Come and ride the wave

There's an old Boy Scout gangshow song WE'RE RIDING ALONG ON THE CREST OF A SAVE.  

Do you know it ?  

As the past three months of planning for OurRebekah are now turning into events actually happening we are indeed riding along on the crest of a wave. That was is a wave of love. It is an incredible feeling, a feeling I just have to share and something I invite you to take a hold of, to grab your surfboard and ride the wave with me.

I was away from the laptop all day yesterday, something a bit unusual for me, so today my doings list is a rather big !

There you go - here it is. I have a lot to do ! He he he......

The problem with my sitting in the car all day yesterday, I drove 450 miles between a couple of things I had to do, was that my mind was tearing round the M25 at 95 miles an hour even in the car was crawling along in second gear !

I had Jake with me in the car. We started our day at McDonald's drive through for breakfast. Jake performed his usual antics.

At the payment window the young lads taking my cash looked us and asked his name. Jake, I explained then added Jake as in Jake goes to McDonald's. She smiled and said Yes, I know that video. When we got to the pick up window there was a short wait while the hash browns were cooked. Staff who were not serving customers came to see Jake, even the manager took time off from overseeing what ever it is she oversees to meet my famous little dog !

Jake and I left McDonalds smiling.

As I have been working to set up OurRebekah projects I have dealt with a few politicians. They are always supportive but usually one deals with their staff rather than the individual direct. This was waiting for me when I returned home.

Thank you for your invitation. Firstly let me say how sorry I am to learn of your story and your deeply sad loss of your daughter. My sincerest of condolences. 

I am also in awe of your commitment to raise money for Ronald McDonald Charities and continue your support for them. I don't know their work in detail but from what you say, it sounds like they do some beautiful, loving and kind things for families in distress. 

Very sadly, both I and our Deputy Mayor are committed on Sunday 15th October and cannot be with you. You might like to contact the Chair of Stowe Parish Council who may be available to add some parish council glitter to your fund raising event.

But I wish you well - and hope that you manage to raise lots of money for this charity. (The next time I am in a McDonalds - I will put in a good donation in your daughter's memory)

Sincerely yours

Jon

Isn't that beautiful ?  Isn't that kind ?  Isn't that lovely ? What a special man !

Another e-mail waiting for me was from someone who had read about OurRebekah in the local council's staff newsletter and wants to know more about joining our Three Peaks Challenge.

There was a parcel at home waiting for me. It contained two copies of the 7" vinyl single World Cup Willie which will go with signed photographs from Geoff Hurst and Gordon Banks. These are part of our e-bay auction which will be starting in just a few days time. Check that out and you will not believe the love within it.

You know I am a cunning old sod !  On Saturday 9th September I am going up the M1 to watch Sheffield Wednesday play and hopefully win against Nottingham Forrest.

As well as watching the game I will be going pitch-side with some supporters to receive a football players have signed for the e-bay auction. The club has kindly added two match-day tickets to the lot. The club is organising a photoshoot and I will be writing an article to appear in a future programme. We will be giving copies of that programme to families in three different Ronald McDonald Houses.

So what's cunning about that ?

Hang on a moment and I will tell you.

At all OurRebekah events we will be asking people to sign small cards saying HELLO and WISHING YOU WELL. These will then be sent to families in Ronald McDonald Houses. At the game, before kick off and during half time I intend to stand up and ask fans seated near me to sign cards. The owner of Sheffield Wednesday need not think he is going home before he has signed a card ! They will have seen me on the pitch and will know who I am so we should be able to get a hundred or so signed.  I have within my e-mail inbox a message from a sports editor at the BBC saying if he can help he will.  Today I will be sending him half a dozen cards asking if he can get people in his office to sign them. I will

do the same for all Sheffield based media. AH BUT, I will be asking these good people if they could invite journalists from national media at the game, it is being televised, to sign cards.

That is cunning !

Now this blessed FROG CHALLENGE. Another £50 was pushed into my hand yesterday for this.

We set a target of £100 for the challenge. I would give you £100 NOT to have to do it.  We have The Mayor of Milton Keynes coming along to make sure I do not run away. With that £50 from yesterday the total stands at £160. Still five weeks to go and we have smashed the target. Chances are we will triple the target. OMG I am not going to get out of this am I ?

Meet ALFIE. He grabbed hold of his surfboard to ride the wave. he is coming to our Doggie Treasure Hunt.

Of course, while I was driving and while I was parked up on the M25 my phone kept ringing. Checking the voice mail messages later there was one from the operations manager at the National Trust saying how much he is looking forward to the event.

After the DOGGIE TREASURE HUNT we are having a BBQ and a retro disco. Just look at the building the National Trust has put forward for the disco.

Isn't that amazing or what ?

Yesterday as I was driving the last one hundred miles home I put music on to the CD featuring some silly games we are going to play at the disco.

Among these we are going to use the disco to launch our LAMBETH WALK project.

Oh what the heck let's play The Lambeth Walk.

CLICK HERE and start dancing.

I think I had better shut up, finish this diary entry and get on with that doings list. But before I do let me remind you about OurRebekah. YES, we are raising support for Ronald McDonald House Charities but that is ONLY the DESTINATION. The JOURNEY, which in many ways is more important, is to smile, to have fun, even be a bit silly, to make others smile. If the journey is fun the the destination will be a success. It can not fail.

And with that let me invite you to grab YOUR surfboard, to climb up on the wave and have some fun.

Catch you all again tomorrow.