CLOWN AID Raises More Than $1980!
Clown Aid, the benefit safety show presented by the
S.M.I.L.E. Clowns on June 1, 1999, in Glendale, Arizona, raised more than $1980
to help the Police Officers and Fire Fighters in Oklahoma who lost their homes
in the recent tornadoes. The money was raised by donations at the door
from the 100 audience members in attendance at the benefit and by on-going
internet sales of the Clown Aid T-shirt ($10 each plus $4 shipping and
handling).
After several months of internet sales of T-shirts, two
checks of more than $900 were sent to the Oklahoma chapters of the Fraternal
Order of Police and the International Association of Fire Fighters.
Thank You Letters Received
We received the following thank you letter from the
Oklahoma City chapter of the International Association of Fire Fighters.
"Although words can not convey our gratitude to all the many generous
people who sent donations to the victims of the May 3 tornado. We, the
firefighters of Oklahoma City and Local 157 wish to thank each and everyone of
you for your continued support and concern.
I would like to convey, that the 19 firefighters that were affected by the
tornado, whose homes were totally destroyed by the storm, were given the funds
that you provided to help assist them in rebuilding their lives.
Although, we realize that it will take much more for those affected, we do
appreciate your generosity along with your thoughts and prayers that you
expressed in your letter."
The letter, dated August 26, 1999, is signed by Charles
L. Stone, President, Oklahoma City Fire Fighters
Association, Local 157.
We received a thank you letter from the Oklahoma
Fraternal Order of Police regarding our donations for Clown Aid.
"Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you for your donation to the Oklahoma Police Officers Relief Fund. 31
of our Fellow Brothers and Sisters each received a check for $529.48 to help for
their unpaid losses.
May the good Lord be with you and yours.
Marty
Stupka, President
OKC
FOP Lodge #123"
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What was Clown Aid?
Clown Aid was presented by the S.M.I.L.E. Clowns,
sponsored by the APS Volunteer Clown Troupe and supported by the Arizona Crime
Prevention Association, the police departments from Arizona Department of Public
Safety, Avondale, Glendale, Peoria, Scottsdale, and by the fire departments from
Glendale and Tempe. All the money raised by the event will be donated to
the relief funds created by the Fraternal Order of Police and the International
Association of Fire Fighters in Oklahoma. If you'd like to see pictures
from the show, please click on Clown
Aid Photos.
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Clown Aid T-Shirts
T-shirts have been advertised on the internet and
orders have come from Texas, California, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Utah, and
Washington State.
The design of the shirt shows three clowns - one police
male, one police female and one male firefighter - parachuting into the outlines
of the states of Oklahoma and Kansas.
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The Devastation
If you were wondering just how devastating the
tornadoes were, check out the two pictures below sent by S.M.I.L.E. Member Mike
Billingsley from the Nichols Hills Fire Department in Oklahoma. The
pictures show the aftermath of a housing development in Moore, Oklahoma. A
few days before, this would have shown homes, yards, cars, etc...
Mike said that there is an area six miles long in Oklahoma City that looks like
this. Once there were homes and people living there. Now there is
only devastation.
Mike sent some more pictures that show aerial
views of the devastation in Del City, Oklahoma:
A special thank you to Mike for sharing with us
all!
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