| The next Auction for Ashton is coming up on August 20th...and it should be ALL of our duty to get the word out and help! I just got the following email out to about 400+ fisherman, guides and lodges....got about 100 more to send, but I'm slowing down here, eyes are fading in focus, fingers getting sore, wrist (already shot) is jerking uncontrollably! I need you all to take this from here...Cut and paste the following email, send it to EVERY SINGLE GO****ED MUSKIE FISHERMAN, LODGE OWNER, BOAT DEALER, GUIDE, TACKLE MANUFACTURER, OR ANYONE ELSE THAT I FORGOT THAT IT HAS EITHER A CONNECTION TO FISHING, OR JUST A HEART. Ok, so I have the first, not much of the second. Just DO AS I SAY!!! Don't ask why? Don't think if you have TIME out of your long-weekend to do something GOOD for a change...just listen to Slamr, and everything will be ok. Don't follow my instructions, and I'm calling my man SPONGE BOB on your a**!!!!! Thank you in advance for NOT making me call the East Coast Yellow Postal Worker out on you...
I am proud to announce that he folks at Muskiefirst.com are going to be running another on-line Auction for Ashton to benefit a very worthy cause. This event will be held on August 20th at 7PM in the chat room for Muskiefirst.com (www.muskiefirst.com/chat) Who is Ashton you ask? Why is this auction being held? I had the same questions in mind, so I went to the best source, his grandmother......
Ashton, my grandson, is a wonderful little 8-month old boy full of spirit, that always has a ready smile on his little face. That wasn't always possible for him, he was born with a very serious bi-lateral cleft palate and lip. He has no roof in the top of his mouth, you see straight into his nasal cavity. His top jaw is in three sections, with the front jaw (premaxilla) jutting out, at birth it was right under his little nose. His top lip was in three sections also and his nostrils were open right into his little mouth. With corrective surgery at three months of age, he now is able to smile. The surgeons fused his lip together, and used a flap of skin to seal his nostrils off from his mouth. While this sounds like a simple surgery, it was not, the doctors had to separate skin and muscle to sew them together as they should have been. His next surgery is October 3rd, 2002, just two days after his first birthday. At that time the surgeons will give him a soft palate. This consists of taking a flap of skin from the back of his throat and putting it into the roof area of his mouth. Until then, feedings are very tedious for him. We have to buy special bottles with a valve system, so he is able to suckle. The cost of these bottles is astronomical, approximately $300.00 a dozen and they only last for four to six weeks, before replacement is necessary. Ashton was also blessed with eczema, allergies to everything but 100% cotton, and a long road ahead of him (at least 6 more surgeries are needed) before he will be like other little boys. With all this against him, he has a wonderful loving family, grandparents that adore him and is the MuskieFirst.com "Special Little Boy." MuskieFirst and its members have raised money to help defray expenses, have sent special gifts, including a 100% cotton hand-made quilt, and keep us in their prayers. Without this continued support, life would have been a harder struggle for my family. The endless trips to the hospital in Madison, room and board while Ashton is in the hospital for his Mom and Dad, and all the special bottles and other odds and ends that he has needed through his life. The members of MuskieFirst restored our faith in humanity, most are complete strangers to our family, but they have put forth their very best to help when needed. What more can I say...
Sincerely,
Jody Holbrook
aka. MuskieGoddess
aka. Ashton's Grandma
Through the donations of many incredibly generous muskie fisherman just like yourself, over $8000 have been raised in a very unselfish effort to help one of the members of the future muskie fishing generation! Already various manufacturers and individuals have stepped forward to lend a hand to donate "muskie-related" products, and even guide dates, to bring to the table ways to show their support for a little muskie hunter who right now needs all our help. So far, as of July 3rd the Auction has on the block:
Musky Innovations Lures (www.muskyinnovations.com)
Tinsel Tails from MuskieE
Weekend at Jomusky's Hideout in Minocqua
1/2 Day's Guiding Trip with Ducks Musky Hunts And Guide Service
2 Handmade Lures from the European Jerkbait Craftsman Divani (http://www.lurebuilding.nl)
Three Five Packs of ToddM Tails from Todd Minor
2 Muskie Treats from
6 NEW Handmade Jerkbaits from Jim_K
The auction is over a month away, and this list isn't a fraction of the total amount that will be auctioned off!!!!!! The prior event saw the sale of items such as: Violent Strike Spinnerbaits, Aurora Muskie Series Rods, Custom Slammer Tackle Crankbaits, TR Twitchers, Crazy D Bucktails, Rods from St. Croix, and hard to come by items such as Hughes River Jerkbaits and Amma Bammas.....as well as Guided Trips from Mike's Sure Catch Guide Service, Oneida Esox Guide Service, Trophy Muskie Charters, Jason Smith, Musky Fever Guide Service in addition to others.
This email is being sent to all of you to not only alert you members of the muskie community directly, but to also respectfully ask that you forward this along to all the muskie, musky, or muskellunge hunters, enthuiasts, addicts, nuts and/or crazies that you know. If you have extra baits to auction off that you make, or just have lying around and have never used, GREAT, we'd love your support! If you make leaders or other muskie equipment, GREAT, we'd love your support! If you run a guide service and can give up a day on your busy schedule to help out a little boy in need, GREAT, we'd love your support! If you can find a week, or a weekend or just a DAY that your lodge or fishing camp can donate, that would be GREAT!
But more so, your participation in this important event is needed......be there on August 20th at 7PM CST at www.muskiefirst.com/chat !!!! Bring your wallet and be ready to bid on some great things, all for a great cause!
Thanks in Advance for Your Support!
Andrew "Slamr" Golden
[email protected] |
