 23, 2008

Crystal Flaman's card reads: social entrepreneur.

"I'm a professional speaker, trainer, business coach and consultant," says Kelowna-based Flaman of Inspiring Success Inc. "But I didn't want to put any of those on my business card. I wanted to put 'social entrepreneur' because it indicates that I'm using my business skills to make a positive change in the world."

From the past 24 speaking, training, consulting and coaching jobs Flaman has had, she has donated part of her fees - $10,000.00 in total - to the charity, Room To Read.

Combined with the $10,000.00 she personally put up to kick-start the effort, Flaman has forwarded $20,000.00 to Room To Read to pay for a school in Tasarou, Nepal, that will house 182 kindergarten to Grade 6 students.

"The school is also almost done. It's so exciting," she said.

"At the end of every speech or job, I mention that a portion of my fee is going toward this school and encourage others to check it out (inspiredtogivenow.com) to see if they are interested in donating too."

Flaman is also using her upcoming participation in an Ironman triathlon as a $500,000.00 fundraiser for Room To Read.

Including the $20,000.00 that's already gone into building the school in Nepal, the total is currently at $100,000.00.

She has been accepted as one of the few athletes sanctioned to use the Ford Ironman World Championships in Hawaii Oct. 11 as a charity fundraiser.

"The organizations liked the Room To Read cause,"said Flaman. Donations to it can be made through the inspiretogivenow.com website.

The fundraising will also get a boost because she will feature in an Outdoor Life Network TV series that is profiling the charity athletes getting ready for the triathlon.

Flamnan is not new to this kind of fundraising. In 1994 she and her twin sister Carla were the first to ride a tandem bike across Canada, raising $500,000.00 for the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. They did it because their mom underwent open heart surgery in 1992.

Flaman who also owns the Kelowna International Hostel, says everyone can be a social entrepreneur on some level. "That's why I position myself through my business as a conduit for others to donate," she said. “Plus my goal is simply to help people become the best they can be. My training on managing change, customer service, teamwork and leadership are really about people being the best they can for themselves, their co-workers and their customers."

Such a message is meant to create workers or bosses, but better people because they realize what they do is important. That feeling ripples into a good attitude, happy demeanour and better relationships at work and home.

Tri-ing for $500,000
September 04, 2008

"She [Crystal] has been accepted as one of the few athletes sactioned to use the Ford Ironman World Championships in Hawaii Oct. 11 as a charity fundraiser" [...] "My goal is simply to help people become the best they can be. My training on managing change, customer service, teamwork and leadership are really about people being the best they can for themselves, their co-workers and their customers." writes Steve MacNaull of The Daily Courier.

Click on the attached article below to read the whole story:

International Sponsors Offer Support
July 31, 2008

Crystal Flaman, of Inspired To Give Now is excited to welcome the sponsorship of Timex and PowerBar towards her upcoming participation in the Ford Ironman World Championship.

More Okanagan Sponsors Onboard
July 17, 2008

More sponsors have come onboard! We are proud to thank Melanie Maure of Living Balance, and Kelowna Cycle for their involvement as “home town” supporters.

Sponsorship Opportunities!
July 11, 2008

Sponsorship Opportunities now available!  Inspired To Give Now is officially opening up sponsorship opportunities to individuals and businesses who would like to be involved in raising funds to benefit Room to Read (www.roomtoread.org).  Crystal is training hard to enter one of the most grueling competitions on earth - the Ironman.  Already, $70,000 has been raised, through the generosity of Crystal’s own company, PrintThree, Okanagan Health & Performance and Twin Creek Media.  Inspired To Give Now.com has the audacity of dreaming very large - $500,000 is the target.  With a $5000 donation, all sponsors will become part of our “Pages of the Future” book which will hold sponsors’ stories and act as a collective legacy of everyone involved in this incredible event.  Buy a page of the future.  Make a difference in children’s lives.

Picture Worth a Thousand Words
June 23, 2008

Karen Edwards, a Summerland, BC based photographer will be joining Crystal on a post-Ironman trip to Nepal to capture the real effects of the sponsor funds: a tour of the new school in November.  Check out her great work at http://www.karenedwardsphotography.com/

Media Coverage
June 06, 2008

Press Releases and media spots being scheduled to promote Room to Read at the upcoming Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii • October 11, 2008.

Outdoor Life Network TV
May 30, 2008

OLN (Outdoor Life Network) has agreed to follow Crystal’s journey through the Ford Ironman in Hawaii, and televise the event shortly after.  The vision of hope, the personal dedication, the sweat, the tears, the triumph will be on the display for all to see.  What more could we ask for?!  Hmmm... Crystal, is 20 hours a week training enough?  ;-]

Ford Ironman World Championship
April 15, 2008

The Ford Ironman World Championship has invited Crystal Flaman, founder of Inspired To Give Now.com to participate in one of the four media slots.  This is an opportunity of a lifetime, and we are very excited!  The event will allow Crystal to compete with the goal of raising half a million dollars for Room to Read - a nonprofit dedicated to educating the world’s underprivileged children.  GO Crystal!