What is the most polite way to ask for donations?

I am running a charity 5K race in a few weeks to raise money for breast cancer research. This is an issue that has affected my family and I feel very strongly about.

I thought asking for donations would be fairly straightforward but I find myself stumped as to how to word the requests. I put a note on my facebook but didn’t really like how it came out—it feels very awkward to be soliciting money from my friends and family.

Can any clever Fluther wordsmiths suggest some non-offensive wording for this request? Something simple, like: Please support me in my efforts to raise money for breast cancer research. Donations can be made at this website: www.nameofwebsite.com.

And, of course, if any of you are interested in donating, I would be happy to send you the link to my fundraising page!