You made an error in your broadcast. The numbers game today consisted of 4 events. 12:34:56 07/08/09 twice and 04:05:06 07/08/09 twice. Just thought I'd share. :)

The good news is I don't have to watch Brian Williams slobber all over the televison about Michael Jackson the music maker, while ignoring the US troops who have died since the MJ died!  Unbelievable Brian, you should be ashamed!

A local Doctor is making a difference in Martinsville, Va.  Dr. Tom Berry has a huge concert each year in this small town that has the highest unemployment in the state of Virginia.  It is so uplifting.  He completely supports it on his own and I for one appreciate him and have loved every one of the concerts.  

Justa wondering if you could do another story on the Maine Troop Greeters. They have welcomed over 800,000 troops either going over or returning home. They have made a documentary also about it and it is winning awards all over the United States. We have greeting the troops since the war in Iraq started. Will send some links for you to check out.
http://www.thewaywegetbymovie.com/
http://www.themainetroopgreeters.com/
Thank you for your time.

You might check out the "largest public physical workout" held weds. eve in Lawrence, KS. Its led by a legendary Don "Red Dog" Gardner in the central part of the US.

Curtis Mullins, Scoutmaster from Grundy, VA has organized a trip for local boy scouts, offering many youth of our poverty stricken county the opportunity to see numerous wonders of the West.  This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime adventure for these kids. The boy scouts performed flag ceremonies at Mount Rushmore as well as the Crazy Horse Museum. They are half-way thru their adventure, currently in California to tour the Redwood and Yosemite National Parks, and expected to arrive back home on July 19th. Follow their adventure on their website, where photos are being posted for us anxious parents and friends left behind.
It would be great if you could catch up with them and give them two minutes of fame on national news.  We are at a loss as to how we can show Mr. Mullins how much we appreciate all he does for our boys.

Hello Brian,

I enjoy watching The Nightly News with Brian Williams almost every night and most of the time you get it right but tonight was the exception and your next chance to get it right will take a hundred years. In the hour, minute, second, day, month and year sequence you said June.  I hope I’m alive to hear you get it correct.  

I nominate my sister in law Charlene Thomas.  Charlene as long as I can remember has made it a point to give back.  Nothing stops her from all the charities she is involved in.  She is a cancer survivor, a member of the Gold Diggers of Sth Fl.  an organization that yearly raises funds for a charity of their choice.  Charlene works in RE which is really slow but that does not bring her down every day including weekends you can find her giving back.

Hello Brian,

I enjoy watching The Nightly News with Brian Williams almost every night and most of the time you get it right but tonight was the exception and your next chance to get it right will take a hundred years. In the hour, minute, second, day, month and year sequence you said June.  I hope I’m alive to hear you get it correct.  

Not sure if this is the place for this, but....


There's a couple in Griswold, CT who, for the last 5 years, have been involved in the Make A Wish foundation with their farm. They initially grew and sold some sunflowers, and now they have an entire field filled with them! The upcoming sunflower ("sunflowers for wishes") festival is later this month (July 18-26). Yankee Magazine recently did a spotlight on them.The link is below. It's a beautiful idea from two beautiful people.

http://www.yankeemagazine.com/issues/2008-07/features/sunflowers-family-farm-ct


(here's the gist, copied from the article)
Duane Button readies for his day when the sun is just rising on Buttonwood Farm, its rays reflecting off tens of thousands of sunflowers, bathing the rolling farmland in a golden light. He has to harvest today's crop by hand, and the way demand has been, he'll be lucky to keep up.

The sunflowers started as a marketing gimmick in the summer of 2003. To lure people to his ice cream stand in the rural town of Griswold, Connecticut, Duane planted an acre of them in the field opposite. People admired the beauty, but aside from traffic, he got nothing from the crop except cattle feed. Land is precious on small farms, so he kept his eyes open for opportunities.

A few months later, Duane received an epiphany in the most unlikely form: junk mail. It was a mass mailing from Make-A-Wish, the type most people just throw away. But this day Duane and his wife, Kim, took note of the foundation's mission: to grant one wish -- one perfect day -- to children with life-threatening illnesses. They thought of sunflowers.

