The unofficial Wes Clark Birthday Fundraiser! (Day one)
Submitted by James Mitchem on November 27, 2006 - 11:27am.
Many of you probably read my thread yesterday about the plight of the Lakota People on the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations. I very much appreciate the warm welcome my appeal for help received from CCN members. Our own member Nelsons suggested we run this as an unofficial fundraiser in honor of Wes Clark‘s birthday and so I‘ve taken up this brilliant idea that seems to fit in so perfectly with Wes's theme of a civil service society.
By popular request I will continue to post progress updates every day in the general discussion thread on our impact for the next 27 days until Wes‘s Birthday. I will also post weekly threads on our progress and to keep the fundraiser up on the recommended list so that everyone here at CCN has a chance to participate. I’ll post a final update on December 23rd with our final total and tell about some of the things our fundraising effort did to help the people on the reservation.
You can support any one of these programs to quickly and easily help. But to help us keep track of our impact please email me at: jamesmitchem7@hotmail.com or you can post it here on this blog or future fundraiser entries.
Simply let me know how much you donated after you donate so I can add up the amount and post the totals every evening to track our impact and post a final total on Wes‘s Birthday. And second but equally important please leave a .04 at the end of any donation to mark it as part of this fundraising effort in honor of Wes.
Fuel assistance program:
I’m working right now to streamline the donation process to make it quick and easy for CCN members to help meet this absolutely critical need on the reservation. In the meantime however simply email Myrna Fox at: phaedrus@access.mountain.net to participate.
Sponsorship:
You can sign up to sponsor a Lakota Native American family, elder or child. If your interested and financially able please contact Diane Capalario at: dicap1@comcast.net or you can call (603) 622-7008
Habitat for Humanity’s Pine Ridge Reservation housing fund:
You can donate to Habitat’s reservation housing fund, or you can sign up to work on helping to build homes on the Pine Ridge Reservation. All donations to Habitat are 100% tax deductible with receipt. So this is a great way for those who are of less financial means to participate in this effort.. Just visit the Pine Ridge Habitat website and choose a donation method here.
Christmas Box Program:
This is a quick and easy way to give the children of the Reservation probably the only gifts they receive all year, a check for 25$ will give one child a Christmas box, and of course if you send more than that then more children are effected. Simply make out your donation to ONE / ONE Spirit and write “Gift Box Program” into the memo line and send it to:
ONE Spirit
P.O. Box 2595
Chesterfield, VA 23832
Or if you would rather pay online make a Paypal payment to: OneSpirit@One1.org You can also assemble your own box at home, simply coordinate the delivery with One Spirit by emailing Marcia McMorrow at:
I'll be posting today's results on this thread and in the general discussion area this evening. Thank you all very much for your participation, support and encouragement.
As it provides long term relief from the appaling conditions and most of all, hope which is in short supply.
and if not for a state of creeping-decrepitude there is nothing I would love better than to volunteer at Pine Ridge this spring...building dreams. Or in any case, shelter.
"Some of us are still eating hotdogs......and that's an astonishing thing." -- Wes Clark
I'm mailing in as well, and will email you the amount. This way I can do one donation for this month, and another for Dec.
Once in a while you get shown the light, In the strangest of places if you look at it right. - Hunter/Garcia
I will let you what I do after I choose a donation option.
The General gets it right.
Competence--What a concept!
for everything. I hope I can contribute before Christmas, but since I get paid at the whims of my editors, I have no idea when I'll see a check, and right now I'm broke.
Yeah, yeah, I know abut the widow's mite, but I'd feel mighty guilty about sending only 4 cents, or maybe five, depending how many pennies I can find on the floor of the car.
No, not kidding.
God bless you.
Run, Wes, Run! (Please?)
I'll do what I can to spread the word. Thanks for the suggestion. Anything else, let me know, please.
Run, Wes, Run! (Please?)
Thank you so much for the added help on the logistics of spreading this around the blogosphere, it's a major blessing for me.
It sure sounds like a
really good cause,James,
BUT
I don't really think
I want to give to any
cause in Wes'name except
for his very own WesPAC.
Unless, he himself
asks us to donate to
some cause in his name.
As of now, the only
place he's asked us to
donate to, now that the
election of the candidates
he asked us to support is
done --- is his continued
providing for our support
to his very own WesPAC, here and at
actblue.com,
I don't see it as fair to him to put his
name on some cause that
he, himself, has not
asked us to donate to.
That, of course, means that
we would be giving it to that
cause instead of giving it to WesPAC.
And, especially, do I not think
it's right to
use his space, his own
website, to raise money
for some other cause.
