Pledging The Cause

That gal in the cowboy boots looks she's dancing pretty hard, doesn't she? Needless to say, we want to be rocking from October 19 to October 26 for UMFM's Pledge-O-Rama. We'll be talking about it on The Hockey Show tomorrow, but here's what you need to know to help us make radio a little better for everyone to enjoy.

For the first time in fifteen years, UMFM is asking its listeners to help it out by donating some cash to the radio station. This money doesn't go to any of the on-air talent whatsoever; rather, it will be used for facility upgrades, equipment upgrades, and general maintenance and operating costs. The goal for the week-long Pledge-O-Rama is $20,000 - a number that sounds big, but is easily achievable.

Why are they asking for money? Well, like all growing businesses, improvement and maintenance costs begin to rise. Again, this isn't some cash grab to help them fund a party or something. It's like a PBS Pledge Drive where the money you donate helps keep the great programming on the air that UMFM offers. I would certainly not lump The Hockey Show in with some of the proven and excellent shows on the station like Punks In Parkas, Thank God It's Free Range!, and Ultrasonic Film, but we're working to put our name on the map.

That being said, you can pick up some great UMFM stuff by pledging to a certain level. I've seen the gifts, and they're pretty solid. Depending on your help, you can receive:

• $25 – UMFM Friends With Benefits Card, Transmissions From UMFM 101.5 Double CD

• $35 – UMFM Friends With Benefits Card, Transmissions From UMFM 101.5 Double CD, Re-Useable Shopping Bag

• $50 – UMFM Friends With Benefits Card, Transmissions From UMFM 101.5 Double CD, Re-Usable Shopping Bag, Coffee Mug

• $75 – UMFM Friends With Benefits Card, Transmissions From UMFM 101.5 Double CD, Re-Useable Shopping Bag, Coffee Mug, Pledge-O-Rama T-Shirt

• $100 – 2 UMFM Friends With Benefits Cards, 2 Transmissions From UMFM 101.5 Double CDs, Re-Useable Shopping Bag, Coffee Mug, Pledge-O-Rama T-Shirt

• $150 – UMFM Friends With Benefits Card, Transmissions From UMFM 101.5 Double CD, Re-Useable Shopping Bag, Coffee Mug, Pledge-O-Rama T-Shirt, Record Bag

• $250 – 2 UMFM Friends With Benefits Cards, 2 Transmissions From UMFM 101.5 Double CDs, 2 Re-Useable Shopping Bags, 2 Coffee Mugs, 2 Pledge-O-Rama T-Shirt, 2 Record Bag and entry into our special Grand Prize draws!

Honestly, those are some great gifts just for giving a little cash to the station. Alternatively, if a t-shirt or a reusable shopping bag doesn't scratch your itch, you can get a tax receipt so you can claim your pledge a as charitable donation. For any one who is out-of-town, this option is a great way to get your money's worth if none of the above gifts meet your needs.

The Hockey Show is taking a much more interactive route for Pledge-O-Rama. To celebrate the arrival of the show to the airwaves, The Hockey Show is partnering with Voice Chat to hold the first annual NHL '94 tournament! The Sega Genesis version of the game will be used, so if you have some video game skills, this might be more your cup of tea!

The tournament itself will run on Thursday, October 25 and will feature a double-knockout format. The first 32 competitors will be guaranteed entry into the tournament. Any additional sign-ups above and beyond the first 32 names will be accommodated as we grow. The key to the whole thing is that you have to pledge a minimum of $20 to get into the tournament. Because you get the tax receipt, though, essentially you're playing for free! If you'd like to pledge more, you're certainly welcome, but the key here is YOU MUST PAY TO PLAY... in order to help the station!

To enter, visit the UMFM station. Hand over your $20 (or more) for Pledge-O-Rama. Collect your tax receipt or gifts. Sign your name to the sheet. Show up at 5:00pm on Thursday, October 25 with photo ID. Game on!

Trophies for the champion and finalist will be handed out at the conclusion of the tournament, and we'll be awarding prizes throughout the night just for showing up. That means you don't have to play to win a prize - simply watching the tournament could earn a sweet prize! Anyone who pledges while attending the tournament will be entered for the multiple draws happening over the evening!

Furthermore, Beans and I have decided to create a couple of draws for what we're calling "The Third Man In". If you pledge a certain dollar value, we'll enter your name into a draw to be the third man in the booth for an entire episode of The Hockey Show! We'll chat with you about hockey and your thoughts on the game, and you'll be a major part of the show for an entire episode! If you live out of town, that's no problem either as we'll have you on as a phone-in guest for the whole show as well! We want to have a few fans in on a few episodes, so make sure you pledge to get in for the draw!

Lastly, we'll be giving away other prizes depending on your pledge amount throughout the evening. So if you can't attend the tournament, you can still get some pretty awesome stuff courtesy of The Hockey Show just for phoning in a pledge! October 25 is going to be like Santa's Workshop at UMFM because we're giving away a ton of stuff!

If you have any questions, please email me here and I will respond. We really want this to be a success, and The Hockey Show is committed to making Pledge-O-Rama a pile of money! We need some help, though, so please donate a few bucks if you can. After all, maybe you'll be third man or woman in on one of our shows if you pledge generously! How cool would that be?

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!