The next summer Duane planted a larger field, and Kim sold bouquets out of their gazebo for $5 donations, dubbing the event "Sunflowers for Wishes." The event lasted only nine days, but they raised $30,000. From there, things snowballed. Five years into the charity, Duane is now planting 17 acres of the golden flowers. He and Kim have started selling sunflower-themed T-shirts and post-cards, and they've even added a hayride. In 2007 alone, the festival raised almost $70,000 -- enough for at least eight children to find their perfect day.
Kim is gracious, but she and Duane aren't the type to embrace the spotlight. Local celebrity chafes them worse than the sunflowers' bristly hairs. That's one reason why Duane doesn't mind being in the field all day -- far from the crowds, at peace in his work. Still, the gratitude that truly matters always seems to find him.

Late in the day, a woman calls out to him from the roadside. Her children are playing in the grass beside her. She tells him that one is terminally ill and a Make-A-Wish recipient. For a moment, she and Duane stand opposite each other, a thin stone wall separating two strangers, each of whom is a hero to the other. She breaks the silence: "Mr. Button, there's a special place in heaven for you."

The sun sets on the last day of the festival faster than anyone would like. In a few short weeks the radiant blooms opened, filled the rolling Connecticut fields with light and joy, and then passed. Duane readies his equipment to recycle the stalks into feed and bedding for his herd -- he doesn't waste anything he can use. Some late visitors complain to him that the sunflowers didn't last longer, that a nine-day peak just isn't enough. He shrugs. For all his skill as a farmer, Duane has no control over that. They are what they are.

I'm very upset with tonight's broadcast regarding the security breach at Federal Buildings.  How irresponsible can you be?  You practically gave terrorists a "how to" lesson. What were you thinking?  Why is the Federal Protective Service looking for "more money and more manpower"?  In Kelly's report the security is provided not by Federal employees, but contractors. Are these people employees of a company that the Federal Protective Service contracts with and shouldn't they be required to supply properly trained staff?  I'm sure that out of the 2 million people that are currently unemployed there are qualified people that actually WANT to work and keep our Federal Buildings safe.  The Director of the Federal Protective Service should be fired IMMEDIATELY!!! Who is he related to and what are his qualifications?

Hi Brian:

My story comes from North Carolina.  I was visiting there last week and met Bonnie a friend of my sister's. She told us of a litle girl in the area that is sufferning with cancer. Her parents portion of the cost is $1000 per treatment because they do not have sufficient medical insurance to cover it.  This is crippling them and they were not sure how long they could keep up the treatments.  Bonnie found a way to help and get all of us involved.  The bottle caps from bottled water and soft drinks are being collected and with each 1000 caps they get this little girl gets a free treatment. Bonnie has contacted all the branches of the bank she works for and put the word out to all her friends, including me who lives in California, to collect caps and get them to her.  It gave me an idea to contact the bottling company here in California and see if they would be willing to do the same thing for patients out here that need help because of the cost of the treatments. I sent a letter today and hope I get a favorable response.  I just sent a package to my sister in North Carolina with about 35 bottle caps in it and it felt so good to do it.  Bonnie's efforts have made such an impact on this child's life and knowing Bonnie she will keep this going as long as she can.  

Decent is Palin stepping down and not burdening her state with all the lawsuits the Libs. are charging her with costing her family and the state millions of wasted dollars. Decent is Palin believing in life and not abortion. Decent is Palin believing in God and protecting her children and herself from the likes of the extreme,radical,left-wing hateful reporters on msnbc. Decent is Palin who puts her family and this great country first and arrogant bashers last.

Brian-

i doubt you will actually be the person to read this, but i thought i would send anyway.  I find it hard to believe you, or NBC would be such an easy sell out.  dont you think 2 weeks is enough coverage of an entertainer's life?  Should i expect the same when OJ passes?  they were both not guilty...  lets give some poor soldiers family some coverage as we are still fighting a war..  dont you think the american public would like to acknowledge a woderful soldier for 5 minutes vs. 2 weeks plus of a pop singer who may or may not have molested children?  it almost makes me want to get sick to watch ANY news these days..  I dont have time to write to all, but wanted to voice my thoughts..  Freedom is not free, but it appears even the mighty NBC is still after the almight dollar...  you guys do a good job, but after this, i am done w/you, and most..  i hope more think like me, and turn the tv off at 5:30, and all NBC channels like i am going to do..  it will be difficult as i love the shows you offer, but i am done..  I had a vietnam vet at my house for the 4th, and he said, 'would it kill them to put one soldier on the news every day?'  Good luck

