Row for Hemophilia Announces Title Sponsor
Horizons in Hemophilia, November 2015
By Amy Bretherton, Director of Marketing & Communications
It’s been another busy few months for Jacob and Chris as Row for Hemophilia gained the momentum they have been working tirelessly to achieve. Origami Risk, a risk management information system company headquartered in Chicago, has been named Title Sponsor for Row for Hemophilia. The campaign is now called Origami Risk & Rewards: Row for Hemophilia. Origami has signed on for a $25,000 matching gift sponsorship to help with the purchase of a boat and supplies. Jacob served as a business analyst intern in their Atlanta office this summer and made a very good impression. He was given the chance to present Row for Hemophilia to the Marketing Director and ultimately to Origami’s CEO.
Since it is a matching sponsorship Jacob and Chris need your support now more than ever! If you want to see them become the youngest pair (and only person with hemophilia) to win the Great Pacific Race next summer, please visit their GoFundMe page and make a donation: Gofundme.com/rowforhemophilia. Remember, Origami Risk will match donations dollar for dollar, up to a total of $25,000.
The UGA Factor IX group held their first meeting in September with the goal of assisting the bleeding disorder community. Jacob and Chris formed this group with the hope that their work to fundraise and create awareness will continue on campus after they graduate. They have also been introducing Row for Hemophilia to more campus organizations such as Greek life and hope to include more of the student body in their fundraising efforts in the coming months. They have gained many fans as seen by the inspiring card they received after presenting Row for Hemophilia to Dr. Laing’s Food & Nutrition class. Jacob and Chris said that they will be sure to keep memorabilia of this kind in their boat to remember the many people who have offered encouragement and support along the way.
At the end of September Jacob flew to Scottsdale, AZ to present Row for Hemophilia at the Origami Risk Client Conference, held at the historic Hotel Valley Ho, with 220 risk and insurance professionals in attendance. According to Jacob, “it was such a phenomenal experience being able to speak to a packed house. Could have heard a pin drop! Hopefully we were able to captivate the audience enough to garner some financial support for Row for Hemophilia, but either way I’m proud of the community we’re helping to develop. Can’t wait for what’s next.”
Jacob and Chris also attended the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) golf tournament in Atlanta to gain support. They have certainly come a long way from the day they first dreamed of entering the Great Pacific Race and donating the proceeds to Hemophilia of Georgia!
While in Scottsdale at the Origami Risk Management Conference, Jacob met Lisa Pickering and was featured in her blog Make Your Life an EPIC Adventure! Here's what Lisa wrote about meeting Jacob:
“This past week I had the privilege of meeting and listening to a young man speak about his EPIC adventure and how he got to this point in his life. I was incredibly impressed with how well he told his story and he nearly had me in tears. I get emotional when I witness people doing amazing things. Pushing the boundaries, reaching high and doing what the average person thinks is crazy – I love it… and I cry! Jacob Pope is 20 years old. He is smart, well spoken, incredibly driven and he is a hemophiliac. After a fall at a young age the hemophilia was discovered. A struggle for a child to be careful not to play too rough, a struggle to be different from other kids. He attended a camp for hemophiliacs and while there understood that he wasn’t alone. There were other kids dealing with the same issues. He is grateful for that experience that helped him realize that he didn’t have to let his condition define him. Some people use their circumstances as an excuse. Others are grateful for what they have and what they can do; they don’t focus on what they can’t. Jacob is a varsity rower at the University of Georgia, he pushes his limits, he doesn’t make excuses. In June 2016 Jacob, along with his friend Chris Lee, will row unassisted in the Great Pacific Race, a race that defines itself as one of the greatest human endurance competitions in the world: 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Monterey, California to Honolulu, Hawaii. Imagine being in the middle of the ocean, in an ocean rowing boat with no assistance. Just you, your food, a water filtration system and your closest friend… for 30 to 80 days! The water will be rough, there will be storms and there will be no stopping once they start. And their goal isn’t just to finish, their goal is to be the youngest and fastest team to finish. Additionally Jacob will be the first hemophiliac to row across any ocean. Through this amazing feat, they will be raising money for Hemophilia of Georgia, an organization that has helped Jacob, who now wants to pay it forward.”
Jacob and Chris have also added radio to their list of media accomplishments. They were guests on Athens radio station WUOG 90.5. They spoke eloquently about the sacrifices and the emotional challenges faced in getting ready for an ocean row. If you wish to listen to the interview, go to https://soundcloud.com/free-gum-wuog-90-5. The interview is called "Free Gum #2 Serious Athletes.”
Between school, rowing for UGA, media interviews, reaching out to potential sponsors and donors, traveling – when do these two ever sleep? The most exciting day of all was October 19; the day Chris received the official race information packet from the Great Pacific Race!
You can help Jacob and Chris inspire a new generation of those living with bleeding disorders. Keep in mind, they will sell their boat after the race and donate all proceeds to Hemophilia of Georgia for Camp Wannaklot and to support research for a cure. Please consider making a donation, even a small donation helps. Origami Risk will help make your donation go twice as far: Gofundme.com/rowforhemophilia.