Wes and WesPAC can always use
the money.
And expecially not
for his birthday gift from
the WesPAC ccn members.
I don't really like it that
some may think that that's what
I, as a ccn member am supporting
instead of WesPAC, and thus,
this site, as part of a birthday
gift to General Wes.
I never agreed to that, and,
for the reasons above, do not
now.
Hope you understand my
view of it.
Clearsky
General Wes Clark supporter.
no one is twisting your arm... But keeping in mind that as a community we have donated hundreds of phone cards to vets, donated fans to wounded vets, and amongst us, made dozens of quilts for wounded vets...Considering that following Katrina we donated all kinds of things to all kinds of victims even before Wes asked us to consider a few charitable orgs., Habitat for Humanity being one of them, btw (and all of this organized on the General's board in WKC's name and about all of which, he has been, apparently quite pleased, from what I've been told.)
And given that Wes believes that all Americans should be "service oriented"...
My guess is that if Wes or WesPAC disapproves, they will come on here with a directive telling us to: stop_with_this_birthday_business_immediately!
"Some of us are still eating hotdogs......and that's an astonishing thing." -- Wes Clark
And Clearsky I do understand your concern, I was somewhat nervous abot the idea myself and require a little bit of encouragement to make up my mind if this should be done in Wes's name even unofficially.
If WKC or anyone from CCN staff raises any objections at any point I'll of course honor my first commitment as a member of CCN and defer to what is best for General Clark and try to run this on my own totally seperate from my activities on CCN.
I just could not think of a better group of people to turn to than WKC supporters for an important cause that has gone under the radar screen. and given the reaction I've receive thus far I didn't make a mistake.
I really think given the reason's listed above Wes wouldn't disapporve at all. And I don't see this hurting WesPAC fundraising efforts as many of us have recurring payments to WesPAC.
And what better way to prove our Republican detractors wrong than to show that American's will step up to the plate if they have a real leader like Wes Clark.
From the looks of the replies,
I guess it's just my worrying.
I get near about frantic at times,
worrying that General Wes won't
run for 08. Due to the usual
cause, the money.
And that leads me to remembering
constantly that the main reason
that people don't run for the
nomination for President is the
money. And sometimes I, truly,
allow myself to look at the
possiblity that as it continues
to go up, up, up in other potential
nominees coffers, it may not
happen that Wes will be able to
run. And I despair.
On top of that (my usual worry),
there was a major article in one of
yesterdays (or day before)papers
onliine (it may have been the NYTimes as I read it regularly, but I couldn't find it again) in which the major point
was that whoever had the most
money on December 31 of the year
before the election got the
nomination.
In other words, according to that
premise,and, apparantly, history, whoever has the most money
on December 31, 2007, wins the
nomination.
Then, I go and read the WesPAC money page at opensecrets.org, one MORE time (which is
mounting into the Lord only knows
how many times I've read it, as it changes), and I worry
some more.
I read every name. Reminding
myself that many donors give
$199.00 instead of $200.00 in
order to not be listed. And that
many more than that give a lot
less than that.
(I think there are only 4 or 5 that
gave $5000.00 or more)
That government sources say that
the average donation to political
candidates is $20, so no
telling how many gave that and
will again, and
etc etc etc, worry, worry, worry.
And, so, I can just imagine what
General Wes and his family are
juggling around to decide what
they will do for 08.
But they say that it's the same for almost everyone else who
considers running for the
Presidential nomination, except for the usual suspects, all of known
great wealth, or with spouses, or other relatives of great wealth:
Kerry, Edwards, Hilary, et al.
So, forgive me for being such
a worry-wart.I guess I'm just
confident that if he and Gert
knew that they had the money
lined up and actually saw more
coming into WesPAC now, for his
"pre", so to speak, expenses,they'd do it.
Just
looking at 365 days of steady
money-raising starting Jan 1st
must be a deterrant to say the
least.
But, it is also true that I
can't know what other projects
General Wes would want sponsored
here instead. You're so very correct
about that. And it is truly a heartwarming and a lovely
charity.
Clearsky
The money primary is what it's called and Howard Dean had everyone crushed last time around. I should think that most of Howard Dean's supporters have taken more time than last to look at Wes Clark the man as opposed to Wes Clark the General (Tommy Franks type stereotype in their mind 'General') and they will be with us. They had already committed to Howard Dean last time so getting them to break away for General Clark was dificult.. They had formed meetup communities and friendships.. and they took the whole Democratic party over!
Add Carol Shea-Porter and Paul Hodes in New Hampshire and I see General Clark winning there outright. (And Hart's Location and Dixville Notch saying "Told ya!!!"). I think Mark Warner will be a big supporter for General Clark along with Tim Kaine and Jim Webb in VA.