Although lawyers sometimes get a bad rap, it is a profession that has the capability to do tremendous good.  As a bankruptcy lawyer in Springfield Massachusetts, I have become increasingly angry over the past five years as I have witnessed the foreclosure crisis transform from a slow stream of home loss to an out of control river leaving homelessness, despair, and family destruction in its wake.  After seeing first hand the crisis become catastrophic, I decided to not only volunteer my time to help families facing foreclosure, but to organize other lawyers in Western Massachusetts to do the same.  The result of this commitment and hard work has for the first time resulted in hope for families who now have a free legal resource to help them fight to retain home ownership.  What started as a simple thought to try to help my community, has grown into a movement that hopefully will promote stability in my community, and in turn may actually improve some peoples notions about lawyers.  I would be happy to talk with you and discuss the details of the volunteer work in detail if you are interested.  

THE ASHLAND CITY BAND, Ashland, Oregon....
 I have playing drums in this band since I was in high school in 1968 and many members have played even longer....
 Band members are paid a stipend by the City of Ashland, by a special tax, and has been in existence since the 1920's.
 Each Wednesday the band rehearses and on Thursday nights they perform in LITHIA PARK at the band shell for 250-400 (and more) people from June-August.
 This is one of the countries oldest and continuous community bands and, I feel, worthy of spot on the NBC Nightly News. There is a web site for information on this band at www.ashlandband.org.
 People begin showing up at 5pm to see the 7:30pm concert. This is lawn seating and bring in people from all over Southern Oregon.
 The performance ends at 8:30pm so that the Oregon Shakespearian Festival can begin its outdoor theater performances.
 This would be a great "American" story.

Dear Mr. Williams,I have been watching the various reports of Michael Jackson's death with great interest as well as with great concern for his three children. My heart goes out to each of them as I hear so many reports as to their biological parents. I feel their rights to privacy are not being considered in this very personal and sensitive matter. They are minors and they are precious children whose peers are listening to stories with varied implications as to who their parents are. In addition, the whole world is listening; these comments follow them for life. The two older ones, Prince Michael and Paris, must feel very bad deep inside that all this in public knowledge; and blanket will understand one day, also. Paris told us: "Ever since I was born, I had the best Daddy..." Michael is her father and she and her brothers need private time to deal with the great loss. Why not honor this need?

Brian,
Here's a suggestion for your news broadcasts.
Use maps to pinpoint the location of a news story. Our american society is pretty bad when it comes time to find something on a map. Last night you did a good news story on a fellow who used his own money to put on concerts for the people who lived in the small Tennessee town he lived in. It would have been nice had you had a map of Tennessee showing where the town was. This is a great teaching tool. This can be done for many news stories you present. Just an idea Brian. My wife and I enjoy your news broadcasts and this map idea would make them even better.

Good news? Your whole program whitewashes the real news. Why are you not reporting on the waste and abuse in the Stimulus Bill? The American public has a right to know how their tax money is being spent. We Americans want to know these answers. You abdicate your responsibility as a questioning press by failing to analyze critically the Stimulus. Why does the majority of Stimulus money go to areas that voted for President Obama? Did you even know this? Is this politically motivated?
Please be as critical to the present administration, as you were to one that you did not vote for.

Our son, Ash, was in need of a power chair and a van to transport him in order to avoid the amputation of both of his legs due to lymphodema.  Our Church (Lutheran) has organized a fundraiser for this coming Saturday (7-11) which has elicited an outpouring of love as well as funds.  The local Episcopal Church has parternered with us and we even have a sizeable check from the Muslim Sisters of Sugarland.  People have volunteered and given in a manner we have never experienced!

As a pet lover my wife and I hate to see animals in situations that we would not put ourselves in.  you should have asked the pilot to put the dog in first class.  that would be making a difference.

In our community, we have an Easter Seals camp that serves children and adults with disabilities.
The director of that camp has been working hard to establish an ambitious hiking program for disabled people. I don't mean little hikes through a forested state part – I mean hikes to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and Mount Kilimanjaro.
He has taken several trips to both places with several disabled people. I got to go on one of these trips Oct. 8, 2008. A group of 12 volunteers (mostly from area churches and schools) plus one 22-year-old woman who is paralyzed from the waste down and the camp director, traveled in a church bus from Carrollton, Ky., to the Arizona side of the Grand Canyon.
Using a contraption called a TrailRider, a three-wheeled vehicle that is powered by human muscle, the group descended about 2/3 of the way down to the bottom. Turned out to be too much that time, but in subsequent trips another group of volunteers, this time with a disabled teen-ager, made it to the bottom, where they camped overnight.
He has planned an ambitious trip that will take four disabled individuals to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and the Havasu, departing Aug. 7 and returning Aug. 15.
His dream is to be able to offer these trips to anyone who wants to go, with a portion of the cost paid by the individual to go into scholarships for children to attend the camp's summer programs.
It was an extraordinary trip last year, and I think this project is very much worthwhile for NBC Nightly News. Thanks!

