This makes me proud to be a Maderan
I’ll bet many times this year, you have heard (or said), “What a crazy year this has been!” We’ve had disasters out the wazoo, and most of us are pretty tired of hearing about one catastrophe after another. It just seems like every day is a new problem. Earlier this year, we believed that 2020 may be known as the year of the pandemic. Now, the pandemic is still a headline, and it has been for almost nine months, but it competes with many other adversities.
Lately, almost right in our own back yards, we have the fires of the mountain areas near us. Some of us have family and close friends who are living right amid those blazing areas. So, when tragedies hit close to home, our hearts become more affected, and we want (and need) to help.
I got a text from advertising rep Corrie Valdez asking, “Can we do a drive asking for donations for our Madera neighbors and friends of the Creek Fire?” She suggested that we could accept donations for our local Red Cross, and if they donate $25, they would receive The Madera Tribune for 3 months.
I thought it was a great idea, but I thought we should up the ante and further help our neighboring victims by making the drive even more attractive for possible donors. So, we at The Madera Tribune together decided that if someone donates $25 (via our office) to the American Red Cross, we will give a free subscription for one year.
The announcement went into the Saturday paper, which was in the racks and delivered to subscribers on Friday. By Friday afternoon, we already had more than $100 in the donation jar, and several $25 donations run on credit cards. We also had a phone call with a promise of a donation of $1,000. By the end of Tuesday of this week, we had more than $600 in the donation jar.
We soon realized two things about people in our little town of Madera, California. 1) Maderans want to help the victims of the surrounding fires, and 2) They want a subscription to The Madera Tribune. It was a win-win for us and for our readers, and so we encourage folks to take this great opportunity to help someone in need, while getting a free subscription to the best local newspaper in the Valley. Here are the rules:
Donate $25 to the American Red Cross, and receive a free one-year subscription to The Madera Tribune.
Here are the questions people ask about this offer, and the answers we give:
Q: I already subscribe. Can I extend the subscription if I donate?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I get a subscription for someone else with my $25 donation?
A: Yes.
Q: I know that normally a subscription is more money for outside of Madera, because the postage is higher, so if I donate $25, can I get a free subscription for my friend in another city or state?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I pay my donation with a credit card?
A: Yes.
Q: If I write a check, how do I make it payable?
A: The American Red Cross
Q: Can I just donate, even if I don’t want to get a subscription?
A: Of course, but we would love for you to be a subscriber.
Q: Can I get my subscription online instead of the paper version?
A: With any subscription, we offer the paper version, the online version, and/or both for the same price.
Q: Is there a deadline to this offer?
A: Yes. September 30, 2020 is the final day for this offer. On October 1, 2020, The Madera Tribune will turn over all the donations to our local chapter of the American Red Cross, for the purpose of helping victims of The Creek Fire.
If you have not yet donated to this very worthy cause, I would strongly urge YOU to get on board with The Madera Tribune, and donate to the victims of our local fire disaster. They need your help. Thank you for your love for others, and for your desire to help them in their time of need. This is why I am proud to be a citizen of Madera, California.
— My love to all,
Nancy
• • •
“And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”
— Hebrews 13:16
