At Hazelden we are grateful for every financial gift we receive. From time to time, we hear of donors whose fundraising efforts bear a special mention for their innovation and creativity. One such donor is Hazelden alum Don T. of California, or as he was known to the guys on the Silkworth unit at the Center City campus, "F-ing Meatball Head."

"On my first day on the unit, a guy from the East Coast named Jimmy was ‘graduating,'" Don recalls. "In his farewell speech, he was discussing how he loved everyone on the unit, from the guys he came in with the first day, to the new guy (me), ‘F-ing Meatball Head.' The name got big laughs and stuck. Thankfully, I was generally referred to as ‘FMH' rather than the full name."

Inspired by the dubious name, and by a friend who was participating in the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Walk, Don pulled together the Inaugural FMH Walk. On August 11, 2006 in Castro Valley, California, he raised $4,238.91 for Hazelden in pledges by 25 donors.

(The Susan Komen Breast Cancer Walk was named for Susan G. Komen, who died from the disease after being diagnosed with it in 1978, a time when breast cancer, like addiction, was rarely discussed in public. Today, The Komen Foundation is a global leader in research and community outreach.)

As the site for the FMH Walk, Don chose scenic Lake Chabot Park, which is located in California's Bay Area. Don describes the park as pretty but "brutally hilly." He says, "My girlfriend and I did two laps, a little over 17 miles. At that point, both our feet were pretty blistered. She went home, so I hopped into a kayak and kayaked Lake Chabot back and forth to add four miles to the odometer."

Don indicated to Development Officer John Zuniga that the $4,238.91 raised was unrestricted, meaning that Hazelden could direct the funds wherever they were needed.

"As fundraisers, we are frequently touched by the warmth and generosity of our donors," said Cory Sando, Hazelden's Donor Relations and Events Officer. "The story of Don T. is especially heartwarming. He has truly ‘walked the walk' to help us in our efforts to bring the joy of recovery to more people every day."

Don says, "I don't know which sponsors to thank more - the Silkworth brothers, my family, or my friends with no real tie to it." He gives special thanks to his girlfriend Rochelle for keeping him company for six hours of intense hiking. "I'm a pretty boring guy, so it must have been brutal for her," Don quipped.

The Silkworth unit on Hazelden's Center City campus was named for Dr. William Silkworth, who wrote the appendix chapter "The Doctor's Opinion" in the book Alcoholics Anonymous.  His simple statement in 1939, that "alcoholism is an allergy of the body coupled with an obsession of the mind," is shared by medical science today.

Don is grateful for his Hazelden experience and his ongoing recovery. "I'd tried to quit drinking for years, and I couldn't, because I didn't have a sufficient understanding of the disease," he explained. "Hazelden taught me what I needed to know, and my life has been wonderful for the 37 months since I left." For the 2007 FMH Walk, Don says he hopes to attract more sponsors, walk more miles, and raise more funds.

With profound gratitude, Hazelden thanks Don, Rochelle and the FMH donors for going the extra mile in supporting Hazelden's mission.

Do you have an interesting fundraising story? We'd love to hear about it! Tell us about it at giving@hazelden.org.

Read about another person making a difference:

Reverend Akara Draper

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