There is a local mortician who offers people a free ride home during high profile events in and around the community, as well as New Years, Supper Bowl etc.  His name is Kevin Loveland and his business is Loveland Funeral Chapel.  In a town of only 12,000 he isn't rich but he does this as a tribute to a friend he lost in a drunk driving accident.  I am sure he has saved lives and he does this out of his own pocket.  The local paper has acknowledged him many times.  He does a good work.

My cousin has a grandson who is a Christian minister in Iraq and my cousin, Sharon Courtney of Austin, Texas, being very proud of her grandson's endeavors keeps me somewhat informed of his activities. They aren't controversial therefore not news worthy as most stories go but he is instrumental in saving the lives of children. In the short space of this memo there isn't time to explain it all but there is a Web site that does. It is http://preemptivelove.org/
I feel Jeremy Courtney deserves some attention for the work he is doing and the lives he has touched.
If I am not mistaken Jeremy, as I write (or will be soon) is in Turkey with the latest load of children he is talking about in the video. Turkey is closer than Israel (where they first took them) and less espensive, even though they are still "the enemy" of the Iraqis.  The program is no longer meeting the opposition (religious differences) that it was to begin with, and he is winning their trust.

Because of the chemical warfare by Saddam against the Kurds (whom he ministers to) that saturated the ground, got into bloodstreams, and now a generation of children are being born with very serious congenital heart diseases (like holes in their hearts) and many die before they reach adulthood.  A single surgery costs more than an Iraqi earns in a whole year, so they are literally saving lives of their children.  They have only lost two children.  One, a toddler died as they were admitted to the hospital and another older child who they didn't get to in time and was too serious.

Jeremy explains on this video how this is accomplished.

Please, please, please do not take up time in your newcast for inane stories that politicians hope you fall for, e.g., the 'made-for summertime' non-issue of CIA vs. Pelosi.  It seems that the democrats on the Hill are trying to make political hay on the backs of the intelligence community...again.  And Panetta is helping.  All that any of them (including Panetta) are saying is that during the last administration, the CIA was used for political purposes, when it should not have been. DUH!

The folks who do the work at agencies such as this are completely demoralized by being made scapegoats in this political fingerpointing game.  It is counterproductive to the nation's interests.  The media is being asked to contribute to the sensationalism by keeping it in the public eye.

Can anyone SERIOUSLY inagine what would happen if the intelligence agencies of this country had to tell all members of congress what they were doing and how?  This polemic by members of the Democratic congressional delegations is a smokescreen to the issues these people should actually be working on.

Hi Brian,
I know that you do love your job and although I do not personally know you, I feel that you are truly a good person, very sincere, who loves your family,animals,your country....Elmo :) For the first time, I realized how you may feel everyday when you read your blog comments (which I know you do)
You get mainly positive comments but some people are so hurtful. A few nights ago there was the "Shame on you" comment. All week it has been comments about Michael Jackson. Michael was 50, you and I are 50 so we are from the same era so we may be interested in this story. At the funeral coverage,with Lester,you said that it is hard to get your arms around the media coverage and that a friend of yours had said that the American public has a funny way of deciding for itself what its major moments are going to be culturally, what to be interested in despite sometimes the newsmedia's better wishes.
Looking forward to tonights broadcast...

Well, it seems the US networks including NBC were all in a tizzy last night about what happened "twice" today.  At 12:34:56 am and then pm, the time/date stamp was: 12345678(0)9: something they say happens only once (well, twice) a century. Well, not quite, everyone.  It'll be another 81 years before we can truly say it's 12:34:56 7/8/90.  By the way, it'll be a bit later in Canada when we do it "right" and make the format day/month/year: August 7, 2090 and just after noon it actually will be:12:34:56 7/8/90.

I was working hard at the 12:34:56 pm milestone.  At just after midnight, it was really 00:34:56 and I was sound asleep.  Oops!

