MICHAEL MANNING'S MONDAY TOP 5!

The Lovely & Talented Lindsay Wagner as Television's "The Bionic Woman"

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Good Morning, Everyone! It was a beautiful weekend here in Arizona. The temperatures have remained in the triple digits. For those of you living in other states, we endure extremely high temperatures three months out of the year before more comfortable climes return in September. I welcome that and look forward to some trail riding with equestrian friends of mine! Meanwhile...

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Many of you will remember actress Lindsay Wagner from the television series, "The Bionic Woman". The above photo reference is a great metaphor for me, because I have some wonderful ladies who are the same team with me to help make "A Concert for Trevor" a reality. They are: Sue, Jennifer, Brandie and Lisa. So, for me, they are "Bionic Women" who are willing to move some mountains with me, and I am thrilled to be along on this exciting journey in such good company. We can always use more helpers too!

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Much of today will be spent doing follow up phone calls to a number of people I have strategically contacted and mentioned in my recent BLOGS about Trevor Tredaway's fund raising concert. Yes, it is still on the table, and as promised, I wanted to post a BLOG today in response to a question I am often asked on my e-mail; I'll paraphrase: "Our hearts are touched by your posts on little Trevor. We want to help you in any way possible with 'A Concert for Trevor Tredaway'. But we don't live in Midland, Texas. What can we do to help you with this worthwhile project?" First off, I have to mention how genuinely touched I am by the level of sincerity and love I am receiving from these messages. It deserves a response, and since I am a guy who likes to keep things simple, let me just throw out my Top 5 Ideas for helping Trevor. I invite you to also share some of your own. Here we go:

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1. Trevor's website is provided by the non-profit organization called Caringbridge. Their mission is to provide children with serious medical conditions and their families a way to reach out and stay in touch with those who care. I have said this before, but it is really worth repeating. We are all living in very challenging economic times and I realize that not everyone can donate to Trevor's Medical Fund. However, you can visit his website at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/trevortredaway and Click On Trevor's Story, Photos, Journal and best of all, you can be a Guest to leave a comment for Todd and Melinda. It can be something as simple as telling them that you care and are interested in Trevor's progress. Parents tend to write, but so do single people like me! What could be easier than sharing from your heart? It costs you nothing and it will do your heart good. So, that's my first suggestion: As Folk singer Jewel Kilcher once said: "Be The Difference That Makes The Difference".
2. If you are in a position to donate, then yes, a special bank account has been established in Midland, Texas for Trevor's ongoing medical treatment. It is listed on his Home Page and I will repeat it at the bottom of this Blog Post. No amount is too small.
3. Here is a really Cool Idea! Let's say your heart has been touched as mine has by this remarkable little child. You don't live in Texas, but you want to help. As my musician friend, Deni Bonet taught me: "Sure we all have problems. But why wallow in misery when music has the ability to help us rise above our trivial concerns?" Deni is absolutely right! If you have a favorite bar and grille that features live music, why not consider approaching the owner or manager with a printed copy of The Midland Reporter Telegram article featuring Trevor's mother Melinda and myself at: http://michaelmanning.tv/blog/2009/07/were-off-to-great-start.html? If the owner and the band or musical artist would be willing to donate the door cover for one evening to Trevor's medical fund, it would be a "Win-Win" situation for them. And I say this because your local newspaper could be contacted with a request to feature a community story that profiles the venue (free publicity) and the cause (to help Trevor). This can be done easily and without a lot of hassle.
   
4. Let's say your church or synagogue has decided to help by having one or more of their members who are singers or musicians give a concert with a cover fee or on a "Donation" basis (known to most of us as "Pass the Plate") to attend the evening's musical program? It benefits everyone involved because it is musical and fun, while monies raised can be mailed to Trevor's Medical Fund. Again, very simple to arrange with a Priest, Pastor or Rabbi. In fact, I have often thought that if each of us were to collectively carry this out, we could brand these events: "The Trevor Tredaway Concert Series" (As you can tell, I've worked in broadcast marketing)! The bottom line is this: Let's Have Fun for a Great Cause!
5. My Final Suggestion: There are two opportunities for me to be available for telephone interviews on radio stations to help promote any worthwhile event held in any city to benefit Trevor and as a broadcaster, I am comfortable as a Guest. Here are 2 opportunities: A.) If you have an event of any size organized to benefit Trevor's Medical Fund and one of your local "News/Talk" radio stations would care to conduct an interview with me "Live" or taped, I am available Sundays and Mondays or in the evenings after 7:30 PM Pacific Time. Believe me, I have the energy and the passion to discuss this worthy cause and promote it! These interviews are typically done by AM "News/Talk" formats--generally speaking but this is not written in stone. I am available! B.) As the components for the Midland, Texas-based concert are finalized, I will also be available in this same capacity and in limited circumstances where her schedule permits, Melinda will be available to join me as well. Again, this initiative provides a radio station with a "Win-Win" opportunity that works to their favor in a couple of ways. First, helping Trevor and his family in any way is a wonderful thing to do. Secondly, the station benefits by positioning themselves in your community as the station that cares. This is simply good Public Relations and it extends to any musical format. From "News/Talk", Heavy Metal, Christian Contemporary, Jazz, Soul, Oldies, Rap, Rock, Soft Rock/Easy Listening, Classic Country, Today's Country...you get the idea. I've been a news anchor on just about every radio format there is and these interviews typically run 10-15 minutes in length. There you have it: My Top 5 Ideas! You may have some of your own. DO Share! I'll close here with the name and address of the special bank account that was established to help Trevor Tredaway and his family.
   

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Trevor Tredaway Fund
Citizens Federal Credit Union
P.O.Box 51070
Midland, TX 79710

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Thanks so much for your visit today! I really appreciate your time and welcome all feedback that is caring and constructive. Through sharing, some of the best ideas come together. Have a great week!

Michael