Donna and Madison met on-line in 2005, just before U2 came to town for the Vertigo Tour. As they got to know each other, they discovered that they had more than U2 in common. Both had joined the One and Make Poverty History (MPH) Campaigns, both had sent letters to the politicians and policy makers during the G8 meetings at Gleneagles, and both had a burning desire to do something more about extreme poverty in Africa.
"Our current WILD IDEA has to do with extreme poverty and celebrities; musicians, bands and yes, actors.
The idea is we talk celebrities into posing for a photo holding a comfort doll. We get them to autograph an index card. We auction off both card and photo, and send the money to one of the three African charities we have chosen to support: World Vision, ICross, and Save the Children ", says Donna.
A comfort doll is a small knitted doll that ICross volunteers knit. The dolls are used instead of packing foam, to protect vials of HIV/Aids medicines as they are shipped to African clinics. Once the medicines are unpacked, the dolls are given to the children in the village, many of whom are patients (and many of whom are reportedly buried with their Comfort Dolls when they die)
"We're now also working with a few friends globally on this; friends who, as us, were inspired by Bono and his work with ONE/MPH, the Global Fund and (Product) RED."
We have many people wanting to friend us. We don't mind - we're here to network and get to know people... but we're not into 'collecting' as many friends as we can. If you dont have any blog entries on your page, or never update your page, we'll probably say no.
To the bands that want to friend me - please read this part carefully before hitting the ‘Add Friend’ button (especially if you're a band manager!)
Obviously, we'd prefer to add Bands and Musicians to my space who are actually interested in our charity project; interested enough to help (perhaps not by doing a comfort doll photo, but helping in some capacity). This isn’t always possible of course, but please keep in mind it is my ultimate goal and the reason we're here.
If you are unwilling /unable to help but still want to friend us, please SEND ME A MESSAGE when you hit the ‘add friend’ button; telling me why you want to be added and I’ll go have a look at your profile page.
If we like what we hear on your song previews, and what we read in your blog entries, and how you treat your ‘fans’, and your space isn't littered with scantily clad babes and profanity, we usually say yes (even if you are unable to help with our project - what can I say.. I love music!)
If, however, you have no interaction on your space with your fans (ie no blog entries or comments back to those you’ve ‘friended’), if your space is full of spam or phishing comments, or your profile is simply advertising space for your next cd, band merchandise, and mailing lists, we're gonna say no. We're not interested in joining street teams or helping you get a record deal.. sorry. It's just that we need to concentrate my efforts on my own project.
BE FOREWARNED THOUGH, one day we're going to ask you to participate in our Comfort Doll charity project. Guaranteed!. If you're passing through Vancouver on tour, we arrange to do a photo in person, usually at the venue the day of the show.(It takes about 10 minutes max.. I'm in, pic's snapped, card signed, and out of your hair again before you even notice me :) ) And although we've had bands offer us free tickets to the show, we always say thank you, but no. Thats not why we're here.
If a photo in person isn't possible, we can also do it through the mail. We'll mail you a doll, someone on your end will take a photo or two of your band holding the doll, you autograph the enclosed card and mail it back, emailing us the photo, and we go from there.
WE will set up the auction, and YOU will help publicize the auction to your Myspace fanbase. (Without the publicity to your myspace fanbase by you or your management, there's not enough support for the auction to be successful.)
We also give you and/or your band some free publicity: we add your name to our thank you list on our profile page, add your Doll photo to our slideshow, and and add your space to our top friends until our next auction. We also may profile one of your songs for a short period and may include your band's name in subsequent letters or messages to the next round of people we want to have participate in our project.
You'd be amazed at how many fans will bid on a band photo, (or autographed drum sticks, or set list, etc) and even $30 can buy 2 bed nets, enough to protect up to 4 kids each - $30 can protect up to 6 children from blindness due to lack of Vitamin A - a little goes a long way. And, it makes you feel good that you've done something to help. Your fans feel good because you've done something to help - we feel good because one more person has made a huge difference.
(So, if you don’t want to be asked... don’t hit the 'add friend' button – you just know we're gonna ask)
If you're a Band that we do friend, you might want to consider being friended at my personal Myspace as well.
We also have a website - Comfort Doll Project - Check us out.
This idea is in its infancy, but has the potential to be highly successful, and more importantly - a long term project. As an amateur photographer, using my talents in this way seemed a natural progression.
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AUCTION NEWS
Our next auction will feature:
... ...
54*40, Frankie Whyte (including autographed cd and Single Car Garage (including autographed cd)
Bands we are currently working with for future auctions include:
Wolfy
RESULTS
Our most recent auction has just ended.
We raised $205.00 for World Vision.
We outfitted a school classroom with all necessary supplies for one year, bought 3 soccer balls for the kids so they dont have to use balled up plastic bags, bought 2 rabbits for a family to start a home business and use as a protein source, bought 4 mosquito nets to protect up to 16 children from malaria, purchased enough Vitamin A to prevent blindness in 10 children, and bought antibiotics to help 6 children.
We were able to help at least 32 children, plus a family and an entire school classroom. Many thanks to Collective Soul (Joel, Ryan, Ed, Dean and Will) and their management, as well as the Collective Souldiers team of fans for helping us promo this auction! Without their help it wouldn't have been as successful.
Our fifth Auction
was held in late January 2008, and we raised $115.00 for Icross.
Icross Canada is the charity that uses the knitted Comfort Dolls instead of packing foam when they send shipments of HIV meds to African clinics. They've also gratiously allowed us to use the dolls for our own project, and the money we sent will go a long way to help them send their next shipment of HIV drugs and medical equipment to their next target spot.
Our fourth Auction
was held mid-December. We raised a staggering $500.00 for World Vision.
Half of that was used to fund HIV kits to prevent Mother to Child transfer of HIV during childbirth. The other half was divided between bed nets to prevent malaria, and Vitamin A therapy to prevent blindness.
All told, we were able to positively affect over 54 children with this generous donation. My extreme thanks to Tom Cochrane, Daniel Lanois and Jimmy Eppart, the musicians who participated, and to my friends who helped promo the auction here at myspace! Please check out Tom, Dan, and Jimmy in my top friends.
Our Third Auction
was held mid-May 07, and fans generously helped us raise $140.00 for U2's The Edge's Music Rising charity - helping New Orleans musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Our Second Auction
was held mid-October 2006, and $80.00 was raised for World Vision.
Our First Auction
was held mid-September 2006, and we raised $86.00 for Save the Children Fund.A heart-felt THANK YOU to those musicians/actors who have participated so far.
Thank you's go out to singers Brian Cook and WHY, Jerry Marotta (thanks for taking so much time with me Jerry!), Pete Levin (you're wonderful, my friend), Rocko and the Devils (Thanks Darling!), Tom Cochrane (you rock!), Collective Soul (you guys are fabulous!), Daniel Lanois and his assistant Margaret, Jimmy Eppard (thank you thank you!), Blue October , A Sheep at the Wheel , Bert Lams and Tom Griesgraber , Massari , Third Day , Caedmon's Call , Roger Hodgson (formerly of Supertramp), Valdy, and Gary Fjellgaard, Black Crowes drummer Steve Gorman, and actor Alexander Siddig (Star Trek Deep Space Nine) all of whom have participated in our charity project.
Click on an image in the slideshow below, to see their name
