Dunklin
Democrat - Articolo sul Birthday Drive 2004, 13 febbraio 2004
Friday,
February 13, 2004
Brian E. Rodriguez
Sheryl
Crow fans came together internationally to help raise nearly
$11,000 for the Delta Childrens Home with the fourth annual
birthday drive hosted by the Sheryl Crow web site.
The
fans came together to raise $10,775.46 for Crow's 42nd birthday
through donations.
"I
can not begin to tell you how it touches me that you guys collect
for the Delta Children's Home each year for my birthday,"
Crow said on the forum page of her web site. "It means
the world to me and I know it matters to the kids there. We
are really trying to get enough money to buy the companion house
that was once part of the pre-existing children's home there.
The money you've raised will be put to excellent use."
The
birthday drive began Dec. 28 and lasted until Crow's birthday,
Feb. 11.
The
drive used incentive prizes like Sheryl Crow CDs, posters, books
and guitar picks donated by fans to draw more attention to the
annual drive.
This
year's grand prize, a Takamine guitar to be autographed by Crow,
was won by Ray Tomany of Kildile, Ireland.
A
post on the fan forum by the Delta Childrens Home Board said
some fans include notes with their contributions that show they
do not donate just to win the prizes.
"The
notes I get in with the money are really heartfelt," said
Delta Childrens Home board member Jim Baker. "They weren't
doing it just to win something. Their hearts were in the right
place."
A
further display of heartfelt caring from Crow's fans was shown
by the grand prize winner.
After
notification of his prize, Tomany asked that after the guitar
was signed, it would be put up for auction to further help the
Delta Childrens Home.
The
fan forum began using PayPal for donations this year, a method
of paying with credit or debit cards over the Internet.
Dempsey
estimated 50 percent of the donations this year came through
a PayPal account.
"PayPal
has been a really big help," Baker said. "It just
simplifies things."
One
reason the account was set up was to simplify currency conversion
from other countries. With the PayPal account, the entire donation
goes to the Delta Childrens Home without requiring a currency
conversion fee for the donations made in foreign currencies.
Baker
said money had to be converted or made in money orders to send
oversees, or the Childrens Home had to have a local bank send
it to a clearing house to convert it to U.S. currency.
"We
were real happy when we got $10,000," said Gregg Dempsey,
Crow's fan forum moderator. "Then we were even happier
when we ended near $11,000."
The
birthday drive raised $15,323 in 2003, $5,841 in 2002, and nearly
$1,800 in 2001, after Peggy Sikarinthra of Roscoe, Ill. posted
the idea for the drive on Crow's forum page.
Dempsey
attributed last year's higher sum to a new album release and
more touring to draw attention to Crow's web site.
The
birthday drive has raised about $33,700 in its four years.
"That's
an impressive sum from all over the world," Dempsey said.
"This
is money that's come in from all over the world and we're going
to get to use it right here," Baker said.
"You
guys are the best, most generous fans anyone could ever hope
for," Crow posted on the forum page. "I consider you
my dear friends."
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