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Santa Strike Force 2017!!

  • 28-11-2017 2:08pm
    #1
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    So, once more into the breach dear friends!!!! Unfortunately its for the last time :(... More on that in a later post.

    Every year people on Boards.ie donate money to the cause and I find kids residential charities to buy life improving equipment for them at xmas! Its just that simple. No one gets paid. 100% of the cash goes into projects for kids charities. Simples!

    If you want to donate right now, click this button!

    [SSF]Donate[/SSF]


    What sort of thing are we talking about?
    Anything non-medical that improves the life quality of any kids in their care. That can be as complicated as giant wooden swings and puzzles in a forest (Barretstown)... to as high tech as Playstations in an ambulance (Bumbleance)... to as rudimentary as tables and chairs and beds (Don Bosco).


    If you donate (and please do!) every penny you send will go into these sorts of projects. No one gets paid. There are no overheads.

    Lets make the world a better place for some kids this xmas!
    [ssf]Donate[/SSF]


«13456

Comments

  • #2
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    SSF started with me going "hey everyone, we should club together and buy some books and an xbox for Temple Street". That was... wait for it... 15 years ago. Fifteen! Yeah, boy do I feel old right now. I never intended it to be a tradition but well, here we are.

    For 15 years its been my honour to work on this project and its something I will never forget.

    But all good things come to an end and this is the last year I will be running SSF for a few reasons.

    1. I wont be on this side of the planet next year. I'm planning on being in NZ and Japan around this time next year. That in itself wouldnt stop me (the intertubes are very long) but...

    2. What used to be a conduit has now become friction. 15 years ago, charities didnt use the internet. Most people didnt use the internet! I was providing a service by collecting money and turning it into gifts. Now there are more direct ways to support your chosen charities and I'm actually more of a middleman than I want to be.

    3. Charities have become a lot more cagey about accepting gifts from weirdos on the internet. Go figure! :)

    4. Its a lot of work. I wont lie, while its amazing to see these charities benefit, its a fair amount of work for me and there are better, easier, more effective ways to support and work for these charities than SSF. After 15 years, I'm retiring. :)


    So what now?
    I dunno.
    30 years ago I started the Gaelcon charity auction. (Its still going strong despite me stepping back 15 years ago). Its raised easily over 1M by now. SSF has raised approx 200k at a guess... I'm always going to do charity work but its time to do something different. What that different thing is, I dunno. I'm going to finish SSF 2017 and have a sit and a think. I'm open to ideas. Maybe we elect a pet charity for Boards each year, maybe we put up several direct-donation options. I dunno.

    I want to say thank you.
    Thank you to everyone who has donated over the years. Thank you for your trust. Thank you for letting me be the one who walks into charities with bags of toys or iPads or whatevers and see their reactions. Its been a rollercoaster. Its been an honour.


  • #3
    Ficheall
    Registered Users Posts: 9,018 ✭✭✭Ficheall


    I think this is the only time of the year I look forward to giving away money.
    €100 before Beasty rolls along to make me feel terribly inadequate :p

    Thanks for doing this, DeVore. Best part of Christmas.


  • #4
    King George VI
    Registered Users Posts: 4,346 ✭✭✭King George VI


    DeVore wrote: »

    What sort of thing are we talking about?
    Anything non-medical that improves the life quality of any kids in their care. That can be as complicated as giant wooden swings and puzzles in a forest (Barretstown)... to as high tech as Playstations in an ambulance (Bumbleance)... to as rudimentary as tables and chairs and beds (Don Bosco).

    Yeah cool and all, but if the kids don't want the giant wooden swings can we raffle it off to After Hours?


  • #5
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    You should see those things... you'd barely have room in your back garden for them!


  • #6
    DeVore
    Business & Finance Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 32,387 Mod ✭✭✭✭DeVore


    blatant bump is blatant :)


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  • #7
    mahamageehad
    Registered Users Posts: 4,673 ✭✭✭mahamageehad


    Sad to see that this will be coming to an end! I just made a donation. I haven't been in a position to donate every year, but I tried when I could!

    Thanks for all your hard work over the years Dev! :)


  • #8
    Ken.
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,898 ✭✭✭✭Ken.


    Thread stickied.


  • #9
    Ms. Chanandler Bong
    Registered Users Posts: 724 ✭✭✭Ms. Chanandler Bong


    Starting small, €20 for now, hope to give more as the festive season rolls on :)


  • #10
    Sleepy
    Registered Users Posts: 24,141 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    I'll be making my annual donation closer to Christmas but for my 2c worth:

    I just passed one of the Bumbleances at lunch with the SSF logo on the side and got the usual swell of pride that I get every time I see one knowing that I've played my tiny part in that and it makes me said to think that might be coming to an end.

    I can think of a few posters here who might be open to taking over the workload and who'd have the same trustworthiness as yourself Dev but I'm not going to volunteer anyone, that's something for themselves to do. If there's no-one to take over the role, I'd vote for keeping the name Santa Strike Force and turning it into a fundraising arm of one of the charities we've worked with throughout the 15 years, who closely match the raison d'etre for the SSF, have the scale to make efficient use of the cash and have never (to my knowledge) been involved in any of the scandals so common to Irish charities: Barretstown.


