Gary Holdren Fund!!!!

[JJBrookshire]

As of today SPPLAT has established the "Gary Holdren Fund". This is a seperate and distinct account to benefit Gary Holdren and his family. Mr. Holdren was the victim of the criminal acts carried out by individuals using paintball markers as weapons! Mr. Holdren was skating when hit and fell in such a manner as to cause severe head trauma. He is currently on life support at Mission Hospital in Southern California. You may contribute to this fund by mailing checks or money orders to "The Gary Holdren Fund" c/o First Western Bank, 2722 West Walnut, Rogers, AR 72756. By the middle of next week we will have the ability to accept credit card donations online. I will post the link when it is established. 100% of the deposits will go to Mr. Holdren or his family according to their instructions.

Comments may be sent to [email protected]. I will gladly forward any comments to Mr. Holdren's girlfriend with whom I spoke this morning. She asks that we keep Gary in our prayers.

[Mossman]

bump for a great cause, if i had extra money it would be sent.

ttt

[JJBrookshire]

Great Cause

It is an important cause and we as PLAYERS can do something about it. Not only should be contribute if we can, players need to think about this incident when you hear of other individuals committing criminal acts with Paintball equipment. While the shooters may have thought that they were "having fun" and never imagined that they could cause such damage to their target, they are none the less culpable for this and they should not only be held criminally accountable they must realize that they have achieved pariah status among us that play the game! If you know of individuals who have done or do such things as shooting at unprotected and unsuspecting victims or vandalize with markers, please turn them in to law enforcement. We MUST patrol our own ranks to make sure that we are not painted with the same brush! These scum are not paintball players they are criminals that risk the very sport that we enjoy!

[shartley]

http://automags.org/forums/showthrea...threadid=30407

[Chris]

I wholehartedly agree with you Shartley. While it is a very kind gesture to set up a help fund on behalf of the paintball industry, I dont believe that it should be done because some children used paintball markers to harm an individual, but rather because he was hurt period. Maybe I am wrong and the general public, whom I belive are nothing more than lemmings, will see this and it will change their conception of our sport.

-Chris

[JJBrookshire]

Response to Shartley

Yes Shartley there is an element of "feeling good" (when you do good things you should feel good). There is also an element of "publicity". Just as the headlines "Skater critical after paint-ball attack" ... "3 youths sought in paint-ball attack" ... "Vigil for paint-ball victim continues" (all appeared in the Orange County Register) are examples of "publicity". By us banding together to show tangible support for the victim, we can in some way counter the negative "publicity" generated. It is imperative that paintball players (not just industry representatives) show their concern and support. The fund is setup in Mr. Holdren's name and not SPPLAT's. SPPLAT is doing this simply because we are a Player's organization and feel it appropriate for us to do. If you wish not to contribute, you should not be branded in anyway. Nor will I post the names and dollars contributed by each player. That is not what it is about. I will let the players know how much is raised and each time a dispersal is made. I'll do that simply to keep everything in the open.

[slayer]

What JJ is doing is honorable, and I believe it will create some positive publicity for paintball(even though I will not donate funds, I think that whoever does should feel good about themselves). Everyone is entitled to their opinions, but I gurantee if some kid clocked that poor fellow in the head with a baseball on purpose and the same result occurred, I doubt it would get the publicity and I doubt anyone would look negatively on baseball as a whole. I hope that this is the same way people will treat paintball, but with all the people afraid of guns...I don't know.

[Mango]

Slayer makes a great point, people are hit every day by baseball bats and you dont see the Baseball organizations makeing any contributions, setting up funds, etc.
I think what JJ is doing is honorable and I WILL contribute. But not to just "feel good", If I want to feel good I'll eat a donut. The reason Im contributing is for exactly the reasons JJ said above. We need to counter this excess negative image.

[Tunaman]

Count me in...

I too will contribute to what I see as a great cause. You are to be commended JJ, as you are doing a most admirable thing. I am not even a member of Spplat, nor have I ever considered joining, but this makes me mad, and wanting to do something to right the wrong...so I am joining too!

[brian terry]

a JJ see me at the maddness this week,.,..

[JJBrookshire]

See you at the Madness

I'll be getting in on Thursday. SPPLAT will be hosting the "vendor room" and we will have a booth there. Look forward to seeing Brian and rest.

[KOP_jedi_master]

im not typing this because i want you all to be proud of me.....im am just saying that i am going to contribute what i can/.....10 dollars or so....i dont get much money...im only 14 and dont have a job...where i do get my money is by mowing lawns or doing other random chores.....im just saying that i know what it is like to not have money......i know maybe some ppl are saving up for new guns or any other things like that...but im asking the ppl who do have money(maybe not much)and probably need it to play this coming weekend....please donate it and play next weekend......i think we all should try to donate as much as we can....a dollar or even a dime.....any thing im sure would help.....


Derek

[obsolete898]

I wanna know why he needs money? Does he not have insurance to pay the hospital bill or something. I feel bad for what happened to him. It also aggrivates me because this will bring bad publicity to our sport, but how will giving him 10 bucks show that I don't support what those kids did. I can write a letter and show my support. Sorry I just feel a bunch of letters with $$ in it is to just make us feel and look better.

[JJBrookshire]

Ask about insurance vs. ICU

As someone who has had family members in ICU for extended "stays", I can tell you that it is extremely rare that insurance covers the entire bill. Most insurance policies have a deductable followed by in some cases 80% coverage. The 20% left for you to pay may be thousands of dollars for several days in ICU.

Is this about "good publicity" and "feeling good"? In many ways, the answer is Yes and Yes. There is nothing wrong with combatting bad publicity with "good publicity" nor is there anything improper about doing good things to make oneself feel good. I'm not pressing anyone for donations but do believe that by contributing to the situation in a positive manner we can show our support for the victim and demonstrate that those who would do such things are not reflective of Paintball Players.

[obsolete898]

I understand that, and it's a good point. I feel that it would be better done with helping to find the kids who did that and by sending letters of condolances(sp).


Edit: I've had a couple friends head to the ICU. One w/ a broken neck. None of them paid any money out of thier pockets.