Hi Folks.

This is a different sort of email than what you usually get from me, so I hope you'll read it all the way through.

I've been at this gig for almost 19 years now. And in those 19 years I've made a lot of friends with people from all over the globe. Many of those people entered my life when I first got started 19 years ago and have hung in there with me through thick and thin.

One reason I think most people stuck around was because our initial contacts, which universally was them asking me a question, was more than me just dashing off a 5 word response and moving on. You may have noticed yourself that I tend to get a little wordy in my emails, but I don't apologize for that. When I send someone an email asking for clarification, I want as much of that clarification as I can get, not just a couple of words and a quick adios.

And because of that I've ended up making friends around the world and found I had different things in common with so many people.

People like Lee R. out in Vegas who shares the same passion I have for betting the ponies.

Clive M. who is a fellow MGB aficionado.

Al, whose love of cheap cigars is as strong and endearing as my own.

And then there is Lee Shapiro, who shares with me the same devastating experience of losing a child.

I know when my wife and I lost our only child, a boy named Kellen, it fundamentally changed who I was and how I looked at the world for the last 25 years. I try not to let it get me too far down, and one way I found I could combat my depression was to contribute money every chance I got to the charities that work through my local Publix (a grocery store).

Every time they have a fundraiser, I donate money and sign Kellen's name to the cutout they use to decorate the store during the fundraising campaign. In fact, I've signed his name so many times that at least two of the checkers who've worked there for decades think Kellen is my name.

Lee and his wife took a somewhat similar route, and that's what I'm writing to you about today. They formed a charity under the auspices of Ann Arundel County, Maryland, called Tracy's Kids Fund, in honor of their daughter, Tracy.

Tracy, at the age of 13 years, contracted mononucleosis, which then progressed over the next 27 years into a variety of ailments that finally cost Tracy her life. As a way of remembering Tracy, Lee and Sandy Shapiro started Tracy's Kids Fund to help support the programs of The Blue Ribbon Project, a nonprofit foundation serving multiple counties in Maryland. This award-winning organization has nine programs that help foster children and abused children. These programs include but are not limited to:

Providing clothing and essential items to children entering the foster care system.

Life skills seminars to help with the transition out of foster care.

Support groups for families.

Access to sports and activities.

We are entering a season where a lot of very worthy causes will be asking you to donate and/or support them in any way you can, and I am hoping you will give some thought to making at least a small donation to Tracy's Kids Fund and help Lee and Sandy honor the memory of their daughter in the best way possible, by helping out those who are less fortunate and who really need a helping hand.

Here is the link to the fund if you would like to know more:

https://cfaac.org/archives/funds/tracys-kids-fund/

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you are able to help out in at least some small way.

Jeff