I normally wouldn't post this in the main section, but felt I had to.

Since everyone doesn't read the "Behind The Scenes" section, let me explain.

A radiothon that I have organized in my hometown for my MDA camp fund is going on all this weekend here on WSTC / WNLK AM and wstcwnlk.com. We got no press, we got no phones, and tonight we learned that MDA is shutting down their summer camps nationwide - all of them - IMMEDIATELY due to the swine flu scare. We at the station decided to not mention it, and will not (at least not until after the show is over), because it would effectively kill the three years of hoping and praying for this to happen, and then the last 40 days of everything to come together. Not to mention that the station gave us the time and the on-air talent wanted to help.

So I know it is now 1 AM East Coast time, Saturday morning. I ask of you, my friends, to go to my site and donate just $1. Nothing more. $1 will do. Your money WILL go to camp, just not camp for this year; but camp in 2010.

Please help.

Bummed for the kids that can't go this year,
James

http://www.mdactkids.org

Done, plus a little extra.

Thanks so much - you're a hero in my book. Anyone else wanna save this show?

Donated. Best prayers and wishes with this! :-)

Thanks so much, Brandon! It says you donated, but for some reason, I can't send you a thank you automatically; maybe the system needed a rest - if it's not working later this morning, consider this my way of saying thanks; and for your tax records, I can call the local office on Monday just to make sure you get a thank you - but let's see what happens on my end this morning.

Guys, as Brandon and Josh can attest, the process is really simple and all I really ask is for $1 - be a hero for these kids and help us out - no pledge is too small and every pledge is deeply appreciated.

James

Brandon, I sent you a thank you. I will be back with a wrap-up total in this thread on Monday. Meanwhile, anyone else interested in donating, please visit http://www.mdactkids.org

Got it...no problem whatsoever! :-)

I think this is more important than me having Netflix this month.

Count me in.

One of the best charities out there, folks...pitch in and help.

/wishes there was a way for PayPal to automatically scrape 1% or so from eBay sales or other payments to go to MDA or another charity...

Thank you, gents. I really appreciate it!

I want to hit $14,000 by 8 AM Sunday. The reason for this number and this timing is because the check for $5,000 came. As of this second, we have a very respectable $13,679 - that $5,000 is included in the total, so basically, we've raised $500 for the whole weekend. And it's been 95% from my friends on various websites. And here's why I want it by 8 AM. At 8 AM or around that time, I will be copying the number down on a piece of paper, and I will carry it with me to the station. When we're about to end at noon, I will ask to read that number that I wrote down, even though we will probably have more thanks to John LaBarca's vast audience - we can't check a computer in the studio. So if everybody on all the sites I frequent could together raise the $300 or so needed to reach it in the next 11 hours, I really would be ecstatic. Just to tell you, there is NOTHING RUNNING ON THE STATION OVERNIGHT asking folks to pledge. (Obviously, we'll work on that in 2010 if we do this again.) If anybody wants to give via Paypal, there's a chipin button at the bottom of the front page; if it's not there, just send your donation to my e-mail and I'll transfer it to MDA, I swear on all that is holy - jameslacerenza@gmail.com

Thanks,
James

You got my contribution a while ago, James. Hope all is still going well. :)

Hi James.

I just heard about your story. It very much did bring a tear to my eye. It was very sad and awful.

I donated one dollar for you folks. It may not seem like much, but it is very much all I can give for now. I hope that dollar will go a long way for you.

You've got my full support.

You take care. Best wishes. And I wish you the best of luck.

Blessings.

Take it easy.

Wishing you nothing but all my best,
Chris Kennedy

Thanks, Chris. I live my life one day at a time and overcome everything while (usually) not feeling bad about myself. Everyone has a bad day or two. It stinks that the kids won't get to go to camp this year, but their respiratory systems are so fragile that it's too much of a risk to send them when the H1N1 virus has been reported at at least three camp sites.

Thanks for the kind words - your dollar means so much to me.

God bless you,
James

Just kicked in my ten bucks. Do you have any information about local MDA volunteers?

Good morning, everybody.

We will NOT be doing a tote for the simple fact that people may visit during the show, or during the week. On next week's show, there WILL be a tote, however. We also will NOT be addressing the swine flu issue or the camp closure. We're going to pretend like nothing happened.

I also want to tell all of you that John LaBarca (this morning's host) does a segment near the end of his show called "Angels In Heaven", where he plays Lou Monte's 1971 recording, "I've Got An Angel In Heaven" after reading off the list of recently deceased "angels" that people call in and tell us about. What we're going to do, because it's a special week, is on that list will be the deceased former national MDA Goodwill Ambassadors (Mattie Stepanek, etc.)

It's going to be a great show, and it's a show for everyone, not just Italians, so if you want to listen, it's from 9-Noon East Coast time, the website is www.wstcwnlk.com, and should you have an "Angel In Heaven", a song request, if you want to say "Congratulations, James", anything like that, the lines to the station will be open shortly after we go on the air at 9 AM - 1-(203)-845-3044 is the number, and John always likes to know where exactly you're calling us from, because we have listeners from all over the world tuning in.

I'll check back in with a final tote and a post-show press release probably later today, but definitely sometime this week.

Thank you all and God bless you,
James

Despite ALL obstacles - WE DID IT!!!! $13,706 (17 KIDS!) Thank you, EVERYONE!!!!

A press release will come sometime this week.

I'm gonna guess you meant $14,706, because otherwise you made $37 between yesterday evening and today. :)

James, you are a true winner in life. The passion you have for your cause is wonderful!

I hope you have continued success in future attempts. :)

No, Chris, unfortunately, I DID mean $13,706. MDA is basically using me on the regional level in the sense that they know I did all the work, and yet, they sometimes want to take credit for it. They know I'll come through for them whether they help me out in any venture or not, because I am so passionate. It's sad.

Grudges with MDA not withstanding, I thought you'd like to see this number.

Since 2005, James has officially sent 78 kids (more than a full camp can handle in one session) and raised $60,165 (and counting!)

If we have any other totes, check the behind the scenes section periodically till Labor Day.

THANK YOU, GANG!!!!!!!!

Ah, ok. I thought the "WE DID IT!" meant that you crossed the $14K line you were talking about wanting to cross last night.

What you have accomplished is absolutely nothing to sneeze at, and I apologize if you feel diminished in any way from my comment.

No worries, my friend. All is good.