Diane Schultz, a true woman of strength and plenty of drive, is no stranger to the world of fundraising; she coordinated various events for her sister who had previously been diagnosed with breast cancer. In 2006 Diane was diagnosed with MS. Diane knew she had to get involved with others who are enduring the same challenges, so she sought out the MS Society. Diane wanted to bring joy and support to the MS Community in the same way that she shared with her sister’s battle with cancer.
Diane was drawn to volunteering and organizing Do It Yourself (DIY) fundraising events, starting strong with a very successful wine tasting in 2009. When asked why she was inspired to ‘Join the Movement’ and host DIY fundraisers, she stated, “I know the battle, so I’m honored to help. Fundraising makes us all heroes.” Her involvement doesn’t stop at DIY events; Diane is an active member of a support group that meets at the Libertyville Civic Center. The first meeting she attended was in 2007 and she describes the group as “being filled with fantastic, powerful people,” whom she enjoys doing fun things with such as horseback riding and cooking. She also enjoys the wealth of resources and knowledge gained within the group.
As for her latest DIY fundraising event in May, Diane and her son, Richard Shultz, collaborated to organize ‘Rock Out Against MS’ along with Richard’s band. Richard shared, “This was my first formal fundraiser outside of personal monetary donations to the MS Society over the years. I wanted to help my mom and others with MS, and I’m a ‘go big or go home’ kind of guy so I wanted to do something different and fun --something informal.” He went on to share, “I feel like I got out more than I put in, this was a really humbling experience.”
Diane and Richard’s Rock Out Against MS event drew a crowd of about 150 people, and more than half of the funds they raised came from those who could not physically attend, but had a connection to MS. Amazed at how much support they received from family, friends, and businesses, they knew that they achieved their goal of raising awareness and bringing everyone together for one purpose and cause. It also showed them just how common people’s connection to MS really was. As Richard expressed, “It takes a village to get things done. Don’t be afraid to get creative and do something different with your fundraising ideas.”
Let us all take that charge to action in stride. Without a doubt, Diane and Richard have more in store for DIY events to come. Thanks for teaming up to be our June Everyday Heroes!
