We did it!!! Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein reached their goal of $100,000 necessary to finalize, promote, and distribute a new series of 4 films titled “More Business of Being Born”.
We did it! They did it! Or shall I say, YOU did it! Yes you who read this blog, who reposted, emailed, or tweeted it; you who told your friends, your sisters, mothers and aunts; And of course those of you who donated did it!
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to all of you who contributed to this amazing cause, no matter what form you may have done it in. Thank you a million times over. Not only was the goal reached, it was exceeded! A total of $121,679 was gifted to the project from 1,514 kind souls.
Since there has been much chatter along the lines of “Ricki Lake is a celebrity. Why can’t she just pay for it?” or “They already made a movie, why do another?” I want to say that this was not just about raising money. In regard to Ricki paying for it herself, you can hear it directly from her here (scroll to the bottom of the page for her comments). This was not a competition of who could give the most, how much good karma one could receive by doing so, nor was it a publicity stunt by any means. This was, and is, about educating and empowering women (something our society sorely lacks).
As the numbers on More Business of Being Born’s Kickstarter page grew and grew, so did the anxiety. As we were getting down to the wire and holding our breath in anticipation for the day of July 14, when donations could no longer be accepted, I think there was a general feeling of panic. Not a holyshitweareallgoingtodie frenzy, but a slight fear of “what if we don’t make it?” coupled the reality that $100,000 is a lot of money to raise in only 30 days. Well, the worry is over :)
Thanks to the wonderfully generous OB/GYN Dr. Glen Elrod of Wasilla, Alaska, who gave a gift of $10,000, this project was fully funded in the nick of time (and in return his pregnant wife will soon get to experience a baby shower thrown by Ricki Lake herself)!
Because you (or maybe your mother, or friend, or even just me) spread the word about this cause and this film, countless women for generations will be positively impacted by these films. Information regarding our own bodies are wrongfully and unethically withheld from us and it takes quite a bit of digging (and encountering a lot of disapproving faces along the way) to find it. Now that Ricki and Abby have not only dug, found, pushed, and exposed this information, but also compiled it into what I’m sure will be 4 beautiful films, women everywhere will have a chance to make truly informed choices about their bodies, their babies, and themselves.
Thank YOU.
Musings of a Moongazer 