A couple of months ago, the county clerk here asked me to play for an event hosted by another long-time friend and advisor, a very successful local accountant. For years, these guys and friends would play basketball at the Y on early Wednesday evenings, then come out to the club I worked and drink a few (they didn't want to break out into health, you know-old "bods" couldn't take it).

I told them I wouldn't charge (they have both done numerous personal and professional favors for me over the years), but, as happens often, if they were going to "slip me a check", make sure it was made out to Kentuckians for Nursing Home Reform, an organization that lobbies for legislation that favors nursing home residents and monitors conditions in nursing homes. It's run by Bernie Vaunderhide, a retired former P/R director of UK, the voice of the Wildcats for years and a communications "monstor". Bernie has been funding all expenses until the organization recently got is 501-c(?)non-profit certification from the IRS.

The group, announced my donation at the dinner, which I said was, at our ages, like an insurance policy for the (not too distant) future. They wrote a nice check.

I'm now going to donate the proceeds from one job a week, which will go a long way towards helping.. The cool thing is, the checks are now tax deductible. I'm getting calls asking specifically about this effort.


It's a real "feel good" thing. I'm not costing another player any money, and am able to support an organization I really believe in with no more than three hours of effort a week.

Maby this approach would work for others!


Russ

DITTO!