Iraq and foreign policy will be the foremost issue in people's minds as all this approaches in about 10 months.
Who else could there be!!! HC ain't gonna fix anything and I can't believe that people won't see the divisive nature of her as a candidate. Word is that JE has lost a lot of support with his lawyer friends. Barrack Hussein Obama is wet behind the ears. Who from Indiana, and Who from Iowa won't be able to attract real supporters, the kind that stand out in bazillion degrees below sero holding up signs for them!
So cheer up and no more worrying! General Clark is gonna win!!! :D
For the record! I call dibs on being janitor at the White House!!! :)
You truly did.
What a lovely thing for you to
do.
Temporary,for I know that
it will return..
But, oh so nice to have the
worry-creature of the money
primary gone away for awhile.
thanks,
Clearsky
p.s. apologies for the short
columns in my messages.
The website IT team still
hasn't gotten the 3rd
column of the display to
stop overlapping the last
few words of the 2nd
column, so that's why I
have narrow 2nd column:
so I can read what I
write.
Clearsky
:D
Put it in the freezer and take it out and put it on when you need it. Just nuke it in the microwave for a few seconds first :)
Clearsky, if not mistaken, any funds contributed directly to WesPAC could not be legally used in his campaign, (should Wes decide to run in '08 of course), in any case. I believe that is correct.
Which is not to say that we should not continue to contribute to WesPAC of course.
"Some of us are still eating hotdogs......and that's an astonishing thing." -- Wes Clark
Thanks for that, and for the brilliant idea, I can already say that WKC supporters have been very generous and we've only gotten the ball started rolling on this.
that you "write out" your e-mail address so you aren't inundated with spam......Like this......jamesmitchem7AThotmailDOTcom
I will be able to donate after the first of the month.
Thanks so much for doing this
Run Wes Run!
Thanks for doing this James. Every year I look for some way to get the nephews involved in some charitable giving. The Gift Box Program sounds great - they learn so much from this!
Are other organizations working with this program - I know you wrote about Habitat, what about Heifer.org?
http://friendsofpineridgereservation.org/
It has specific needs listed for specific organizations. I am slightly overwhelmed by just how MUCH they really need.
On the other hand, that means there are MANY OPTIONS for giving!
I ordered a batch of the requested books for one of the schools, and will be discussing with my husband what else we want to do.
It's a great to get the kids involved whenever we can, and there are a lot of needs an on the reservation that the gift boxes are perfect for, warm clothes, books, you name it. Thanks for all that you are doing.
I'll check on the heifer.org website bright and early tomorrow and see if there is anything they are doing on the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River Reservations, thanks for the idea, the more options the merrier.
When you can do good, you should. It's part of the Clarkie creed. There's a lot of healing that this country is in dire need of. Democrats will again initiate that movement. Thank you for raising this issue.
I'll put in something after my next later this week. :)
I have to say I got a far better responce than I ever dreamed of which is yet another reason to be proud to be a WKC supporter, it's an incredible group of people we have here.
Your absolutely right this country need healing and I hope the 110th Congress is the start of that, and Wes Clark is the man to finish it.
Again thank you for everything.
==================================
Transaction ID: **U93630BF584Xxxx
Placed on Nov. 29, 2006
Payment For Quantity Price
ONE Spirit 1 $Xx.04 USD
Best regards in your effort!
KR
We've raised $622.16 breaking our fundraising goal of $500.00, I'm very grateful to everyone for all of the support.
The two leading causes thus far are the Habitat housing fund and the One Spirit fuel program.
Thank you very much for your support be it donating or keeping this thread on the recomended list or spreading the news to Clark Yahoo groups, it all helps. I look forward to continuing this great project.
This is fantastic!
I am ever so impressed with this group we have here. I will be reading your other thread to see which area I'll be giving to, but always have a soft spot for Habitat too... Like the gift box idea also. I have lots of clothes I give away every winter as well-- maybe there is an address on your thread to send to?
Now all we need is Uncle Noel to make a nice spiffy graphic that will tally up our donations! Like the Christmas tree and all the other efforts. What would work? Some Lakota symbol... thinking.
Anyways, thank you so much for initiating this. Tis the season!
I've always said to anyone who will listen that Clarkies are the most committed generous people determined to do good that I've met in my life.
As for the address for the Christmas boxes, I'll get in contact with the program coordinator and get that information tomorrow hopefully.
Any I'm off to bed, keep the blog fires burning.
