Post by mtnme on Mar 5, 2008 2:05:49 GMT -5
Well, don't I just feel like the captain who parked his boat in the berth, went into town for supplies and came back to mayhem and folks swinging off the masts. 
But that's good, it means you all really are interested, - as opposed to "Snooze, bore me, now where is that Apolo's Sexy @ss thread?"....
So I'll try to address all the questions that have come up since this morning. Boy, is this gonna take awhile...
But as you're reading the following reply, remember this very wise idea:
K * I * S * S * (keep it simple, s_ _ _ _ _) This doesn't need to be that complicated.
So the questions at hand, starting with:
aaosmts19
1) I like the idea of being able to send support to someone or something specific, rather than sending it to a board of fans who then decide to dessimate the $$$. You haven't suggested that, just stating that I think its healthier to stay clear of some sort of fan 'board'.
No, No, no, nooooo. It was never our intention to be taking in the money and disseminating it ourselves (meaning: this little committee that is spearheading this project) The idea is to give you guys the information to make educated decisions, follow your hearts, and allow you, the fans, to give to the skaters you see fit and who need it the most. How is that determined?...we'll get back to that in a minute.
2) Paypal is getting to be a defacto method of sending $$$, so it is extremely secure, has encrypted technology; I know my company uses it to pay our customers....
There are plenty of companies that use Paypal, and I feel it is about as secure as you can get given the information you are sending over the internet. A bit more involved than just sending a check, but relatively easy to use for everyone. But we may have found a better solution, we'll get back to that too.
3) Is the donation tax deductible? Perhaps its not deductble if it goes to the skater but it is deducitible if it goes to a non-profit organiation?
If you donated to USS, it's tax deductible, but you have no say where the money goes. If you donate directly to a skater, Unless he/she is set up as a charity, the answer is no.
Let me point out, however, that unless some of you are A LOT more wealthy than I think the majority of you are, that 20 bucks you're thinking about donating isn't going to make a dent in your tax burden as a write off. Just sayin....
But all that may be superfluous, we think we found a "better solution' to answer most of the problems. The majority of skaters are affiliated with certain clubs. Southern Cal, Midland, etc etc. These are non profit entities for which your donation is tax deductible. But the bigger point is, that if most of them are set up like S. Cal, you can donate to a specific skater, and they will even tell you who are the skaters in the club in the worst of circumstances. (Thanks to Lori for talking to the S. Cal club for me) And you would be surprised at some of the names that pop up, many of them on the National team. Back to that in a minute too.
The big competitions are this weekend, so the clubs are all really busy. but after they're done, we will call the different clubs, get the contact information and the person at each club to speak to and post it here. What we do need to do is make it consistent from club to club. Either they all take money by pay pal, or by check, just so it's the same for every club.
4) What does the skater have to do..raise their hand and participate some way, by either setting up their PO box or creating their Paypal account?
We do have some insiders helping us with information as far as who is in need. A few names have come up repeatedly when we started asking around. Realize drumming up funds is a constant for aspiring Olympic athletes. for instance, Jordan has a great little promo to help drum up funds. I'll post the link for it after I answer everyone's questions.
You would also be amazed at how many offered up who was in need. Not 'give ME money', but 'so and so is really struggling'. We've said this before, but it is amazing how decently the skaters treat each other. They may be competitors when they step on the ice, but the majority leave it on the ice. If I knew nothing else about the athletes, having met some of them, I was so impressed with just how graciously they behave and how admirably they carry themselves, I have no doubts about where I choose to donate my money.
5) Does the skater need to be concerned about receiving any donations? taxes, etc.
The athletes on the national team do have to sign a contract with USS. (The link was the first thing posted on this thread) How it works is this. For instance, Home Depot is a sponsor of USSpeedskating. An athlete can't go out and get a sponsorship from Lowes. Direct competition, USS (and the Home Depot) will be peeved. Athletes can, and actually must, if they are going to survive, get sponsorships, raise money, etc, from other entities, as long as USS doesn't feel the athletes are cutting into their pie or undermining their efforts. For our purposes, we're small potatoes. Unless one of you is a closet Bill Gates out there in Apolo Land I don't know about.
6) Doe sthe skater need to be concerned in that accepting donations may void some sort of contract or association with the USS, IOC, etc?
Answered above. Skaters accept donations all the time, they couldn't afford to compete if they didn't. (Ruff's allegations that they're all rich, not withstanding. Compared to someone in downtown Watts, yeah, we're all rich. But for the most part, the skaters are from middle class families. Their parents often work two jobs and families make big sacrifices for their kids to compete. That isn't true for all of them, but that's what the group is trying to accomplish, determining need.)
