I realize, of course, that people trying to raise money for their pet causes are as common on the Internet as funny pictures of cats. Nevertheless, I hope everyone reading this will take a moment to at least consider what I’m going to ask.

(Facebook friends who’ve already read my plea over there are excused; I don’t want to become tiresome with this, I’m just trying to spread the word as far as I can, through all the outlets at my disposal.)

For the past several months, my lovely significant other has been working very hard to lose weight and change her habits for the better. We both have. It’s something we’ve needed to do and threatened to do for a very long time, but of course it’s so easy to put these things off, to just coast along for another day, another week, another month in the comfortable old rut of processed food, oversized meals, and sedentary lifestyles. But just recently we’ve been confronted with the specter of diabetes, the plague of first-world malnutrition, and it’s jolted us out of our rut about as effectively as stepping on an atomic landmine. If you don’t know anybody with diabetes, or you think you don’t, just wait. You will. It may even turn out to be you. This grim realization is what convinced us both to get bloody-well serious about trying to undo what we’ve done to ourselves over the past 20 years.

Anne has made genuinely terrific progress, dropping a significant amount of weight and learning to eat things she never would’ve glanced at only a year ago. Now, to celebrate and hopefully make a difference in the fight against this damn disease that affects so many of our loved ones, she’s committed herself to participate in the upcoming JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes on August 25 with our friend Kathy (who has also made some amazing changes over the past year!).

So here comes the pitch: I’m asking my Loyal Readers out there in the darkness to please consider donating to the cause. I know times are tough, and nobody likes having the bite put on them. But even a dollar or two would help Anne reach her goal, which is actually quite modest ($150). It’s a cause we both believe in, for whatever that’s worth. If you’ll just follow this link, you’ll be taken to a page where Anne explains this a bit more in her own words; there’s a button there that will let you donate in her name.

Anne thanks you in advance, and so do I. You’re good people. I know you’ll come through for us.