[TowerTalk] W4AN Trust Fund - Raffle Results

[Kurszewski Chad-WCK005]

W4AN Memorial Trust Fund to Benefit Bill's children, Graeme & Erik Fisher

DAYTON RAFFLE RESULTS ANNOUNCED -- $20,000 RAISED

As you may know, a trust fund for the two young children of Bill Fisher 
W4AN (SK) -- top contester and founder of contesting.com and 
eHam.net  --  was set up shortly after his passing.  To help add more funds 
to the trust, a raffle was organized to coincide with the Dayton 
Hamvention.  Tickets were sold on-line, as well as during the Contester 
Hospitality Suites in Dayton, with all the proceeds going to the Trust Fund.

We are extremely grateful to the many businesses who donated prizes that, 
when combined, totalled over $7,500 -- including a new ICOM 756PRO-II 
donated by ICOM America.

The drawing was held around 05:00z Sunday May 16th in the SMC Hospitality 
Suite at the Dayton Crowne Plaza hotel.  We are pleased to announce that 
the ICOM 756PRO-II was won by John WA2GO.  John sent us a very nice e-mail 
after learning he won the radio.  Here is an excerpt:

      "WOW - this is completely unbelievable!  I had no intention nor
      expectation of winning this raffle, I really just wanted to help out
      the kids. ...I used an IC-756PROII at W2XL last fall for Sweepstakes
      Phone and totally fell in love with it. I have wanted one ever since;
      but until now, getting one was totally out of reach for me.  ...I am
      honored and thrilled to be entrusted with the 'W4AN Memorial Radio'
      and will endeavor to make sure it lives up to its namesake and
      heritage, to the best of my abilities."

The complete e-mail from John is posted near the top of the raffle page at 
http://w4an.qth.com/raffle.

And we are happy to report that $20,000 was raised for the Trust Fund !!!!

Yes, exactly $20,000!   Well, there's a little story there....  there was 
over $18,500 in raffle ticket sales... and another $1000 generated from 
fundraising at the Dayton Contest Forum and Contest Dinner.  All totalled, 
we were $386 short of reaching the $20,000 mark.  When we e-mailed John 
WA2GO to tell him of his win, he asked us how much we had raised.  When we 
told him it was about $19,600, he e-mailed back that he would be willing to 
make an additional donation to get the total up to $20,000.   And his $386 
donation was promptly received.  Way to go, John !!!

We'd also like to share with you the very nice e-mail we received from 
W4AN's mother, Linda, after she heard about the results from the 
raffle.  She wrote:

      "WOW!!  How wonderful!!  I don't know what to say!!
      Bill would be very pleased... What a neat community
      and great bunch of guys you hams are.  I cannot tell
      you how much all the hams have helped me get thru
      this awful loss!!  Please pass my thanks along to all
      for worked so hard on this and made it such a
      success.  LOVE YOU ALL!!

Some have asked how the Trust Fund will be administered and how the kids 
will be able to draw funds.  All of that is still being worked out, per Tom 
W8JI.  "The basic plan is that Graeme and Erik [Bill's two children] will 
be able to draw from this fund for worthwhile activities like school, a 
first home, or some valid emergency.... The fund is being administered by 
several well-known members of the amateur community."  Further details, as 
well as all the information on how you can make a direct donation to the 
Trust Fund, can be found at http://www.w8ji.com/w4an.htm

Thanks to all of you that made this raffle such a success... the ham 
businesses that came through with such great prizes... and all the hams 
that so generously purchased tickets!!!  This donation will send a strong 
message to the Fisher family -- to show how much we cared and loved our 
friend, Bill.

If you have any questions about the raffle or the trust fund, please send 
them to raffle at w4an.qth.com -- this is a distribution list that goes to the 
four of us, and one of us will try our best to give you an answer.

73,

- Chad WE9V
- Scott KA9FOX
- Paul K9PG
- Mike K9NW