Okay, I got the A-OK from Chief Wiggles himself, as well as his blog-buddy Plunge. We're going to set up a button campaign, and a standing page the button can link to, telling the story, giving people lists of links they can shop from, and all that good stuff.
Michele is going to help put the page together. I'll do the writing. Yes, of course we'll be linking to Chief Wiggles' blog, but this page will be one that has nothing on it but stuff about how to help, which can be linked to in our button campaign.
We need more help. We could use it in several areas:
1) We need recommendations for online places that are good to order appropriate toys and supplies from. Yes, people can box stuff up and send it themselves, but I want to also reference online sources you can go to, click a few buttons, and have them ship to Iraq for you.
The Oriental Trading Company is a great one, but I'd like more options. Including places you can order items the Oriental Trading Company doesn't have, like school supplies, candy, toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, brushes, combs, flip-flops, and other minor supplies you think parents of children might like to have.
2) Anyone want to do the legwork of contacting some of these vendors and see if they'll give us some sort of discount for people who order items for Chief Wiggles? I tried calling Oriental Trading Company about it and they didn't think they could help in that regard. I also don't have the energy to call all over the place. But if anyone here knows someone they could call, a vendor who might help out, that would be great.
3) We'll need someone to filter and field email questions. I'll set up an email address for it.
4) We'll need those of you with web sites to link the page when it's done.
5) Also, if you know of any churches, civic groups, clubs, employers, etc. who might participate, please let them know about the campaign. You can refer them to the Chief's article right now, and the button page once we have it up.
Thanks all. Leave comments here with any responses, I can't keep up with all my email as it is.
* Update * Here is a flyer you can print up and pass out in church, at work, or wherever!
Please include your article about Uncle Wiggles on that page. I got goosebumps and tears when you connected Uncle Wiggles to Cheif Wiggles!
Thanks for all you are putting into this project. We all have been asking, since 9-11, "What can I do?"
Well, this is a good answer to that question!
Here's another suggestion: Contact the hosts at your local talk radio stations. They love to promote stuff like this. I'm going to call 2 stations here and see if I can get them to mention it on air and put a link on their websites.
Here are some button graphics for linking if anyone would like to use them.
I found toothbrushes at oriental trading company. They have snowman covers, which might be a little odd, but I sent a dozen anyway. They didn't have flip-flops, and I stopped looking after that.
But you know what'd be good for that stuff, is drugstore.com.
Sorry. I was distracted.
Here are the Toy Drive Buttons.
Dean,
I can filter and field email questions. Abd of course will link when the web site is ready.
Dean,
I am so moved by the depth of your good will. We have been doing things from the moment you wrote this story. My husband & I did the flyers. He works in the Chicago area.
God Bless you, we will do what we can.
Mr.& Mrs. Don Reitsma
What a great story! We are getting local Boy Scouts & Cub Scouts involved (I have one of each). I wonder if Chief Wiggles has any idea what he has started here!
Dean... might you and Michele and others consider pitching in with buttons and help for Chief Wiggles' "Free the Generals" campaign? I've got the complete set of instructions for participation in "Free the Generals" campaign right here, but we'll need some momentum to help fix The Chief's other problem too!
Dean
Can you put me on a email list to tell me when the page is up. And will there be A PayPal or something like that? I'm in Australia and would like to put up some change towards the bulk purchases.
Dean,
You can ship toys and stuff from Amazon and "Toys are Us" directly to Iraq. All you need to do is write "APO" in the name of the city, "09335" in the zip code line, and the full address in the two lines of the street.
Personally, I am starting to make puppets and I will post the models for the other people to be able to make the dolls. I'll send you a copy of the instructions and drawings. I can also link to your page.
I think that for people who do not have that much time to look for the items into the catalogues online, it would make the package easier if you could link to order directly from your page. A donation account is also a good thing for people who only have little money, and if you make a catalogue online with an affiliate program, you can win money from the orders made on your page, and buy some more toys for the children. For people who wish to send money, it is also possible to send a gift card with Disney. The gift card can be used online to buy deco pens, note books, school bags, and illustrated books. Little children, especially orphans, probably need plush also. Everything can be sent with little money.
I have already post few times on the project. I will go on with the puppets, and post some toys that I pick up in the catalogues on line. I cannot help you with the emails, but I wish you good luck.
Regards,
To order online and send toothbrush + paste to Iraq, you can go there: toothbrushexpress.com. They have also toothbrushes for pets, so as to say, the are experts !!!!
:)
Maybe, they would join a special tooth brush operation for Iraqi children. I suggest that you make a model of letter, with many signatures of the people who support the project, so anyone find a good site, could suggest the letter to try to get special prices, help shipping, etc... It could make the project more official and bring the motivations needed to get special offers.
From the letter I have sent to Amazon, here is part of the answer:
"Note that some items are offered on our web site by third-party merchants, such as the items in our Apparel & Accessories store. Each merchant sets their own policies regarding the destinations they ship to; you can consult the Help pages for the specific merchant to see if they ship items to APO/FPO addresses."
Hope it helps.
Regards,
There's a web site called toothbrushexpress? Wild. And perfect, it's just what we need.
I'd like to set up an account people can donate to so we can then use any pooled money to buy more stuff. I don't know how to do that. Anyone want to take up the slack and set it up for us, while we get a domain set up and the page in order?
Besides Oriental Trading, here are some other sites:
Childcraft - www.childcraft.com : Especially good since they help supply schools. Lots of educational ideas.
HearthSong - www.hearthsong.com : Similar in style. Nice kites
Constructive Playthings - www.constplay.com : A lot of blocks, puzzles, & make-believe play items. A little pricier than the other two, but worth it.
Dean, I think that with Amazon you can open a free Amazon Honor System where people can give money, but you need to live in America for that. Amazon is the simpliest, but the fees are expensive. If you want more informations about collecting money, you'll find the informations in nonprofits.org
There are so many posts here that I don't know what you may still have need of - so here's my skills and you let me know... graphics design, marketing/design (digital and print media), some webdesigns (HTML, CSS, PHP)... if you have need of anything in which I may be able to assist - let me know! in any case, i am working on a possible resource for online, international shipping - i'll get back to you with that info.
For right now there's a site - www.catalogcity.com - which links literally THOUSANDS of catalogs together into one site and they sell almost anything you could want... here's the link with info on their international shipping catalogs.
I downloaded the "Chief Wiggles Needs You" flyer and noticed that (at least on my computer) the last line of the flyer got put on a separate page. I fixed that my reducing the top & bottom margins slightly. If you download & print out that flyer, you may want to double-check those margins and make sure it's a single page.
If anyone wants a copy of the fixed flyer file, send me an E-mail. I get a lot of E-mail, so please make the subject line something like "Chief Wiggles Flyer" or I might miss it.
hi
i am shams
age.....20 outgoing of 21
i am from afghanistan...but living with my family in pak..
i have been in pain for lots of here..u know the prb of afghan.people
right
so i am really wantig to be a good man in future to have a good future..so i refer to you people
if you help me...to be in your country
i will thank full
tank you
waiting for you responds..bye see you sooon