David Snow

Mr. Williams,

I’m a young high school coach in the town of Prairie Farm, Wisconsin.  Prairie Farm’s an extremely small town of blue-collared families.  And although our school is a small one, our student’s interests in extra curricular activities, especially sports, has been on the rise.  However, our facilities are the bare minimum for our school and, unfortunately, sometimes insufficient.  As almost all rural school districts we have very little money for improvements, and we rely on community fundraising.  What’s been amazing is in the past two years, we’ve raised thousands of dollars towards our “Fields of Dreams” project, a plan to build new, sufficient ball fields.  With the extremely tough times in our economy, it is incredible to see these farmers, plumbers, electricians, machinists, and factory workers come together, each pitching in a few dollars here and there to help realize a dream.  Even though we’ve raised what we consider to be quite a bit of money, it’s still well short of what we need.  We’ll never stop though, we’ll never give up!

We’ve set up a website to raise awareness about our project:  www.PFfieldofdreams.com

Thank You!

Hey Brian,

Don't forget this one: 09 09 09 09 09 09
on 09/09/2009 at 09:09:09

Dear Sir;s
 I was living in Long Beach Ca. for the past 15 yrs a few years ago my mother passed away. While i a drank for years i somehow found my way to an AA meting a got sober. I told my brother who live in Mississippi how i had stop drinking and had been sober for a year.He and his wife talked about it and after i had been sober for 2 years they had redone my mother home where it was liveable again. The economy  in Ca went south and my brother and his wife offered me my mothers home in which to live. My brother took care of my parents up until their death and i lived in Ca. where i truly enjoyed the weather however i was paying 90% of my social security to live not including food. I of course took them up and moved back here to Mississippi where i do not have to pay 90% of my income to live.
 He has always taken care of others though through the years, he has needed help himself but never showed it but always has put others before himself I have never wanted help but being that i am sober now i realized that family should come first. I wish to thank him and all the others that have made my move possible though it took my being sober to realize what i had taken for granted though these many years.

Please look at what this young lady is doing it is amazing!   WBIR.com | Knoxville, TN | Soccer camp helps local refugee children
Apr 28, 2009 ... A group of graduate students at the University of Tennessee organized the two-day event. Sarah Flescher, Knox Kick's Director of Outreach, ...
www.wbir.com/sports/story.aspx?storyid=86080...rss - Cached - SimilarRefugees United Blog » Blog Archive » » Volunteers launch Knox ...
The camp, developed by two University of Tennessee groups, ... been really uplifting,” says Sarah Flesher, a UT student volunteer with Healing Transitions. ... And support came from outside of Knoxville as well. Sarah's former school ...
www.refunite.org/blog/?p=134 - Cached - Similar
Community News for Knoxville, TN from Knoxville News Sentinel
Jul 8, 2009 ... Knoxville, TN's top Community news stories. ... Before she moved to Tennessee from Oregon, Sarah Flesher, 26, had never thought of making ...
www.knoxnews.com/news/news/local/community/ -

Brian I love this spot on your news! Look at what Sarah Flesher is doing for African refugees in Knoxville Tn. She has also been selected to serve as an Intern for Grassroot Soccer Inc. joining their fight against the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa. She will serve 1 year in Zambia, Malawi or South Africa.  Please look at the  3 web sights and her blog spot. Thank you, you will be blessed, this girl has an amazing love for children and a vision for a brighter tomorrow!

http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/apr/22/volunteers-launch-soccer-camp-local-refugees/


http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2009/jul/08/africa-internship-hiv-awareness/

http://www.wbir.com/sports/story.aspx?storyid=86080&provider=rss

http://soccersarahinafrica.blogspot.com            Sarah Flesher 1 541 968 0525

Ed Freeman  

You're a 19-year-old kid. You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley , 11-14-1965, LZ X-ray, Vietnam . Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.
 
You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
 
Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter and you look up to see an unarmed Huey, but it doesn't seem real because no Medi-Vac markings are on it.
 
Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.
 
He's coming anyway.
 
And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire as they load 2 or 3 of you on board.
 
Then he flies you up and out, through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses.
 
And he kept coming back, 13 more times, and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.
 
Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died on Wednesday, June 25th, 2009, at the age of 80, in Boise , ID.   May God rest his soul.

