Project VALOUR-IT

It’s that time of year, folks. Time for the annual VALOUR-IT fundraiser! Most of you know what VALOUR-IT is…those of you who don’t should go here immediately, if not sooner. And, in the interests of saving some of your valuable time, there’s much more here…from a historical perspective. But this is the money-graf, if you’re looking for one:

Every cent raised for Project Valour-IT goes directly to the purchase and shipment of laptops for severely wounded service members. As of October 2007, Valour-IT has distributed over 1500 laptops to severely wounded Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines across the country.

Valour-IT is a project of Soldiers Angels, which is an IRS-designated 501(c)(3) non-profit charity. Thus donations to the project may be tax deductible, and eligible for employer matching funds if applicable.

Now about the fund-raiser…which only lasts for two short weeks and ends on November 11th. We do it as a good-natured (hah!) competition between The Good Guys and Those Other Guys, namely the squids, jar-heads, and grunts of the world...who may be well-meaning but are nonetheless deprived in a lot of ways. In the case of the Navy, you just gotta question the judgment of folks who choose to live a life where they go for months on end without a drop of alcohol or an opportunity to touch anything soft (besides themselves, that is). And I’ve never understood the Army’s love of mud and communal living. Same goes for the Marines. What ARE they thinking?

But The Other Guys are good at some things. For example… to my ever-lasting embarrassment, Team Air Force came in dead last in last year’s fund raiser.

O, the ignominy.

But we can fix that this year with your help and indulgence, Gentle Reader. Simply click the “Make Donation” button on that widget at the very top of the side-bar. There’s NO better cause in this world, at this moment or any other. Do it for our wounded heroes, first and foremost.

And help redeem Team Air Force while you’re at it.

Update: 10/30/2007, 1058 hrs. We've had "issues" with the "Chip In!" widget that used to be on the side bar, specifically: the old widget wasn't updating the running totals. The "Chip In!"widget has been replaced with a new graphic, as you can see. I've been assured if you donated using the old widget your contribution made it.

And speaking of contributions...Team Air Force is in third place as of this writing (10/30). The Navy appears to be sorta stuck in port but those grunts and jar-heads are pressing the fight. Hard.

C'mon Zoomies...Let's soar into that Wild Blue Yonder!!

Update: 11/01/2007, at the very crack-of-mid-morning. Mrs. Greyhawk, the illustrious leader of Team Air Force, has news about a couple of exciting items to be auctioned off in support of VALOUR-IT. For example: dontcha think a personalized "Day By Day" cartoon would look good on the wall of your den? Or a caricature of YourOwnSelf penned by none other than John Cox of Cox and Forkum? (name sound familiar? check the cartoon immediately above!) Either or both could be yours...if you submit the winning bid! Check it out...

The news from the front is depressing today. Team Air Force is bringing up the rear in these early days of competition, and it looks like Team Ground-Pounder has built an insurmountable lead...what with them doubling the Good Guys' total donations. Even our arch rivals are finally out of port and steaming off into the sunset. (Does a nuclear-powered flotilla still "steam?")

But...as noted: it's still early days! We didn't give up after Schweinfurt... and we won't give up now! Hit that donation button early and often!!

Yet Another Update, 11/01/2007: Flag Gazer has pics of items up for auction in support of VALOUR-IT. I particularly like the quilt! The auction site, btw, is here.

Update 11/02/2007, 1220 hrs: Continuing bad news from the front. I'm at a loss to explain this... Laurie said, in comments, that she has a listing of all Air Force items up for auction at her place...go check it out!

Update, 11/06/2007, 1035 hrs.: The news from the front is MUCH better today! Team Air Force has put over $2,000.00 worth of distance between ourselves and last-place Team Squid and we're within striking distance of those Jarheads! The Grunts, on the other hand, are still waaay out in front. We're in the third quarter (to use a sports metaphor, like any good American)...and only one-sixth of the way towards our goal. We need to PRESS! As in: PRESS that donate button!

Update, 11/09/2007: The VALOUR-IT fundraiser is officially over on Sunday, November 11. And for the first time ever it looks like we will not meet our goal. Let me quote Mrs. Greyhawk, the AF Team Lead:

As some of you may have noticed, we are no where near our goal of $240,000. Ambitious as it is, we have managed to raise this in past. Currently all 4 team totals come to approx. $55000.00. A goal per team was $60,000. Although these current numbers may look impressive to some, we are still dealing with those troops who were wounded the first half of this year. Valour-IT is not going to survive the next 4-5 months without raising more than we have so far.

Giving out from 30 to 100 laptops per month since June, Valour-IT is in more demand than ever. We literally scraped the bottom of the barrel with our last delivery of laptops, and Soldiers' Angels has said they cannot allocate any more funds for us until March 2008.

I hate begging for money. And I don't like the more than superficial resemblance EIP has taken on to that obnoxious phenomenon known as "PBS Pledge Week." BUT. I DO believe in VALOUR-IT and I DO believe in providing our wounded troops with an ability to "do for themselves," something that is invaluable to normally self-sufficient, proud, and able soldiers rendered dependent on others due to their horrible wounds. I would hate to see this program go belly up, however briefly, because the money ran out.

This is my last plea: won't you please hit that "donate" button on the sidebar? Even if it's only for five or ten dollars...every bit helps. And if you don't want to donate to in favor of Team Air Force, go here and choose your poison. (As long as it isn't Team Squid, of course. I jest! I jest!)

Update 11/10/2007: Yesterday I offered up what I said was my final plea. Well, I have one more: Go read the VALOUR-IT post Blog-Buddy Morgan put up late last evening. Morgan gave us a link in the comments to this post... but not everyone reads all comment, all the time. And his post is worth your time, as is ALL of his stuff. But this one is a gem among gems. Do go.

And then donate. Please.