Micheline Golden:

I donated a bunch of autographed business cards last year on Christmas eve and I will be doing so again this year! I already have a bunch of business cards for this year. I'm just trying to get more cards before christmas sneeks up on us.

Last year I gave a box of autographed business cards to the security gaurd at the door, filled out a donation slip and later received a thank you note from the hospital. I'll dig that up and post a picture soon if you don't believe me.

If droping a donation on christmas eve isn't the correct procedure, please let me know. I'm planning on doing this each year and time is running out for me to get more cards this year.

If last years cards were never received by the children, then someone took them or tossed them out. The security gaurd last christmas eve could vouch for me since he was so excited about my donation. I'm sure you can find out who he was.

He even gave me some business cards he had is his drawer when I asked if I could get a business card for my collection. I think they were for limo, towing and taxi businesses.

Anyways, by telling people not to send me business cards (that costs very little) that they signed on the front (for free) and mailed for 39 cents isn't like I'm ripping them off. The only one losing here are the children that won't see the extra cards I would have received.

By the way, when the hospital was still in Fresno years ago, I got my boy scout troup (Boy Scout Troop 57) to donate boxes of Baseball and other Sports Cards which I personally delivered on christmas eve several years in a row.

We never got permission to collect these baseball cards. We just showed up. You make it sound like I need your permission to do something nice for the children at christmas. Do I?

This year I already have autographed business cards to donate from the following people:

• Lynette Ratzlaff - Central Valley Regional Center - my autistic son's couselor
• Burt Rutan - Scaled Composites - Dinuba native & winner of the X-Prize
• Jerry Dyer - Chief of Police - Police Department - City of Fresno
• Robert A. Nevarez - Deputy Chief Patrol Division - Police Department - City of Fresno
• Sharon Shaffer - Deputy Chief Investigative Services Division - Police Department - City of Fresno
• Randy Braden - District Circulation Manager - The Fresno Bee
• Rod Nazario - Special Projects Officer - California Highway Patrol
• Robert L. Poythress - Mayor - The City of Madera

All the cards donated last year and every year are placed into baseball card protectors that I pay for out of my own pocket. The time and expenses of writing to people via US mail to get cards comes out of my pocket also. The only thing I'm getting out of this is one of each business card.

That information is spelled out very clear on my website. I'm a business card collector. I could just ask for a business card for myself. Instead, I'm asking for extras to donate to the children.

I wanted to get Mayor Alan Autry and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger involved but I haven't had a reply from the mayor and the governor is to busy to sign autographs. Maybe just business cards with no autograph would do, but that's not what I'm aiming for here.

I hope there are no hurt feelings here. I didn't mean to keep anyone out of the loop, but I didn't think I needed permission to do what I've done in the past without permission.

The list doesn't look that big, but I don't do this all year round. If I did, and didn't have roadblocks put up I may have a lot more cards on this list. Some of these cards are very special. I think they will be a hit!

Russell

This person has not run this project with Children's Hospital Central California at any time in the past, and no such program is planned for this coming year. Please do not forward anything to this person under the belief it will benefit Children's Hospital.

Thank you,
Micheline Golden
Public Relations Mananger
Children's Hospital Central California