I nominate singer Paul Rodgers (Free and Bad Company).  He and his wife are designating $100,000 to be given to fans to pay it forward in random acts of kindness.  Check out their website at paulrodgers.com, it explains it all.  There are even emails from people who have received a gift of $100.  He's a really great guy who does a lot to help people, in many different aspects of life.

Brian

Last night you talked about the El Nino factor every where but the east coast.  Don't we count.  How about letting us know in CT. and N.Y. what we can expect.

                Lori  Clifford

I don't know if there's anyone specific responsible, but there's an old tradition in Milwaukee that has come back - and it's FREE!  The Great Circus Parade is on this Sunday - it's good clean fun for the whole family.  Ernest Borgnine will be here as he had for many years in the past.  Hurray for the Circus!  We need more events like this.  

Brian, I read your article in Parade Magazine, July 5th about Volunteer Firefighters. Mt. Holly, N.J. has the oldest volunteer Fire Co. in continous service in America. Organized July 11th, 1752. Tomorrow is our 257th Anniv. Can contact me for more info, and can tour our museum if you would like. Thank you, Carl J. Shaw, Historian.

Michael Jackson dies and it’s 24/7 news coverage. A real American hero dies and not a mention of it in the news. The media has no honor and God is watching!
In Honor of Ed Freeman  
 
You're a 19-year-old kid. You're critically wounded and dying in the jungle in the Ia Drang Valley , 11-14-1965, LZ X-ray, Vietnam . Your infantry unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 or 200 yards away, that your own Infantry Commander has ordered the MediVac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns, and you know you're not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away and you'll never see them again. As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.

Then, over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter and you look up to see an unarmed Huey, but it doesn't seem real because no Medi-Vac markings are on it.

Ed Freeman is coming for you. He's not Medi-Vac, so it's not his job, but he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire, after the Medi-Vacs were ordered not to come.

He's coming anyway.

And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire as they load 2 or 3 of you on board.

Then he flies you up and out, through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses.

And he kept coming back, 13 more times, and took about 30 of you and your buddies out, who would never have gotten out.

Medal of Honor Recipient Ed Freeman died on Wednesday, June 25th, 2009, at the age of 80, in Boise , ID.   May God rest his soul.

I would like to nominate my step mom, Vicky, as a person who's making a difference.  In December, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 pancreatic cancer.  Soon after she began chemo, she noticed the "hat tree" at the the chemo lab, for those who were losing their hair due to their treatments.  Mum immediatly decided that she could help.  She started to make hats for her fellow patients.  She makes them as cheery and soft (for skin that is terribly sensitive from treatments) as possible.  The other thing she decided to give was her laughter.  She's always finding something funny or silly to brighten up her fellow patients' (and the staff's) day when she's in the chemo lab, takes time to check in with the older folks who might be there alone, and tries to ease the new folks fears. Mum says maybe that's why she got cancer, to bring a smile to a sometimes difficult place.  My Mum is a hero.

I would like to nominate Animal Haven shelter here in Merriam, Kansas, which is Kansas City's largest no-kill shelter, for all the work they do into helping homeless pets find new homes.  Currently, Animal Haven is becoming too crowded and they need help finding homes for all the animals they have.  They rescue abandoned and abused animals, they offer adoption services for the animals in their shelter, and the staff is very friendly and very knowledgeable.  They are always willing to help, and they will do everything they can to ensure the animals under their care will find good homes with loving families.

Hi Brian.

My partner Sheila, is a therapist, and her success in that field is no surprise to anyone who knows her.  She is nurturing and kind to her core.  On the weekends, rather than relax as some of us do, Sheila bakes amazing homemade treats and gives them to friends and family who are fighting illness.  She began awhile ago when a dear friend's father was near death in a hospital in Florida, with complications too many to name.  He is also diabetic and the hospital was having trouble getting him to eat (he was used to fine food) and gain the weight necessary for his recovery.  Sheila began shipping homemade pastries to him, using Splenda instead of sugar, and he loved them, ate them, gained weight and got better.  This is not to say that Sheila's baking alone cured him, although those of us who know her well would not be surprised.  But it certainly contributed.

Now Sheila regularly bakes for my parents, both diabetics.  And our neighbor, a relatively young woman fighting breast cancer, now enjoys the fruits of Sheila's labors weekly.  

Sheila loves to nourish people; during the week, it's their emotional and mental health that concern her.  On the weekends, she just wants them well fed!

