Day 100. I have given $1,000 to 100 different people so far. $10 doesn’t sound like much, but trust me it adds up. Although some people remind me of plenty of things I could have used the money for, I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything. It has been amazing.
If you live near Grand Forks, ND, I will be on the air with Denny and Kerri of KYCK 97.1 FM Wednesday morning a little after 8am Central Time. You can listen live on the Internet as well at http://97kyck.com/.
Last Wednesday I went out in search of a recipient for my $10. I ran into several former recipients of my Year of Giving: Kenneth B. (Day 30), Bill C. (Day 36), Nikki G. (Day 66), and Manny H. (Day 85). Now when I walk around my neighborhood I always run into someone that I have given to before.
I came across Bill Davis who was entertaining Metro riders entering and exiting the Dupont Circle station. The 46-year-old Maryland resident has been playing music since he was in elementary school when he started playing the saxophone. I too started playing the saxophone when I was in elementary school, however, I produced much different sounds. I recall my brother Ryan comparing my playing to the sounds of a slow dying moose.
Bill has been around the music industry for a long time. He shares one of his most proud accomplishments; producing Peaches & Herb’s Colors of Love album. You might remember Peaches & Herb best from the late 70’s hit Reunited.
“Reunited and it feels so good
Reunited ‘cuz we understood…”
Bill said he was going to use my $10 to buy him some new reeds for his saxophone. My name must have subliminally influenced his decision.
I asked him what he thought of my project and he said, “Giving is a beautiful thing.” That it is. Speaking of giving…I’ll give you a little peak at Bill’s musical talent. Check out the following video.
UPDATE: Nov 15, 2011:
I ran into Bill this morning at Metro Center. As I climbed the escalators I was greeted by the crisp November air and the melodic tunes of Mr. Davis playing the saxophone. It makes the vibe of the whole area kind of cool. We chatted for a second. He said he was doing alright and might even stop by David’s farewell party next Monday night.
Here’s a photograph I took of Bill this morning…I took this with my point and shoot which is old and not that good…but it still captures his familiar poise.
Your efforts have made me realize that mine are not so tiny. My husband and I don’t make a lot of money, but I always try to give to charities for the working poor or the homeless or for the troops as often as I can. I am scraping together a little something for the Easter meals given by the missions downtown. It always seemed inadequate. But your effort reminded me that everything counts. The thought really counts.
Keep up your good works.
nice video! Love the music
Congrats on reaching Day 100! You should now have Costa Rica as one of the countries that have visited your website! I haven’t been able to watch the video’s you posted the last few days due to the very slow internet connection here, but I’ll catch up on them when I get back.
And I don’t remember saying your saxophone playing sounded like a slow dying moose, but I’ll take your word on it that I did. Sorry about that.
Well, I might be exagerating a bit with the “slow dying” but I recall the comment, “Who’s killing the moose?” Don’t worry about. I was pretty bad! Enjoy your honeymoon!
I am so thankful that I found the article in the Washington Post ~ every day I now come to your page for a “boost”. Times are tough for everyone, but your page just keeps me going and Bill’s music just got me right out of my funk. Have a wonderful day.
Bless you every day of your life.
Okay…so now that I have spent the past 2 days reading all 100 days, I must say you are a truly remarkable person. I have always wanted to give back in one way or another but I just haven’t figured out how. Coming from a broken home with two drug addicted, alcoholic parents, I can truly appreciate how some of the people you encounter end up where they are today. I was removed from my mom at 14 and came to live in Baltimore with my Aunt and Uncle. I had some rough patches throughout my life but when I was 19 and found out I was going to bring a child into this world, I knew I had to change. Thankfully, I had a strong support system (especially my Aunt and Uncle) and was able to completely turn my life around. I would love to work with kids who came from similar situations as me. If anyone has any ideas, I would love to hear them. I don’t have a lot of time as I work in Rockville and live in Baltimore Co. so I spend 3 hours a day in the car. But I guess I have learned from YoG, that it doesn’t necessarily take a lot of time or money to give back. It has been a pleasure reading and I will follow until the end. PS don’t tell my boss I have been reading this instead of working!
I am blessed to be your 100th recipient of your philanthropist quest.May god be on your side brah. Keep up the good work.Streetplayer till i die rich or poor or somewhere in between
————–B