Stranger in a Strange Band

I met Jason Singer at The Elbo Room in Chicago. He was playing just down the street from where I lived in Bucktown/Wicker Park.

I came out to hear this band, The Nubile Thangs. I hadn't heard them before and they just totally rocked the house. Jason, the sax player, is the hugest-heartest, funnest and grooviest and too-cool-for-school kinda guy. When they were were done tearing the roof off the place, Jason came out and worked the crowd. I bought a CD and we stayed friends ever since - although we NEVER see each other. Jason moved to NY when I moved there and came out to play at my 34th bday at Turtle Bay on 2nd Ave. I have it on tape! Now we both live in LA. And this weekend, my good buddy pulled through with a $50 donation to Raising Malawi. Thank you, Jason! We gotta get together. I'm in Playa del Rey. You still near the Grove? It's really not that far. What do you say? You, me and Woody Allen - for old times sake.

Also thanks to my dear friend Steve Centrillo, who donated $101 today (he really wanted that canvas bag, I'm sure). Steve is also a rockstar - or more like a Grokstar, I should say. I just worked up some personas to help with website development for a new online platform for TakePart.com. It's for socially concerned/socially active citizens to work the issues and forward positive social change in the world. Very cool client/concept. Site will be in beta soon. Stay tuned.

Anyway, as we were doing our research with consumers, this ultra-savvy, ultra-committed profile started to emerge. My client mentioned it's Grok-like. Where the observer is so one with the issue they almost assume the persona of the observed. The grok concept comes from Stranger in a Strange Land. I didn't read it, but Steve gave me the book a year or so ago. At heart, we're both 9 year old boys with frogs and marbles in our pockets. As I worked up the profiles for this website, I called one segment, "Grok Stars," and will forever think of Steve - a Grok of loyalty, friendship and principle.

I met Steve when he was running darkGrey, the tech village at Grey, back when Grey had the village system. He left there to head up FCB NY, but left shortly after they merged with Draft. After that, he started Common Ground Partners . He's the Italian guy in front, with his business partner Dave.


Thanks to all my donors so far - whose donation will be matched!

1. Miranda Soffian - $100
2. David Duncan - $101
3. Donna Bellamy - $125
4. Alisa Starke - $150
5. Lee Ann Sierecki - $100
6. Donna Weiss - $10
7. Leah Reynolds - $100
8. Renee Rotkopf - $100
9. Sharon McNulty - $250
10. Jonathan Avigdori -$100
11. Lourdes Mestre - $101
12. Jason Singer - $50
13. Steve Centrillo - $101

ADDITIONAL DONATIONS TO DATE: $151

TOTAL TO BE MATCHED ON 10/1: $1,388

39 HAND-MADE CANVAS BAGS FROM MALAWI LEFT!
YOUR GIFT FOR A DONATION OF $101 OR MORE.

Just need one! Please help.

When my nephew Matt was four, he wanted a Coke out of the vending machine. My sister-in-law only had a quarter and gave it to him, but told him that wasn't enough for a pop. So he turned to me and asked if I had money.

While fishing out my wallet and noticing a sign on the vending machine that read $1.25, I say, "sure honey, how much do you need?"

Matt says, "one".

I'm opening my wallet now. I ask, "one what?" thinking: dollar? quarter? where are we at here?

He cocks his head, squints one eye and looks up at me all confused. What about "one" did I not understand? He replies, "Aunt Julia, one money."

So, I gave it to him and he got his Coke.

He is turning 8 tomorrow and I noticed he has a filling. One possible moral of the story is don't let kids drink pop. But the moral I'm going for is a bit deeper. It's all about desire and how life occurs when we take off the restraints to realizing that desire. What if raising $101K is hard because I decided it would be hard? I mean, I'm glad I have to put some effort into it, because otherwise it would be a pretty boring project. I just wonder what doors, locks and chains I have made a big part of my story, because, well, "that's just how the story goes".

Over the past couple days, my friends (and their friends) are reminding me through their generous donations and help spreading the word about my little campaign that my goal is not only possible, a bigger dream will come to fruition. We're going to make the world a better place for everyone.

How AWESOME it was to get donations from two fabulous New York women on Thursday. Renee Rotkopft sent me the greatest note, actually thanking me for including her in this fundraising project. :) And my friend Sharon (who has a heart of gold!) reached way deep for a big donation, which is great always, but especially now because it will be doubled!

Thanks to my donors so far - whose donation will be matched!

1. Miranda Soffian - $100
2. David Duncan - $101
3. Donna Bellamy - $125
4. Alisa Starke - $150
5. Lee Ann Sierecki - $100
6. Donna Weiss - $10
7. Leah Reynolds - $100
8. Renee Rotkopf - $100
9. Sharon McNulty - $250
10. Jonathan Avigdori -$100
11. Lourdes Mestre - $101


ADDITIONAL DONATIONS TO DATE: $551

TOTAL TO BE MATCHED ON 10/1: $1,237

40 HAND-MADE CANVAS BAGS FROM MALAWI LEFT!
YOUR GIFT FOR A DONATION OF $101 OR MORE.

Thanks Guys. Keep it Coming. Your Donations are Being Matched!