These seem to me to be consistent acts of kindness.  Selfless, thoughtful, generous and all too rare.

It's Sheila's birthday on July 17th and I can't think of a better gift than a mention on your nightly broadcast, which we watch religiously.

Many thanks.

Dentist Jeff Bynum provided free dentistry on a first-come basis at his practice on 7/11.  He has traveled to Central America on church missions to provide free treatment of impoverished people.  Hoever, he said, "one does not need to travel to a Third World country these days to find people that are suffering.  Also, it's not unusual, he said, for people in line at such events to take it upon themselves to usher children, the elderly and anyone in pain up to the front of the line.  Text from The Tampa Tribune, 7/11/09.

I nominate Stephen Black, founder and president of Impact Alabama, a nonprofit organization that collaborates with colleges, universities, and communities throughout the state to develop and implement substantive service-learning projects designed to engage students in addressing human and community needs and enhance students' senses of social and civic responsibility. One of their projects, FocusFirst, provides a cost-effective direct response to the vision problems of children who live in urban and rural poverty. Under the supervision of Impact staff, undergraduate and graduate students ensure that children, ages six months to five years, in Head Starts and daycares are screened for vision problems, using high-tech photo optic scan cameras, and receive subsidized follow-up care.  You can read more about this program at impactalabama.org.  Stephen Black is truly "making a difference".
 

Brian, I would like to nominate the individuals in our local community that started up a club about 7 years ago to raise money for local cancer patients. Their selfless work involves volunteering 2 nights a week working Bingo to raise money.  They then donate it back to local cancer patients, actually they have been outstretching to other counties and communities since word has gotten out.  This club is called the Cancer Care Club. They provide gas and grocery cards, payment of medical bills, transportation to doctor appointments, etc. Word of mouth has spread and family members contact the volunteers to receive help.

As great as that sounds this group has already topped itself through October in 2008. So far this year this group has donated over $30,000 to local charities and donated back into local communities over $134,000 to local cancer patients.  Here is their website:   http://www.cancercareclub.com/
I do hope you will consider this nomination, these people are providing people in need a small glimpse of hope when they need it the most. I work at a bank 5 days a week with several of the volunteers and am amazed that they can still find the time and effort to work at night and other times just to help other people. Yours truly, Polly McCord
Flemingsburg, KY.  

In Wyoming, citizens are working together to try to keep the Geology Museum at the University of Wyoming from being closed after 122 years (see attached link)http://blip.tv/file/2343231/. The threat of losing this cherished resource is bringing young and elderly people together online and in person. Perhaps the decision makers will realize "you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone."

Coach Lonnie Porter, Regis University, established a foundation over 12 years ago to provide tutoring and mentoring to inner-city youth, and to let them know that a college education was possible.  College scholarships are provided for youth who stay in the program for a minimum of 5 years.  This is a year-round program with a summer camp held on the college campus.    It emphasizes academic excellence and college scholarships, but also leadership, manners and balancing your checkbook. Most of all, it emphasizes doing the right thing and making the right choice, every time.
Denver Nuggets star Chauncey Billups has become a partner in this effort.  You can find a story on Coach Porter in Sports Illustrated 01-27-97 and in the Denver Post  6-21-09

Retired Police Chief James A. Martino, Jr. from Avon, CT served as police officer for the town of Avon for 40 years.  He could always be counted on for delivering food baskets to needy families all the year round and especially during the holidays.  Since he has retired he runs a small food bank to help needy families.  He is selfless in his devotion to helping people.

Dear Brian,

It's getting really embarrassing because, for the 3rd time, we have asked people to watch Sr. Bridget's
"Making a Difference" story which was postponed two times before and "for sure" would be on tonight Monday the 13th. So we are all wondering why it was promised by you and then not shown.  Thank you

I would like to bring Retired Judge Robert L. Miller Sr. to your attention. He has spearheaded the first outreach program for homeless veterans in our area. Maybe even the whole country. I would like you to review the information on the website www.millersvets.com. Thanks.

Irv Pilnick is an 80+ individual in the City of Detroit who is working to help the homeless by collecting food and serving  regular meals to  help recovering addicts and displaced families survive in a city with almost 25% unemployment. Irv (through the Ark- a 501(c)(3) organization) although extremely ill himself gives all of his time and energy to help others less fortunate. Irv has a bad heart, cancer and has had several strokes but is selfless in his efforts for others

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