7) Is the thought to extend this to long track as well?
That wasn't are original intent. We started as Apolo fans, went to short track competitions and became short track fans. Rome wasn't built in a day....
8) How broad is the intent? Will the website identify local speed skating clubs, or is the intent to only assist skaters once they get into a certain track and are 'national' bound?
Right now the idea is to try and help those that have proved some ability and have shown the need. Those already on the national team and the juniors just below them coming up, and those who are in contention of trying to make the National teams this year.
Going through the local clubs at this point seems to be the best way to access all the skaters, as the up and comers are affiliated with a club, and the others are on the National team. No, Apolo doesn't need the money as do many others, but just because the skaters made the national team, doesn't mean they aren't having a hard time. The names I have heard who are really feeling the pinch, ARE on the National team.
In all fairness, there has been a hint that some are hurting financially because they aren't working that hard. We definitely want to weed those out. But the other side of the coin is the skater that has to work so much just to pay basic expenses, that there isn't any time left to train, even though they had the talent to make the team. That's the skater that needs help. Once again, the clubs seem to be really on top of who those kids are.
9) Have you thought about how you would advertise this to the skaters?
We aren't so much advertising to the skaters, as much doing the research on who could use some help. As fans, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read up on all the research we come up with, and follow your hearts for donations.
10) will the amount donated to a skater be tracked on the website? Example: $400 has been donated to date to Simon Cho, $250 has been donated to Jeff Simon. I think this would be ahard thing to track; many people may want their donations invisible to the forum.
None of the above. What you donate is between you and the skater, club, whatever. Once again, we're doing the research and getting you the info. You get to decide who you would most like to help based on what you have read or heard.
11) How will the skaters feel about this? Will they interpret this as a popularity contest...'I haven't received as much $$ as that person and they are better off than I am..."
How do I address the popularity contest thing? The skaters all do what they can to drum up funds. Some are going to be better at it than others, some will be more popular. How do you avoid it? Ask yourself why you are on this website for Apolo, as opposed to any multitude of other athletes? Something about the man speaks to you. It's the same for the other ST athletes. You as fans can start by going to USS website and read up on all the National athletes. Speaking for myself, I met Anthony Barthell, liked him immediately and he helped us immensely setting up our hotel rooms. Did I donate some money to him,even though he isn't on the National team just because of my impression of him? You bet. (Good luck this weekend in Milwaukee Anthony, and hope you make the national team this year!)
12) Is the intent of the website to point out who needs the money more and if so, how will you find out this information and then keep it updated?
Yes, that is the main intent. Figuring out need and helping out. The information comes from other skaters, the parents, coaches, skating clubs, and anyone else who will let us pick their brains for the info.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That's all I can do for question and answer at the moment, my brain is fried. So I'll move on to general impressions from what I have been reading on the thread today.
I am so proud to not only have met Wildfire, but her post filled me with pride to consider her a friend. Jenaceeta too. and here's why.
My impression of anything you do for a charitable cause is not for personal gain or with the intent of getting something back in return.
There is a great line in the movie "The Joy Luck Club". To give something "with both hands open", meaning to give something freely and with an open heart and no strings attached. Both Wildfire and Jenna reiterated those sentiments beautifully.
When you give to the cancer society, do you expect a survivor to call you up and and thank you for it? of course not, that's not realistic. While one would hope a skater would send you a Thank You note for the help, expecting that they will is equally unrealistic. However, you do have a better chance of making a more personal connection, (and I think that is what most of you were alluding to as to what would really make you feel good about this) if you yourself sent your donation with a card, with a note telling them how special you think they are and why you chose to donate to them. Realize too, that the idea was to get you guys excited about going to the competitions. With the exception of Apolo, the other skaters are all pretty accessible at Nationals, their parents definitely are, and you will quickly find this is a very warm, friendly group of people, and they love seeing new faces rooting for their kids. You can't help but have warm feelings yourself and a personal interest with those skaters you have met. I myself have formed very positive opinions of Katherine Reuter, her mom. Jordan's mom (haven't met Jordan yet) Anthony Barthell, and Barry Winslow(and his whole family). It's the personal connection I think you guys are looking for if I'm reading these all right.
In closing, before I fall asleep at the keyboard here. Susie's post is spot on, every word of it. She just got me thinking of another great name. The last two Olympics have had songs with the theme of "Because we Believe", and Vancouvers "Believe"
How do you all feel about "Believe the Dream" or "Believe in the Dream".
I know there are lots more questions that were posed that should have replies, but there are so many, I think I need to address them all in smaller increments.
