Update! Both Justin and John's paypal addresses are here now!Well, things are going along very well with the auction of the army. Still plenty of time for those who are thinking of testing the waters. Check it out here.
I've had a lot of people ask me how they can help out (as they don't have the spare cash to buy the army), and that is just awesome! I've been bugging Justin (surfer) and John (father), my friends, for their Paypal addresses so that if you would like to help financially (and directly) you can send a few dollars their way.
John's Paypal address is: soundeagle AT aol DOT com
Justin's Paypal address is: mcconnelljs AT gmail DOT com
Over the years I've met a lot of great people in this hobby,and spent a ton of time talking about collecting, modeling, painting and gaming with toy soldiers. This has meant I have a lot of contacts who run very popular websites and blogs all about toy soldiers. Their help already has pushed this auction a long way, and garnered it a lot of attention. It would be wrong of me to let all that attention just fade away, so here come the preachy bits...
• Back in April I was involved in a car accident that totaled my car (I was completely unhurt though). The shortfall between the insurance money and the cost of a similar replacement car was going to be considerable. The fine readers of this blog stepped up and helped me out.
• In May I was approached by John and Mike from Santa Cruz Warhammer to participate in a collaborative army building project for charity that really developed a run away life of its own, the Storm Wardens Army Build. A group of 8 or so bloggers raised $16,000+ for Doctors Without Borders, a worthy cause indeed.
• In June and July, two of my friends and co-workers suffered tragedies. Both events not only left their own emotional and physical scars, but also quite a few of the financial kind. That's why I decided to get back on the charity bandwagon. It's a great feeling to do what you can for those who need help. If you know those that need help, then all the better.
So, I think the real answer to the question "What can I do to help?" is a two parter:
a) if you can help Justin and John out financially, then drop them a few dollars via the Paypal addresses above. If you know them and can't spare the bucks, drop them a line or give them a call. Support is always appreciated.
b) take a look around you locally, think about something you can do to make the life of someone around you a little better. Donating to a charity, helping out at a shelter at Thanksgiving, hosting a dinner party for friends, volunteering to cook the hot dogs for your block party, building some terrain for your FLGS, or giving your grandmother a call to chat about her week - there are plenty of things you can do to . I'm a big fan of small steps and beginning locally.
Preachy bits over.
Thank you all so much for your support.
Cheers
Dave
Bro, it's all about Karma.
ReplyDeleteThank you for being such an awesome rolemodel for hobbyists.
Maybe you can write a more detailed article about how to support charity through the hobby? I guess a lot of people would like to learn more about it.
I wrote my grandmother and my aunt, I haven't talked to them since I moved here (and the dog seriously ate my phone so it was that instead of call...).
ReplyDeleteThanks for the emails so others can make a donation. :)
Thanks for being you, Dave!
A few thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI've lived a little over a year in the US now and I do have to say that it warms my heart to see people really caring and wanting to help others. What I do find sad is that the idea of helping everyone in your community (I tend to prefer to think in terms of County and possible State, rather than Federal) is something that sees so much resistance.
Getting into a bad situation is made so much worse if you have to end up with huge bills. You are going to need the emotional support as it is. So don't just give, also think about how society can change so that those less fortunate can be helped. It doesn't matter what background you have, I will never accept the idea of helping others as wrong.
Second I like the raffle ticket idea. It's like a lottery but with two worthy winners. The ones in need and the one with the loot. I opened my wallet for the Storm Wardens project for instance. I can't drop huge bucks on an eBay auction.
That said, things don't have to be on the *scale* of the Storm Wardens project each time.
The best of Luck to John and Justin, I hope you have had your share of misfortune and better things are ahead of you both!
You're top notch, Dave. I agree wholeheartedly with everything you said. From Médecins Sans Frontières and the Storm Wardens now to this...thanks!
ReplyDeleteUpdate the Paypal addresses soon.
Hey Dave, It is very cool that you worked on a project to raise money for Doctors Without Borders. That is a great organization, and its fantastic that you could use your skills to raise the money. Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteDave. Id like to donate directly to both your friends. I'd like to send them both my regards along with the paypal transfer, and it would help to know who is the surfer and who is the father.
ReplyDeleteBest regards
- Tom
Thanks everyone for your support of this effort.
ReplyDeleteBoth paypal addresses are now in this post.
@Tom - sorry I didn't mention it before, but Justin is the body surfer and John is he father. Thanks for your support.
Cheers
Dave
great work dave i have always been a fan of your work as a gamer/collector/modeller
ReplyDeletebut now i can honestly say i am a fan of you as a man
great job and best of luck and love to your friends i hope everything goes well for them both
I don't want to get too sentimental, but this shows a lot of good in you, Dave. Best wishes, and I hope the lot of you recover; physically, financially, and emotionally.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone!
ReplyDeleteNew update with bonus items added to the auction. Spread the word : )
Cheers
Dave