Chair Name: Howard Liebers

Event Name: MarbleRoad Launch Party and Fundraising Event

Date of Event: October 23, 2010

Charity/Nonprofit beneficiary: MarbleRoad

Vivanista recently caught up with enthusiastic volunteer, passionate non profit owner and event-chair, Howard Liebers to learn more about his organization, MarbleRoad, and their upcoming launch party.

Describe your organization:

MarbleRoad first began as a blog in 2009, where I discussed primarily discussed three things: national service and volunteerism; community health centers; and rare diseases. The blog quickly grew as it welcomed more than 10,000 visits in just over a year, and began syndication on The Children’s Rare Disease Network.

As people shared their stories with me about their experiences, I decided to have MarbleRoad evolve into a non-profit which could provide support for people with complex illness. Complex illnesses can be persistent and substantially disabling or life threatening, and require treatments and services across a variety of domains of care to ensure the best possible outcomes for each unique patient. Consequently, the health system for this group can create a maze that’s difficult to navigate, lonely, and expensive.

Initially, I hope that MarbleRoad will be able to provide financial assistance for two key groups of vulnerable patient populations: (1) Rare Disease Patients—Approximately 7,000 rare diseases affect more than 30 million Americans and (2) Community Health Center Patients—Health centers serve more than 20 million patients, mostly uninsured and underinsured families, at more than 1,200 service sites throughout the country.

What is the meaning behind the organization’s name: ‘MarbleRoad’?

“MarbleRoad” is a juxtaposition of several concepts. The idea for the name initially came to mind while I was living in Columbia University housing during an internship with Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.  The university is one of the top in the nation, and much of the campus is made of marble, including the bust of Pallas Athena and columns in the rotunda of the Low Library. However, the university at Morningside Heights and the hospital on the edge of Spanish Harlem call attention to disparities.

The “Marble” in MarbleRoad also represents childhood; marbles we all used to play with. Seventy-five percent of rare diseases affect children, so some 22.5 million children need our help. And marbles, like rocks or stones, when cast into a body of water make ripples—often a symbol for change. The “Road” in MarbleRoad refers to the path towards better health—we hope to provide support services to help people along the journey towards wellness.

What was your inspiration in creating the organization? How do you hope to impact change?

Throughout most of my career I have spent a lot of time on system reform and policy. I lost a friend before his 25^th birthday in 2005 to a rare non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a T-cell lymphoma; and I realized that there are a lot of people out there who just cannot afford to wait for the system to change. I hope to offer patients a glimmer of hope by providing them with financial assistance, but financial assistance from MarbleRoad will not be just a handout.

I completed two full terms of service (totaling 3400 hours of service) with Community HealthCorps, an AmeriCorps program of the National Association of Community Health Centers. I believe that anybody can serve, and so there’s a volunteer requirement as a part of the eligibility for assistance. In this way, financial assistance leverages additional community impact.

Briefly describe your upcoming launch/fundraiser- what will make the event unique?

Of course, if somebody is too sick to volunteer, a friend or loved one can volunteer on your behalf. At the event I will be asking my guests to make a commitment to serve in their communities, a way to sponsor, through service, people who need our help. Also, the event is being held on the 20^th Anniversary of Make a Difference Day. So come on out and make a difference!

Is this an open event? If so, how much are tickets?

Since the event is our introduction to the world and first ever fundraising event, we are selling tickets to the event at http://marbleroadlaunch.eventbrite.com. There was an early bird value of $30 from September 1 through September 15, but prices then went up to about $45. There is also a “Special Donor Ticket” priced at $100 for those who wish to contribute a little bit more, as well as a special ticket category for people who cannot attend the event but still want to donate.

Who are your event sponsors? How will they add value to the event?

The wonderful people over at 3E Love have graciously agreed to donate bags for attendees. 3E Love is a disability awareness clothing line and marketing company founded in 2007. The mission of the company is simple: to create and bring to market products and services that embrace living life no matter the obstacles, and by doing so, educate society and empower those with disabilities to love life.

I see that there will be a silent auction. What types of prizes can attendees expect?

I am very proud of the design of this auction, which makes our event even more unique. As a way to launch and sustain MarbleRoad, I have been working on a campaign called “IndieMatch”  which will connect independent artists and musicians with philanthropic opportunities. For the MarbleRoad Launch Party and Fundraising Event I reached out to artists whose work is inspired by some sort of illness experience they may have had. Several responded by donating incredibly moving pieces of artwork, paintings, photography, and more. You can read many of their personal stories on the ticket website.

Will there be a social component before/after the fundraiser?

The whole event is social! We do this stuff because it’s important, but there is no reason why it can’t be fun at the same time. We have a DJ lined up, and will offer some light refreshments.

You seem to be doing a great job with balancing your full time job, launching MarbleRoad, and Coordinating this Fundraiser… What tips can you give to others trying to juggle it all at once?

Yes, until MarbleRoad gets its own legs I am still juggling the non-profit with a 9-5 as Senior Policy Coordinator for the District of Columbia’s Primary Care Association. However, it hasn’t felt like juggling – if you love what you are doing then it never feels like “work”. I try my best to keep my weekends free, to spend time there with family and friends. But Monday through Friday is business as usual. I firmly believe that if you love what you do, and you’re good at what you do, things tend to fall into place naturally.

What has been one of the biggest challenges in planning your fundraiser so far?

Scheduling the event was a challenge. Many venues were booked months ahead of time. Then there’s the issue of whether or not people can come out. I am always questioning, “Maybe I started promoting the event too early; maybe I selected a bad weekend or a difficult location to access…?” Nevertheless, it has all been a remarkable learning experience, and as far as I am concerned the event is already a success.

What external resources have you used in your fundraising/outreach efforts (i.e. websites, mentors, social networks etc.)?

We have a Twitter and a Facebook in addition to our main website. Our blog is over on WordPress and you can also find us on The Children’s Rare Disease Network . We have  posted information about the event on ArtSlant, DC101’s event site, various other greater DC metro events calendars and issued a press release via MarketWire.

Recently, I also won a bid in the TwitChange campaign. TwitChange was coordinated by Eva Longoria; a global celebrity auction where Twitter users can bid to get three things: be followed by a celebrity on Twitter, retweeted, or mentioned by them in a Tweet. Proceeds from the event are used to support the rebuilding of The Miriam Center which houses, educates, and loves Haitian children with cerebral palsy, severe autism, and other major life challenges. It’s truly a one of a kind facility in Haiti, which is currently overcrowded with children since the earthquake. So I felt like it was a good opportunity to further support kids in need, while also generating a celebrity shout-out. Also, actress, singer and philanthropist, Rosario Dawson sent MarbleRoad a shout-out!

What characteristics do you think make an event chair successful?

A successful event chair has to have three things: (1) patience, (2) sense of humor, and (3) insomnia.  This job definitely keeps you on your toes, the environment is constantly changing, and you have to be able to ride it out and laugh about it along the way. And sleep will just slow you down!

What is your fundraising motto?

“If you don’t ask for it you’re not going to get it.” People are so afraid these days to ask for help, support, etc… What I’ve found is that people really want to help out and get engaged. Most people who don’t volunteer are not doing so simply because they haven’t been asked to.