Katrina

When I moved to S.C. right after college, one of the things I missed the most about the Charlotte area was listening to Ace & TJ in the morning. Luckily, a long two years later, I was flipping through stations and heard familiar voices--Ace & TJ had been syndicated. I was ecstatic.
Now I'm back in Charlotte, and I am reminded of why I love this show--and those two guys--so much. The show, which normally airs until 10 a.m., hasn't really stopped since Monday morning. They've been on the air, with the help of other radio station staff and countless volunteers, raising money and collecting much-needed items (like water, diapers, chain saws, etc.) for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
What has been accomplished by this show and their "11 Listeners" is unbelievable. As of 8:30 this morning, when I had to wipe the tears from my eyes, leave my car, and go into work, they had filled EIGHT tractor trailers full of necessities to send to the Gulf and collected more than $80,000, which will go through the American Red Cross to provide aid to victims. My roommate Randi and I went to Family Dollar Monday and spent $20 each buying diapers, baby wipes and canned food to donate. We both felt like it wasn't much, like we wished we could do more. But in the end, we know it's through the little donations of lots of people--who may not be able to afford much, but still have much to give--that the victims of this tragedy will be able to pull themselves out of the mud and start over.
After spending an hour teary-eyed on my way to work, I'm getting teary-eyed again as I write this. So what I'm asking is this--I know funds are short for everyone, and most of those reading this aren't close enough to Charlotte to just swing by the radio station and drop off some cans of peas. But you can pack your lunch a couple extra times this month and send what you can--$5, $10, whatever--to help this incredible effort. Please, send a check, made out to the American Red Cross with "Hurricane Katrina" in the memo line, to Ace & TJ's Give to the Gulf, 4015 Stuart Andrew Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28217.