And as Promised, Jordan's promo video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MGIYB-X57I&feature=related
But that's good, it means you all really are interested, - as opposed to "Snooze, bore me, now where is that Apolo's Sexy @ss thread?"....
So I'll try to address all the questions that have come up since this morning. Boy, is this gonna take awhile...
But as you're reading the following reply, remember this very wise idea:
K * I * S * S * (keep it simple, s_ _ _ _ _) This doesn't need to be that complicated.
So the questions at hand, starting with:
aaosmts19
1) I like the idea of being able to send support to someone or something specific, rather than sending it to a board of fans who then decide to dessimate the $$$. You haven't suggested that, just stating that I think its healthier to stay clear of some sort of fan 'board'.
No, No, no, nooooo. It was never our intention to be taking in the money and disseminating it ourselves (meaning: this little committee that is spearheading this project) The idea is to give you guys the information to make educated decisions, follow your hearts, and allow you, the fans, to give to the skaters you see fit and who need it the most. How is that determined?...we'll get back to that in a minute.
2) Paypal is getting to be a defacto method of sending $$$, so it is extremely secure, has encrypted technology; I know my company uses it to pay our customers....
There are plenty of companies that use Paypal, and I feel it is about as secure as you can get given the information you are sending over the internet. A bit more involved than just sending a check, but relatively easy to use for everyone. But we may have found a better solution, we'll get back to that too.
3) Is the donation tax deductible? Perhaps its not deductble if it goes to the skater but it is deducitible if it goes to a non-profit organiation?
If you donated to USS, it's tax deductible, but you have no say where the money goes. If you donate directly to a skater, Unless he/she is set up as a charity, the answer is no.
Let me point out, however, that unless some of you are A LOT more wealthy than I think the majority of you are, that 20 bucks you're thinking about donating isn't going to make a dent in your tax burden as a write off. Just sayin....
But all that may be superfluous, we think we found a "better solution' to answer most of the problems. The majority of skaters are affiliated with certain clubs. Southern Cal, Midland, etc etc. These are non profit entities for which your donation is tax deductible. But the bigger point is, that if most of them are set up like S. Cal, you can donate to a specific skater, and they will even tell you who are the skaters in the club in the worst of circumstances. (Thanks to Lori for talking to the S. Cal club for me) And you would be surprised at some of the names that pop up, many of them on the National team. Back to that in a minute too.
The big competitions are this weekend, so the clubs are all really busy. but after they're done, we will call the different clubs, get the contact information and the person at each club to speak to and post it here. What we do need to do is make it consistent from club to club. Either they all take money by pay pal, or by check, just so it's the same for every club.
4) What does the skater have to do..raise their hand and participate some way, by either setting up their PO box or creating their Paypal account?
We do have some insiders helping us with information as far as who is in need. A few names have come up repeatedly when we started asking around. Realize drumming up funds is a constant for aspiring Olympic athletes. for instance, Jordan has a great little promo to help drum up funds. I'll post the link for it after I answer everyone's questions.
You would also be amazed at how many offered up who was in need. Not 'give ME money', but 'so and so is really struggling'. We've said this before, but it is amazing how decently the skaters treat each other. They may be competitors when they step on the ice, but the majority leave it on the ice. If I knew nothing else about the athletes, having met some of them, I was so impressed with just how graciously they behave and how admirably they carry themselves, I have no doubts about where I choose to donate my money.
5) Does the skater need to be concerned about receiving any donations? taxes, etc.
The athletes on the national team do have to sign a contract with USS. (The link was the first thing posted on this thread) How it works is this. For instance, Home Depot is a sponsor of USSpeedskating. An athlete can't go out and get a sponsorship from Lowes. Direct competition, USS (and the Home Depot) will be peeved. Athletes can, and actually must, if they are going to survive, get sponsorships, raise money, etc, from other entities, as long as USS doesn't feel the athletes are cutting into their pie or undermining their efforts. For our purposes, we're small potatoes. Unless one of you is a closet Bill Gates out there in Apolo Land I don't know about.
6) Doe sthe skater need to be concerned in that accepting donations may void some sort of contract or association with the USS, IOC, etc?
Answered above. Skaters accept donations all the time, they couldn't afford to compete if they didn't. (Ruff's allegations that they're all rich, not withstanding. Compared to someone in downtown Watts, yeah, we're all rich. But for the most part, the skaters are from middle class families. Their parents often work two jobs and families make big sacrifices for their kids to compete. That isn't true for all of them, but that's what the group is trying to accomplish, determining need.)
7) Is the thought to extend this to long track as well?
That wasn't are original intent. We started as Apolo fans, went to short track competitions and became short track fans. Rome wasn't built in a day....
