Randy's Carpet Dry-Cleaning Service
(Certified to clean with the HOST® System)

Randy & Helen Baldwin
713 Wagoner Access Road * Jefferson, NC 28640
(336) 982-8289 / 1-800-499-3555
jeffreyb@skybest.com

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10% Discount for area churches and nonprofit organizations!


'Take Ten' Donation Program
(Apologies for not keeping this current; other projects keep hogging up the time!)


Due to the seemingless endless economic challenges facing all of us, we are pleased to offer an opportunity to help those who make life a little better for others. And you can help!

Beginning in October, 2008, donations of 10% of residential jobs have been made to various local agencies (10% of commercial jobs is earmarked for separate donation purposes).

The list of potential recipients will be updated periodically. With a few very special exceptions described below, initial agencies will be located in Ashe County; however, in the future, agencies serving Ashe County but located outside the county will be included in the list as well.

If you are located in Wilkes, Watauga, or Alleghany counties, we will be happy to make a donation to an agency that benefits your county. Just let us know which one when you pay for your cleaning job!

We will be happy to consider worthy causes not listed, so if you know about or work with a group focused on helping others, call or send an email!

So call to schedule a cleaning of your carpet, floor grout, and/or upholstery. Not only will you will enjoy the results (and very likely postpone the costly expense of replacement!), you'll be helping others, too....


Potential Recipients of the 'Take Ten' Donation Program
(to be expanded)

Ashe Civic Center * Ashe County Arts Council * Ashe County Free Medical Clinic *
Ashe County Humane Society * Ashe County Little Theater * Ashe County New Beginnings *
Ashe County Partnership For Children * Ashe County Project Graduation * Ashe County Rescue Squad *
Ashe County Sharing Center * Ashe Developmental Day School * Ashe Habitat for Humanity *
Ashe Medication Assistance Program Fund * Ashe Outreach Ministries * Ashe Pregnancy Care Center *
Ashe Services For Aging * Blue Ridge Opportunity Commission * The DB Foundation / Dale & Michele Galloway *
Disabled American Veterans * Friends of the Ashe County Public Library * Hospice of Ashe County *
Museum of Ashe County History * National Committee for the New River * SMA Support, Inc. *
Summit Support Services of Ashe *


SMA and SMA Support, Inc.

SMA Support, Inc. is one of the 'outsiders' on the above list of local recipients.

In 1997, Helen and Randy's third baby was diagnosed at 8 weeks with the deadliest form of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a progressive neuromuscular disease. Jeffrey earned his official wings at 5-1/2 months, but Helen has worked to try to help raise awareness (she has written a book, The Jeffrey Journey, based on notes she kept during their Jeffrey days). While there are other outstanding SMA groups, like Families of SMA, SMA Support's primary goal is to help families obtain essential equipment, supplies, and transportation not covered by insurance.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Special Note! The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) have identified SMA as the disease closest to the treatment of more than 600 neurological disorders (including ALS, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy). If you have a spare minute, please sign an online petition urging support in the House and Senate for the SMA Treatment Acceleration Act (which has been introduced in the 111th Congress) and ask friends and family to do the same... and so on and so on. The signatures have been coming so steadily, the original goal of 1000 signatures was bumped up to 100,000, and slowly but surely, it will be reached. Updates can be found here.

The DB Foundation / Dale & Michele Galloway

On 10-18-07, Connor Galloway, the smart, happy, football-loving 12-year old son of Dale and Michele Galloway (formerly of Ashe County and a fellow football coaching family), was found hanged in his room. It was determined that he had become another statistic of a horrific activity called the choking game. What makes this 'game' even more frightening is that the participants are typically bright, well-adjusted, and conscientious enough to find thrills in what they consider as a legal manner, if not a parentally-approved one... i.e., the perceived leaders - role models - of the class. The game, known by many names (Airplaning, Blackout, California High, Dream Game, Elevator, Fainting Game, 5 minutes of Heaven, Flatliner, Funky Chicken, Gasp, Hangman, Harvey Wall Banger, Knock-Out, Passout, Roulette, Snuff, Space Monkey, Suffocation, Tingling, Twitching, to name a few), is claiming an increasing number of unsuspecting lives and wreaking permanent, devastating havoc on others because curious children (some as young as 5!), teens, and young adults are playing the game ALONE, without the so-called safety net of accomplices who can rescue them from the strangulation danger they have created for themselves via belt, rope, sheet, etc.

As a way to channel their grief into a positive direction and to alert other parents of this nightmare, Dale and Michele are now active in awareness programs. They have done two interviews, shortly after Connor's death and a year later, and have produced a DVD of a seminar in which Dale was the key speaker. They are most eager to share the DVD's, so if you would like a copy or have any questions for them, please email them. They are also sharing two sites with information regarding this terrifying pastime, The DB Foundation and GASP.

Dale and Michele have asked that we send donations on their behalf to The DB Foundation; we would also like to help Dale and Michele with the costs of the DVDs - which we trust and hope will be requested steadily - and the postage. When Connor's HEART becomes official in the fall of 2009, we'll be adding that to the list.

Finally, there is an online petition to urge the inclusion of warnings and information about the choking game in the D.A.R.E. curriculum and school health programs. Simply enter your name on the right side of the page and complete the easy form. Meanwhile, PLEASE share this with anyone who has contact of some sort with children, teens, and young adults (that would be just about everyone). This 'game' is anything but and has dire, permanent consequences for those who play and those who love them.

 


Donation Recipients


Disabled American Veterans / Summit Support Services /
Ashe Outreach Ministries /Ashe Developmental Day School /
Ashe County Humane Society / Ashe County New Beginnings /
Ashe County Sharing Center / Ashe County Project Graduation /
Ashe Pregnancy Care Center /
Ashe Medication Assistance Program Fund



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For more about Helen and Randy, visit Angel Mountain Cabin and The Jeffrey Journey
(Blogs - The Suite Life of Lucy and Ethel and Angel Mountain Cabin... the blog)