I made this low budget (no budget) video last weekend to help raise awareness and funds for the Home of Hope orphanage in Mchinji, Malawi. No time to perfect it (apologies for my gnawing voice/bad cadence). I only have a week and a half (till 10/1/08) to take advantage of a matching donation of $10,100.

As my own contribution, I'm giving hand-made canvas bags from Malawi to the first 50 people to donate at least $101.00. ($12 retail value). FYI, I'm letting the $100 donations slide in there too. But don't let me cap you! Maybe you'd like to support a whole orphan. That costs $1,400 per child per year. Or, perhaps now ain't such a good time, but you can forward my video around. Please help however you can.

Thanks to my donors so far - whose donation will be matched!

1. Miranda Soffian - $100
2. David Duncan - $101
3. Donna Bellamy - $125
4. Alise Starke - $150
5. Lee Ann Sierecki - $100
6. Donna Weiss - $10
7. Leah Reynolds - $100

ADDITIONAL DONATIONS TO DATE: $586

TOTAL TO BE MATCHED ON 10/1: $686

44 CANVAS BAGS LEFT!

And special thanks to the many of you who have forwarded my video to your own network!

Miranda Soffian, you complete me!

OK, so you know that scene in Jerry Maquire where Tom Cruise walks into the office after having shoved his manifesto in everyone's mailboxes -- "Jerry Maquire's Mission Statement --The things we think and do not say: thoughts of a sports attorney."

That Monday, with a clear head, he finds himself walking sheepishly into the office, sizing up the energy, and quickly starting to regret his very public attempt to bring more integrity to the status quo. He holds his dignity as his humiliation mounts. No one cared. Some even seem to be calling him out (coo-coo!).

I felt like that this morning. I woke up to David watching the news of this bank crashing and that trusted financial institution going under, and topped the morning off with a 7-year-low closing of the Dow.

What was I thinking, asking my friends for money?

It's that vulnerability - that gross totally exposed, public naked feeling you get when you lay your real self out on the line. I'm just hanging out there with this suburban garage, choppy video I made with my gnawing Chicago accent (I still can't seem to shake it!) for anyone to watch. It's a raw feeling - one you want to get out of ASAP.

Except for this little shining light in my day called Miranda, who I bumped into at the copier. She read (viewed) my manifesto and donated $100 last night. She was waiting for the confirmation to come through before she told me (it went into spam).

Even if it were just two pennies, I'd have all the light I needed to get me through this feeling. I couldn't share all that at the copier this morning. But I hope you can appreciate how much this means to me.

Miranda did assure me that I WILL raise my $10K plus in two weeks, and I WILL have it matched. I said I know. But I really could use another sign.

Cue: you.

TODAY: $34,782.68 + $100 = $34,882.68

(PLUS $100 TO BE MATCHED BY 10/1/08)

Christmas may come early this year!

It's probably no secret to most of my friends that I'm trying to raise $101,000 for orphans and vulnerable children by Christmas. And I'm doing that by supporting the good work of Raising Malawi, an organization I've come to know and trust.

Well, great news! I found a donor to match funds up to $10,100 till 10/1 (see the 101 theme?). That doesn't give us much time, so please oh please, I beg you...give whatever you can TODAY.

Donations are 100% tax deductible and will help bring much needed funds to the Home of Hope orphanage in Mchinji, Malawi. This video tells the story (my story) of what's needed and why. It's part Al Gore in Inconvenient Truth and part Linus in A Charlie Brown Christmas. But hopefully it explains what I'm up to and inspires you to help however you can. (After you start viewing, you may want to hit pause for five minutes so the entire video buffers. Otherwise, I find it's too choppy and annoying to watch).



Since it's so urgent that I raise this money quickly, as my own contribution, I'm offering these awesome cloth shopping bags from Africa Bags.org to the first 50 people who donate at least $101.00. All the bags are hand made in a village in Malawi.



But don't let me cap you out at $101.00! Maybe you can support a whole orphan! That's $1,400 per child per year. Or, maybe you can only give $20, but you have four friends who can also give $20. I can still send you a bag. The name of the game is to do what you can.

1. Donate to raisingmalawi.org

2. You will receive an automatic reply thanking you for your donation.

3. Forward that reply to me at jsilka@yahoo.com and I'll count it toward my goal (and the matching donor goal) and acknowledge your donation on my blog (unless you explicitly ask me not to). If you act quickly, please include a mailing address where I can send your Africa Bag.

On behalf of myself, Raising Malawi and 600 wee little orphans - thank you so very much!

Thanks Girls

I almost forgot. My fundraising event-planning buddies Heather Lounsbury donated $101 to Raising Malawi two weeks ago and Rivka Meital Levi donated $42. Add $143 to $34,639.68 and you get today's running total: $34,782.68