Beyond expectations

Hi, Wilson.

Sorry it's taken me more than two weeks to write. It must be cold at night at the top of Mount Adams -- I suppose you are still up there, although it won't be long before the intense ultraviolet sun rays break down your tether and Mount Adams' howling winds send you skittering across the summit. But I'm going to presume that you're getting this message for the time being.

Wilson campaign exceeded objectives

In barely a week, the Wilson campaign to raise 100 One World Futbols will be concluded. As  you know, your charming personality actually resulted in the raising of 109* futbols for distribution to kids living in tough environments elsewhere in the world. But did you forget about the bonuses? (*This just in: As of July 30, the number is 116!)

After we met our first objective--raising 20 balls--your campaign became eligible for a $5 match for every ball raised. So, according to Emily Hopcian, marketing manager for One World Play Project (and my invaluable mentor), your campaign also raised $545 in bounties, yielding another 27 balls!

Special gift gave big boost

And then there's Carla Stanley. Remember Carla? She is the customer service representative who created the Team Wilson flag for the ascent of Mount Adams. Our very own Betsy Ross. The One World Futbol Project sometimes rewards its employees with gifts of One World Futbols, and Carla was provided with 40 balls -- all of which she donated to the Wilson campaign, bringing the total number raised to 176!

So, uh, I'd say that was a little more than what we bargained for. In fact, the matches drive the price per donated ball down from $25 to $15.48. What a great bargain!

156 remain to distribute

So far, the project has distributed 20 to us, 10 of which ended up in Ecuador, and four in Tijuana. I've got another six left to distribute, and four of them are with me here in Hong Kong.

So, what to do with the remaining 156?

Share your thoughts

Well, I am hoping to hear from the donors on this one. You know how you can give to a charity and then you never know what happened to the gift? That's no fun. I'd like the donors to know where the balls are going and maybe even let them have a say in it.

Those who want their donation to be handled by the One World Play Project should tell me that, and I'll honor the request. That will put the balls in the distribution pipeline immediately. Just say so by writing to me at dancingpotter@gmail.com. Otherwise, I'm going to personally distribute as many of them as I can.

Helping me on the distribution will be Ann Anagnost, my close friend and a cultural anthropology professor at the University of Washington. I'm staying with Ann in Hong Kong, while I celebrate my 70th birthday on the other side of the International Dateline. (By the way, I'm talking to you from the future, because I'm writing to you from tomorrow.) I brought four futbols along, with the hope that  Ann can help me find the right home for them here.

European refugee camps considered

Ann is lecturing in Hong Kong until the end of July. In October, she starts a nine-week class in Rome, and she has invited me to join her there for more One World Futbol adventures. There are refugee camps in Italy and the Balkans, and the One World Play Project has a distribution center in Germany. This means instead of hauling a few balls in my luggage, I can have a whole passel of them shipped to me from Germany when I'm in Rome and take them to the camps in Italy.  That kind of secure shipment isn't always possible in third-world countries.

Hoping for embassy help in Ecuador

For example, I'd like to return to Ecuador to distribute more futbols. Shipping a few dozen there posed a challenge, because shipments are subject to pilfering and petty corruption. Fortunately, we may have found a way to get the balls shipped safely to the U.S. Embassy in Quito, where I can take possession of them for distribution to communities that can use them.

When these events happen, you can expect stories and photos about the people who receive the balls, as well as the people who helped make it happen.

That's the plan anyway.

If any readers have suggestions they want to share or preferences they want to express, I want to hear from you. As far as I'm concerned, by coming this far with us, you are all part of Team Wilson. You can write to me at dancingpotter@gmail.com.

And although we've well surpassed our goal, there may be people who want to make a donation still,  before the Wilson campaign shuts down July 31. You can do that by clicking on this link, which will take you to the Wilson campaign. After that, you can always make a donation by going to the One World Play Project home page.   Those who are so inclined can include futbols in their holiday giving list.

Anyway, now everyone knows more details about the long-term game plan. We'll see what happens.

Miss you Wilson.
Love,
Robert