I have no idea what will happen over the next 8 hours—we have no way of knowing whether we will hold on to our spot in the top 200 finalists of the CHASE Community Giving Campaign (http://bit.ly/9dAueQ). That is not to say that we are not tremendously excited about the opportunity to win $20,000 …we are! $20K is a lot of money to a small non-profit such as ours, and there is no doubt that we could stretch those dollars very far. We could take advantage of donated media space to launch our ad campaign on billboards, enroll more celebrities to share their experience and spearhead this cause, and bring more pressure to bear on the booby traps, not moms.

What is dawning on us is that this is not as important as what has been happening over the last few days, weeks and months. We’re seeing the conversation shift from the benefits of breastfeeding to the barriers that keep moms from succeeding, a shift that is sorely needed if we are to build a true cause. We’re seeing mothers and fathers come together behind Best for Babes that were once divided by breast vs. bottle … even those who were once angry and bitter. We’ve been overjoyed by new faces on our fan page and new voices that have spoken up on nursing positions, tongue-tie, what it takes to bring about social change and even the wonders of breastmilk shampoo.

It’s been an incredible journey, and we owe it all to you … The moms who struggled and suffered unnecessarily because of the Booby Traps and who inspire us every day. We owe it to those of you who saw our potential, embraced us, and pushed us forward. You know who you are. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

So whether we win $20,000 or not, we wanted to send you this love letter to thank you for all you’ve done to work with us to build the Mother of All Causes. We’re in it for the long haul, and won’t rest until every parent can make an informed feeding decision and carry it out without judgment, pressure or guilt. We will se the day when all moms are cheered on, coached and celebrated to achieve their personal breastfeeding goals!

(Forgive the lack of links and all the typos, and writing on my Blackberry during our drive up to Maine!)