Do it!
“The Great Give” starts 8 a.m. Wednesday May 1 and ends 8 p.m. May 2.
The online fundraising campaign benefits hundreds of nonprofits and educational groups in the region, including a ton of local orgs.
It’s organized by The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and has raised nearly $8 million in 10 years.
The Valley Indy uses “The Great Give” as an annual reader drive.
It’s the one time a year you are asked to help out a news site that has been ABSOLUTELY FREE for 10 years (thanks to foundation grants and readers). The goal this year is to raise $10,000!
Contribute by visiting Donate.ValleyIndy.org.
Donations are matched, up to a point, by the foundation in New Haven and our pals at The Valley Community Foundation in Derby.
ALSO … this year, technology and God willing, I’ll be doing another “Great Give Marathon Webcast.”
My plan is to conduct a series of Facebook Live videos from my office in Ansonia with Valley newsmakers and nonprofit leaders for as long as Eugenely possible.
FILE
Tom Simonetti of The Valley Shakespeare Festival usually likes to get his Valley Indy Great Give appearance out of the way as early as possible.
Please watch the videos on The Valley Indy’s Facebook page. Leave comments. Ask questions. Keep me company. Support the event by sharing this story!
I also plan to post the videos to ValleyIndy.org, but I’m a one-man crew so I’m not making any promises.
The schedule of interviews is just about complete. Check it out:
MAY 1
7:45 a.m. Start broadcast
7:50 a.m. Experience first technical malfunction of livestreaming camera
7:53 a.m. Initiate plan B
7:55 a.m. Cry
8 a.m. Great Give Starts!
Valley Shakespeare Festival: Tom Simonetti
NOTE: IF THE VALLEY INDY raises $1,000 during the first 60 minutes of The Great Give, I, Eugene Driscoll, will not shave my upper lip for 30 days. This is weird, yes, but also deeply humiliating. The last thing my face needs is a mustache (see photo later in story). I’ll look like Shawn Eckhardt. My wife and children get creeped out just thinking about it.
9 a.m.
Derby Public Library
Nicole Cignari
10 a.m.
Rich DiCarlo gives me a tour of the new Valley Arts Council place on Main Street in Ansonia!
11 a.m. Adam’s House (Shelton)
Allison Wysota and guest
FILE
Each year Seymour’s Chris Bowen wonders why he agreed to a Valley Indy Great Give live interview.
12 p.m.
Seymour First Selectman Kurt Miller
Anyone who donates at least $100 during this hour has a chance to win a $25 iTunes store gift card!
1 p.m.
LUNCH
2 p.m.
Massaro Community Farm
Katy Poole
3 p.m.
Valley United Way
Patricia Tarasovic
4 p.m.
OPEN CALL-IN/AND/OR/FACEBOOK COMMENT
203 446 2335 is the office phone.
Yell at the Valley Indy, promote your blog, business, best friend, boyhood home, whatever.
5 p.m.
2 Dudes Talking Disney (local podcast)
Dave Lenart
Tony B.
They have some type of giveaway planned, but Dave refused to elaborate.
FILE
Yeah, Dunne and Miller are appearing again — but this time SEPARATELY to see if their stories match.
6 p.m.
DINNER!
7 p.m.
Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments
Getin’ newsy with Rick Dunne
8 p.m.
Jim Gildea, Commuter Rail Council, Derby school board, regionalization committee
Anyone who donates at least $100 during this hour has a chance to win a $25 iTunes store gift card.
9 p.m.
Drinks? I mean, look who’s coming up at 10 p.m.
That’s me and a truly awful two-week mustache. If The Valley Indy raises $1,000 during the first hour of The Great Give, I’ll let that shame grow in for 30 days.
10 p.m.
More Seymour!
Stephan Behuniak, Seymour Board of Selectmen, and Christopher Bowen, Seymour Economic Development Commission
Anyone who donates at least $100 during this hour wins a chance at a really cool Valley Indy coffee mug (never used!)
11 p.m.
CT Cult Classics!
Scary Larry Dwyer
Anyone who donates $50 during this hour has a chance to win a DVD copy of ‘Unfriended.’
12 a.m.
WHO KNOWS HOW LONG WE’LL BLAB?
THURSDAY MAY 2
8 a.m.
Is this thing on?
9 a.m.
BHcare
Pam Mautte
10 a.m.
TBA
11 a.m.
Service After Service (Shelton)
Loni Lymus
12 p.m.
LIVE VALLEY SPORTS REWIND
Anyone who donates between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. has a chance to win a gift certificate to The Dew Drop Inn)
1 p.m. LUNCH
2 p.m.
Treasured Time
Patti Lavernoich
3 p.m.
Ansonia High School band
Maria Tangredi and guest
4 p.m.
Derby Public Schools
Superintendent Matthew Conway
5 p.m.
6 p.m. DINNER
7 p.m.
Derby News!
Mayor Rich Dziekan and chief of staff Andrew Baklik
8 p.m.
The Great Give 2019 ends!
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — -
Donate.ValleyIndy.org during The Great Give May 1 and May 2.
Stolen Photo
Assuming he’s free, this guy could be the live stream’s co-host/producer during The Great Give.
