Thursday, August 20, 2009

Weekend Assignment #280: Volunteers

I wasn't sure how to start this post, I'm still not, because the Weekend Assignment might go away due to lock of participation. That's not good. If it wasn't for this I wouldn't have met anybody here on the Internet. So, if you have a blog and read this, think about joining in on Karen's page. Please.

Anyway, on to this week's assignment.

Weekend Assignment: #280: Have you ever been actively involved in a campaign or a cause, to the point of doing more than just donating or voting? Tell us about the phone calls, the food drive, the charity walk or other civic-minded work you've done, if any. And if you've never done this sort of thing, why not? (It's okay if you haven't - I'm just interested in the reasons.)
Extra Credit: Do you have a favorite charity? Which one?


The short answer is a sad no. I can't think of anything I've volunteered for. Maybe there is something that I can't remember, but I don't think so. But, I still have something to add.

I've never actively campaigned for a candidate or volunteered like Karen does, but I was part of one a long time ago. Back in the late 70's a family acquaintance was running for governor in Illinois. You know, back before Illinois had such a bar rap. Of course I was only eight at the time, so it may have and I just didn't know.

The only reason I remember this is because we got to be part of a commercial. We recruited the neighbor kids, since there was five of them, got all the kids in our family together, and we went to some school to record a question and answer segment. Yes, the kids were asking the questions. Obviously, in the final commercial there was no volume on us, instead there was a voice over about something to do with kids. He was high up in the education system so that was part of his platform. I should probably mention is name, don;'t you think. It was Mike Bakalis. He's got a Wikipedia page and everything, so you know I'm not making it up.

I don't remember a whole lot about it, though I seem to, but I do remember asking him what he was going to do if he didn't win. That right there is why they didn't bother to record what we were actually saying. Once the commercial stared running I kept hoping to see myself on TV. I never did. I saw some of the neighbors, my sister, and some other kids, but never me. I remember my parents telling me one of my aunts saw me, but I 'm sure they were lying. Too bad this was before the age of VHS, I could post a video of the commercial.

I can post this video, but it has nothing to do with me, so I don't care.



Check out the 70's hair. Also, check out the awesome 70's graphics. Can you imagine someone getting elected with something so boring now?

Sp, that's my story. Oh, and if Mike Bakalis is out there, hi. I had fun doing that commercial back in the day. Sorry you didn't win.

I don't really have a favorite charity, We kind of have a random donation policy in our house. I don't know if that is good our bad.

3 comments:

Karen Funk Blocher said...

Love the story! And it's odd to see that old ad now, because it's a Democrat campaigning against one of the very things the Republicans are falsely accusing Democrats of doing in the health care bills today. The more things change....

Thanks for your continued support of the WA.

Florinda said...

Well, you took an unusual tack with this one...good story. Too bad you got left on the cutting-room floor for that commercial, though :-).

Mike said...

Karen: Yeah, I noticed that when I watched the video. I don't remember anything from the campaign at all since I was only 8.

Florinda: I know. I was not happy. It didn't help that my step-brother and I kept giggling, I'm sure.