$10,641. nine days to go. please don't let me fail.

Fundraising for The Global Citizen Project is at full-tilt frenzy as I try to make it to $20,000 by the 4:15 PST February 22nd deadline. I know I sound like a broken record at this point (my apologies), but I need to reiterate: If I do not make my funding goal, I do not receive a single cent and I have to give all money raised so far back. Please do not let TGCP fail or the past 80 days of working around-the-clock on this project will have been for naught. I don't know if there are enough Kleenex in the world to deal with that scenario.

Right now, 142 backers have pledged $10,641 towards the $20,000 goal with NINE DAYS TO GO. Thanks to the latest people who have believed in my project:

Jessica Prince

Sarah Siler of Murphy O'Brien Public Relations fame. We met while I was on a great press trip at Dakota Mountain Lodge in Park City, UT. (Sidenote: I really love and recommend this property.)

Georgene Troseth, friend of Allison Scott, the Director of Communications at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO.

Trisha Cole Walrath, Vice President of Wagstaff Worldwide, Inc., and hands down, my fave person to sip Bloody Marys with poolside at The Broadmoor. I wish our travel paths crossed more often, but when they do, oh, do they ever : )

Jen Amato, this woman is the reason why I love the power of social media -- you never know who you are going to cross paths with, and sometimes, it's one of the good people. Jen is one of the good people, tells it like it is (a quality this Philly gal finds oh so endearing), one helluva cheerleader, and a Tacoma area marketing rep for Patron, Absolut, Jameson, Malibu, Pearl, and Aha Toro (which automatically scores her extra credit points in my book). You can follow Jen on Twitter here or here. I'm glad our worlds intersected.

Anne Reynolds, I would need pages upon pages to tell you what this woman means to me. We've been friends since the days of Hillside Elementary, and although we haven't been in close touch they past several years, she and her family are close to my heart and I love them all dearly. Anne, also lost her mom at a young age to lung cancer, and it's an unfortunate (okay, downright shitty) bond that we share. The list of memories I have with Anne go on forever -- I wouldn't even know where to begin in sharing them, except for maybe our Friday night telephone calls to the local radio station for cheesy song requests and making tapes at the King of Prussia Mall's "recording studio."

Jennifer Buege, Senior Editor and Web Editor at North American Media Group in Minneapolis, MN. We met on a press trip to Parma, Italy (hello, ham and cheese!) and we had the pleasure of crossing paths again in Seattle several months ago over a yummy lunch at Matt's in the Market at Pike Place Market. Cool gal and devout foodie.

Also, thanks need to go out to this week's round of A-Team cheerleaders, who've gone above and beyond in promoting my TGCP:  Andrea Burnett, David Volk, Rob Vogt, Jen Amato, Alex Kralicek, Jeanette Renfro Azar, Peter West Carey, Kayt Sukel, Brooke Schoenman, Erin Petrie, Carolyn Barr, Sheila Beal, Gladys Chavez, Robin Locker, Raquel Segura, Hacienda Tres Rios, Allison Scott, Gwen Abbott, Jeremy Abbott and Garren Katz. If I have forgotten anyone, my apologies and XO's -- I'm going on three months of sleep deprivation and non-stop brainstorming. You know I love you and thank you ; )