I found this on a website on the Lakota, it's kind of long but it gives an idea of the people through their prayer:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This prayer is a thank you prayer said every morning by Lakota men when the night people have gone to bed and before the day people have woke.
Lakota Morning Prayer
O holy Great Mystery, thank you for this day.
Thank you for the Universe, which is our tabernacle. I thank you for the Star People, who watch over our water and all that lives, and give us direction and a place in life.
Thank you for our sacred Grandmother, the Earth, mother of all living beings, who are our relatives.
Thank you for the East Wind, which brings us the Morning Star to open the dawn, permitting us to begin each new day without repeating our mistakes of yesterday. The East Wind brings a sense of renewal into our hearts, our minds, our bodies and our spirits, as it renews the spirits of our sacred Grandmother, the Earth and of all our relatives, her children.
And thank you for the Black Tail Deer People, who live in the East and watch over us.
Thank you for the South Wind, which bears warmth and generousity to our hearts, our minds, our bodies and our spirits, as well as to our sacred Grandmother, the Earth, and to all our relatives, her children.
And thank you for the Owl People, who live in the South and watch over us.
Thank you for the West Wind, which brings the lightning and thunder spirits to cleanse and refresh our sacred Grandmother, the Earth, and all our relatives, her children, with rain, and which bears cleanliness and refreshment to our hearts, our minds, our bodies and our spirits.
And thank you for the Buffalo People, who live in the West and watch over us.
Thank you for the North Wind, which brings the strong and enduring winds that give our sacred Grandmother, the Earth, and all her children, our relatives, strength and endurance, and bears strength and endurance to our hearts, our minds, our bodies and our spirits.
And thank you for the Elk People, who live in the North, and watch over us.
I thank you for all the winged things of the air, everything that flies, for their teachings, their generosity and their sacrifice. Thank you especially for the eagle, who flies the highest, sees the furthest, and is faithful to its mate.
Thank you for the four-leggeds, who give us so much and teach us so much, for their sacrifices and sharing. Thank you especially for the buffalo, because as the buffalo goes, so go our people.
Thank you for all our relatives who crawl and swim and live within the earth, for their sacrifices and sharing and their generosity. Thank you for all their teachings and for everything that they give us.
Thank you also for everything that grows, all the green things of the Earth. They teach us so much and give us so much. Thank you for their sacrifices and for their sharing.
I thank you especially for the tree with the whispering leaves, for its strength and independence, for its teachings. And thank you for the sacred Tree of Life, which we must nourish and care for, in order to ensure that it blossoms once again and so allows our people to live.
Thank you for the salmon and the other fishes, who teach that it is our birthright to return to our home.
And thank you for the spider, who teaches us the foibles of life in the guise of Iktomi, the Trickster.
Thank you for the sundance, which allows men an opportunity to comprehend and appreciate the miracle of new life by sharing, in a small way, the experience of childbirth.
< snip >
Thank you for the dirt, for the clouds, for the white blanket that comes to cover our Grandmother, the Earth, in the time of cold.
Thank you for the water.
Thank you for all the sacred colors, together representing everything that is worthy in life, and individually teaching us so much.
And thank you for the wind that travels in a circle, for it teaches us respect and wonder and awe.
I thank you for everything that is holy and sacred and good.
We are all related.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Isn't that beautiful?
Mt mother and I were discussing the diversity and beauty of Native American culture this afternoon. The Lakota morning prayer is a fine example actually I think I'll pass it along to my mother, I know she'd like this, it's a great find.
$80.08 for Habitat and the Christmas box program, I want to thank everyone for their continued support.
I'd also like to apoligize for the late update, as many of you well know we needed some extra people over at Kos tonight to help boost up a Wes thread and deal with some rather nasty trolls..
I'll be moving this out to Kos and the yahoo groups this friday, I've been busy juggling logistics between various activities, so I've not been able to move as I fast as I would like to on my own projects due to my own time constraints but I'm burning the midnight oil to make this a success.
But I want to also thank anyone who is spreading this to the Clark Yahoo groups and your email lists, your making my job a lot easier and I appreciate it.
And thank you to anyone I might not have already thanked for your donations or pledges thereof.
James - what about having standard indexed and ready CCN reply for
1) fact attack on WKC - priority
2) snarking opinions - only if comment has momentum - begins a flame internet war - or looks like getting picked up by other blogs or MSM as a narrative Anti-Clark
“If you put me on third base I'll take it home.” - Wes Clark
I am an administrative social worker for 'ONE Spirit' at http://www.nativeprogress.org and I just can not get over the generous support all of you are lending to the Lakota people on South Dakota Indian reservations.
Times are very hard and the winter is very cold and you all show the true meaning of what it is to be a caring American.
