Stories of Light

All of you KRMG listeners out there already know that bright and early tomorrow morning is the kick off of the fourth Annual Stories of Light broadcast, which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma.

As the host of the KRMG Morning News and MAWFO Chairman Joe Kelley has been advising listeners for the past couple of weeks, be sure to stow an extra box of tissues in the car for the rest of the week. If you're a crier like me, you'll need something with which to mop up the mascara mess before you lock up the car for the morning and head to the office.

Before you tune in tomorrow, give this open letter from Joe a quick read, reprinted below. Then, be sure to listen to KRMG Morning News tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday for the Stories of Light. Or, drop by LaFortune Park at 51st and Yale to see Joe in person.

I think you'll find that you have more than wads of snotty Kleenex to hand him when you get there.

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My Friends,

Six weeks ago, I accepted the call to become Chairman of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma. As a two-time childhood cancer survivor, the mission of the Make-A-Wish Foundation is very personal to me.

With three small, beautiful children in my home, I am very sensitive to the painful reality that all our children are potentially one doctor's appointment away from having their worlds turned upside down in a dizzying array of hospital visits, needle-sticks and surgeries.

During a family's darkest hour, the Make-A-Wish Foundation provides a shining beacon of light; a chance to escape the bonds of sickness, if even for just a moment.

Yet, these are extraordinary times.

Kids don't understand the economics of a recession. Their cancers don't share our sense of bad timing. While some charities can scale back their non-essential services, MAWFO has no non-essential services. We don't have multiple functions and departments. We only do one thing: We grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.

The average Wish costs $7000 and at this moment, there are 94 Oklahoma children waiting to have their Wishes granted. Many of these children don't have the luxury of patience.

Please take a moment of your time right now and help make Wishes come true with a donation to Oklahoma's Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Please call 5 friends and ask them to do the same. Forward this email. Pass a hat at your office. Call a generous friend or relative. Clean out coins from your car and home. Take a tax deduction. Call 918-492-WISH.

Donate online right now at: http://bit.ly/OSdWW

Or, come see me in person November 17th, 18th, or 19th at LaFortune Park in Tulsa as KRMG hosts our 4th Annual Stories of Light broadcast to benefit Make-A-Wish. All money raised goes to Oklahoma children suffering from life-threatening illnesses.

To put my money where my 'ask' is, I'm personally committing $1,000 to the Stories of Light campaign this year (which is only $83/month or less than $3/day).

Thank you very kindly for your generosity,

Joe Kelley