Before I relate this anecdote, I want to make it perfectly clear that the events which transpired today at a community radio station in Portland had nothing to do with me. I was just there volunteering, answering phones. I was not on air at any point, it was not my show, I did not affect programming in any way. The person with whom I interacted did not know me, did not choose me, was directed to me because I was not answering a phone at the time. This is simply something that really happened which I am reporting, not in any way attempting to take credit or otherwise promote myself.
All right? Because when I mentioned this on Facebook, some people thought this was about me. I am simply telling you something I experienced as a bystander.
Portland has three community radio stations, & I volunteer at each one. KBOO is the oldest, it has the most wattage & can therefore reach more listeners, & arguably is the most respected. I like to help out there because I like the people & I like the vibe. I am not a fan of pledge drives, but they have a great set-up where volunteers don't have to be in the booth with the programmers, & they feed the volunteers besides. (I didn't partake, but I heard the hummus today was a bit garlicky.)
As I mentioned above, I was not currently taking a pledge when an older gentleman walked into the door. He said he wanted to make a pledge in person. This happens quite a bit, people just walk into KBOO all the time, it is in fact encouraged. The gentleman explained that he had been listening to the station for thirty years but had never pledged his support. He intended this walk-in pledge to remedy that. He carried in his hand a white envelope.
After talking to some people, he sat down next to me, & I began to take his information down. Most of the pledges we take over the phone & enter into data a computer, but with walk-ins, we write them on a physical sheet of paper. I asked his name, even calling him "sir." He told me not to do that, I said I do it because I hope I was raised right. That broke the ice, I called him by his name, & continued to write down his information.
When it came time for the pledge amount, I asked if I could open the envelope. I did, saw the check inside, saw the number on the check, & said to him, "Are you sure you want to do this?"
Why would I say such a thing? Because inside the envelope was a check for ten thousand dollars. That's $10,000. A one with four zeroes after it. I have probably never seen a check for that amount ever.
Other people were summoned to help me. I got what information I could. The generous donor had ideas about using it as a matching grant to encourage others to pledge. He looked over the premiums we had, & chose a tee shirt. KBOO will give tee shirts to those who pledge $75. I can't do the math but I do have a calculator on my computer & it tells me he could've taken home 133 tee shirts with his pledge. One staffer took him to get the tee shirt.
Oh my god I wanted to show everyone the check! I was amazed that more of us didn't pass out or shit a brick or whatever when I showed them. The staff at KBOO were mostly clear-headed, quite professional really, while I must've looked like I had just seen an alien turn the corner, wave at me, then scurry away before I could say, "Hey! You're like a UFO alien!"
The person to whose show the generous donor was pledging was the last to see the check. He was gobsmacked. But so humble. Oh god, my ego would be bursting, but the deejay said, "We all get lucky sometimes."
Yeah, no. Not ten thousand dollars lucky. Holy shit.
How I wish I had taken a picture of the check, just the numbers at least. They're kind of burned into my brain though.
My shift ended & I went home to my animals after that. But it's absolutely true, what I just wrote: this really fucking happened today!
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