Leonard Melton - VietNam Vet USMC
ONE Spirit Staff
I decided to donate to Habitat for Humanity’s Pine Ridge Reservation housing fund.
Thank you. :)
I would like to express our heartfelt thanks for your help for the Lakota people. Every day they let us know how important your help is to keeping them warm and helping to provide nutritious fresh fruit, meat, and vegetables. I have learned much from the Lakota people. Their beautiful art enhances our world, their spirituality affirms my faith, and their trust allows me to intrude in their world and learn from them.
They do not want handouts and are much appreciative of the opportunities your contributions provide to allow them to take care of themselves.
Project SHARE - a food co-op - is handled by the Lakota people for their people. They are paid with food for unloading trucks and sorting and delivering food each month.
The vets on Cheyenne River Reservation are paid for cutting, hauling, and delivering wood to the elders. They are proud that they can help their people. Meantime, contributions support the vets, provide firewood for the elders, and the cost of the wood is 1/2 the standard price for a cord. Certainly a winning situation for all.
The artists on the reservation send their art work to us to market at a fair price. After expenses, all proceeds go to the artists.
ONE Spirit is continually working to find opportunities for the Lakota people to protect their cultural heritage and develop methods for self sufficiency that fit within that heritage. We are able to do this because of people like you who sponsor a child, contribute to food and fuel, and support youth programs that allow the young people to believe again in their future and in their heritage. In December, ONE Spirit will proudly sponsor food for the Big Foot Ride, a Memorial to Wounded Knee and, for the young people, a renewal of pride in who they are.
Thank you for your help. Your actions once again affirm the goodness of American people. Please know that 100% of your contributions go to the programs for the Lakota. All people who work with ONE Spirit, volunteer their time and expertise because they know the importance of what we do.
Jeri Baker
Director
ONE Spirit
A 501c3 organization
This is wonderful!
I would like to mirror Jeri Bakers'post (One Spirit Director) above and say a heartfelt thank you to you James, and to all of you for your generous responses to this request to honor Wes' birthday by helping the neediest of Americans - the Lakota Sioux of Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River. Help them to have better lives and fulfill their dreams just like other Americans.
My personal belief is reflected herein as well in that if you can help, you should help. It's a great philosphy to live by. We who volunteer for One Spirit do it out of our love for the Lakota and their culture and because it is an honor to know these people and have them share their culture with us.
In addition to becoming directly involved by donating or sponsoring - you can help them tremendously by spreading the word about their need. We have found that about 95% of the people of this nation have no clue how bad living conditions are on these two reservations or how great a need there is in so many ways. People need to be made aware. I believe that with knowledge we would see many more people and organizations see the value in helping the Lakota to not only sustain themselves but to bring their culture alive for the world to enjoy. Our Native people really are our national treasure.
I hope those of you reading this will check out One Spirit (www.nativeprogress.org) or any of the other organizations listed here that are there to assist the Lakota with their plans for a better way of life.
Many thanks!
Kathy Kingery "Ayleeann"
One Spirit Volunteer
It can't be said much better than Jeri and Kathy have done above.
We are two more volunteers adding our voices to the chorus of thanks for this funding effort.
We have been One Spirit sponsors for three years--a truly wonderful experience that has resulted in us feeling we have extended family on Pine Ridge. Recently, we joined the One Spirit team as volunteers for the fuel program. What a treat to work with the other volunteers, a dedicated and caring group who regularly dig into their own pockets when a Lakota family has a need that can be filled no other way.
Below are two links to excellent articles about the Lakota People. These will help anyone that wants to know more about the conditions under which these People struggle. Thanks, James, for allowing us this opportunity to speak out for the Lakota that we all love.
http://www.silvrdrach.homestead.com/Schwartz_2006_Oct_15.html
http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/index.ssf?/base/news-9/1162705078122940.xml&coll=1
And I will join the others on Friday, when payday fluffs up my coffers again! Thanks for establishing this for us. It's truly a special way to commemorate Wes Clark's birthday. ♥
$200.12 with the Christmas box program bringing in most the cash.
And again many thanks to all of our generous donors and all those supporting this effort.
http://www.google.com/search?q=eagle+butte+south+dakota+weather
Leonard Melton - (hope this works).
I got a little more knowledge and background information on James Mitchem yesterday and he is truly impressive indeed.
I wish him all the best in all he does and hope for a brilliant life and career ahead.
Sincerely,
Leonard Melton - as a private citizen and my own opinion.
James, you have mail
I'm in.
(I thought the mail in print-out form to WYHFH was good because you can explain this birthday fundraiser.)