  • #11
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,180 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    December is but a few minutes away. Let's see if we can build a bit of momentum. So I'll pledge €10 for every poster who makes a (genuine*) pledge in this thread between now and midnight on Friday 1 December


    * I reserve the right to siteban non-genuine "pledgers"**


    **
    Admin powers this year give me scope to do a few things I couldn't in previous years
    :pac:


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  • #12
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Beasty wrote: »
    December is but a few minutes away. Let's see if we can build a bit of momentum. So I'll pledge €10 for every poster who makes a (genuine*) pledge in this thread between now and midnight on Friday 1 December


    * I reserve the right to siteban non-genuine "pledgers"**


    **
    Admin powers this year give me scope to do a few things I couldn't in previous years
    :pac:

    When you up your pledge (as you will) I'll pledge a number.


    What powers?..can you make it snow?:):)


  • #13
    cruizer101
    Registered Users Posts: 3,205 ✭✭✭cruizer101


    This thread needs more bumping, I just chanced across it, might I suggest getting a link from the boards main page announcements, try catch people on their November paycheck before they spend it all on pressies.
    Here 50 quid to bump it sure
    Receipt No. 085366326G145093V
    Fair play and thanks to all involved.


  • #14
    Boards.ie: Mark
    Boards.ie Employee Posts: 5,461 ✭✭✭✭✭Boards.ie: Mark
    Boards.ie Employee


    cruizer101 wrote: »
    This thread needs more bumping, I just chanced across it, might I suggest getting a link from the boards main page announcements, try catch people on their November paycheck before they spend it all on pressies.
    Here 50 quid to bump it sure
    Receipt No. 085366326G145093V
    Fair play and thanks to all involved.

    Good call




    bump

    How can I? User's guide to some features on the new site



  • #15
    Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Employee Posts: 12,597 ✭✭✭✭✭Boards.ie: Niamh
    Boards.ie Community Manager


    Right, I'll get the ball rolling - €20 in the pot there now, receipt ending in 12615.

    Beasty,
    your Admin powers won't work on me :P

    How can I? User's guide to some features on the new site



  • #16
    drake70
    Registered Users Posts: 656 ✭✭✭drake70


    €50 from me. Receipt number: *****6191G876423J


  • #17
    zinzan
    Registered Users Posts: 550 ✭✭✭zinzan


    €20 from me for the pot, Transaction ID ending **********9273804


  • #18
    Tv2013
    Registered Users Posts: 54 ✭✭Tv2013


    €10 there, transaction ending in **********514973D


  • #19
    brianomc
    Registered Users Posts: 683 ✭✭✭brianomc


    €50 paid in, receipt 0CL40448RF4995933


  • #20
    Ficheall
    Registered Users Posts: 9,018 ✭✭✭Ficheall


    Beasty wrote: »
    December is but a few minutes away. Let's see if we can build a bit of momentum. So I'll pledge €10 for every poster who makes a (genuine*) pledge in this thread between now and midnight on Friday 1 December


    * I reserve the right to siteban non-genuine "pledgers"**


    **
    Admin powers this year give me scope to do a few things I couldn't in previous years
    :pac:

    I hate "midnight" deadlines. Was midnight today 44 minutes after your post? :P
    23:59 is easier to work with..


  • #21
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,180 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Ficheall wrote: »
    I hate "midnight" deadlines. Was midnight today 44 minutes after your post? :P
    23:59 is easier to work with..
    Didn't want to exclude any of those last minute pledges. Anyway midnight Friday is still nearly 4 hour away, so let's up this to €15 for all pledges made between now and 23:59:59.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 on Saturday


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  • #22
    uck51js9zml2yt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,268 ✭✭✭✭uck51js9zml2yt


    Beasty wrote: »
    Didn't want to exclude any of those last minute pledges. Anyway midnight Friday is still nearly 4 hour away, so let's up this to €15 for all pledges made between now and 23:59:59.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 on Saturday

    I knew you would :D

    Receipt ending **************1F702645D €20

    Im sure your accountant hates loves you!!


  • #23
    juke
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭juke


    I'm getting a paypal error message...

    'Things don't appear to be working at the moment. Please try again later.'

    Hope I don't miss the first Beasty deadline :eek:


  • #24
    keith_sixteen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 518 ✭✭✭keith_sixteen


    Any way to donate besides paypal?


  • #25
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,180 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    keith_sixteen wrote: »
    Any way to donate besides paypal?

    You can do a direct bank transfer - I'll try and dig out the details


  • #26
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,180 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    juke wrote: »
    I'm getting a paypal error message...

    'Things don't appear to be working at the moment. Please try again later.'

    Hope I don't miss the first Beasty deadline :eek:
    You only need to make the pledge - payment can follow


  • #27
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,180 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Assuming DeVore has not gone bankrupt over the past 12 months, the Bank Account details he's posted in the past:
    DeVore wrote: »
    or you can transfer cash to:
    Tom Murphy
    Bank Of Ireland, St Stephens Green
    Sort Code: 900084
    Account Number: 65748028


  • #28
    Kuva
    Closed Accounts Posts: 870 ✭✭✭Kuva


    Beasty wrote: »
    Assuming DeVore has not gone bankrupt over the past 12 months, the Bank Account details he's posted in the past:

    Think it needs to be IBAN now?


  • #29
    juke
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭juke


    Beasty wrote: »
    You only need to make the pledge - payment can follow

    Cool, 100 pledged!

    Transaction ending *****7834B


  • #30
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 75,180 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    Kuva wrote: »
    Think it needs to be IBAN now?

    Fortunately I have a spare one in my back pocket:
    IBAN: IE45BOFI90008465748028
    BIC: BOFIIE2D

    DeV's Inside leg measurement doubles up as his PIN: 28.75 :pac:


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  • #31
    heroics
    Registered Users Posts: 1,878 ✭✭✭heroics


    How do I donate again? Can’t see a button in first post using chrome on iPhone.

    Found it in PayPal history 😀. 20€ transaction ending 46075511


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