8) How broad is the intent? Will the website identify local speed skating clubs, or is the intent to only assist skaters once they get into a certain track and are 'national' bound?
Right now the idea is to try and help those that have proved some ability and have shown the need. Those already on the national team and the juniors just below them coming up, and those who are in contention of trying to make the National teams this year.
Going through the local clubs at this point seems to be the best way to access all the skaters, as the up and comers are affiliated with a club, and the others are on the National team. No, Apolo doesn't need the money as do many others, but just because the skaters made the national team, doesn't mean they aren't having a hard time. The names I have heard who are really feeling the pinch, ARE on the National team.
In all fairness, there has been a hint that some are hurting financially because they aren't working that hard. We definitely want to weed those out. But the other side of the coin is the skater that has to work so much just to pay basic expenses, that there isn't any time left to train, even though they had the talent to make the team. That's the skater that needs help. Once again, the clubs seem to be really on top of who those kids are.
9) Have you thought about how you would advertise this to the skaters?
We aren't so much advertising to the skaters, as much doing the research on who could use some help. As fans, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read up on all the research we come up with, and follow your hearts for donations.
10) will the amount donated to a skater be tracked on the website? Example: $400 has been donated to date to Simon Cho, $250 has been donated to Jeff Simon. I think this would be ahard thing to track; many people may want their donations invisible to the forum.
None of the above. What you donate is between you and the skater, club, whatever. Once again, we're doing the research and getting you the info. You get to decide who you would most like to help based on what you have read or heard.
11) How will the skaters feel about this? Will they interpret this as a popularity contest...'I haven't received as much $$ as that person and they are better off than I am..."
How do I address the popularity contest thing? The skaters all do what they can to drum up funds. Some are going to be better at it than others, some will be more popular. How do you avoid it? Ask yourself why you are on this website for Apolo, as opposed to any multitude of other athletes? Something about the man speaks to you. It's the same for the other ST athletes. You as fans can start by going to USS website and read up on all the National athletes. Speaking for myself, I met Anthony Barthell, liked him immediately and he helped us immensely setting up our hotel rooms. Did I donate some money to him,even though he isn't on the National team just because of my impression of him? You bet. (Good luck this weekend in Milwaukee Anthony, and hope you make the national team this year!)
12) Is the intent of the website to point out who needs the money more and if so, how will you find out this information and then keep it updated?
Yes, that is the main intent. Figuring out need and helping out. The information comes from other skaters, the parents, coaches, skating clubs, and anyone else who will let us pick their brains for the info.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That's all I can do for question and answer at the moment, my brain is fried. So I'll move on to general impressions from what I have been reading on the thread today.
I am so proud to not only have met Wildfire, but her post filled me with pride to consider her a friend. Jenaceeta too. and here's why.
My impression of anything you do for a charitable cause is not for personal gain or with the intent of getting something back in return.
There is a great line in the movie "The Joy Luck Club". To give something "with both hands open", meaning to give something freely and with an open heart and no strings attached. Both Wildfire and Jenna reiterated those sentiments beautifully.
When you give to the cancer society, do you expect a survivor to call you up and and thank you for it? of course not, that's not realistic. While one would hope a skater would send you a Thank You note for the help, expecting that they will is equally unrealistic. However, you do have a better chance of making a more personal connection, (and I think that is what most of you were alluding to as to what would really make you feel good about this) if you yourself sent your donation with a card, with a note telling them how special you think they are and why you chose to donate to them. Realize too, that the idea was to get you guys excited about going to the competitions. With the exception of Apolo, the other skaters are all pretty accessible at Nationals, their parents definitely are, and you will quickly find this is a very warm, friendly group of people, and they love seeing new faces rooting for their kids. You can't help but have warm feelings yourself and a personal interest with those skaters you have met. I myself have formed very positive opinions of Katherine Reuter, her mom. Jordan's mom (haven't met Jordan yet) Anthony Barthell, and Barry Winslow(and his whole family). It's the personal connection I think you guys are looking for if I'm reading these all right.
In closing, before I fall asleep at the keyboard here. Susie's post is spot on, every word of it. She just got me thinking of another great name. The last two Olympics have had songs with the theme of "Because we Believe", and Vancouvers "Believe"
How do you all feel about "Believe the Dream" or "Believe in the Dream".
I know there are lots more questions that were posed that should have replies, but there are so many, I think I need to address them all in smaller increments.
And as Promised, Jordan's promo video.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MGIYB-X57I&feature=related
Whatever it's called, I'm sure your hard work will pay off! 
) then we as fans have to make it clear we're interested. And it certainly starts with getting our fan 'butts' in the seats at events. 
~Lori