csrobe@ICASE.ARPA (Charles S. Roberson) (03/30/88)
I came across this where I work and thought it was worth passing on.
I hope my fellow Atarians will forgive me for posting something totally
unrelated, but I know how connected you guys are and I think there might
be some sympathetic ears out there!
A little effort can go a long way!
"...and they told two friends, and they told two friends..."
-chip
>From: tsuchiya@gateway.mitre.org (Paul Tsuchiya)
Message-Id: <8803291540.AA12018@gateway.mitre.org>
To: tcp-ip@sri-nic.arpa
Subject: world record
Status: R
Read this on internal MITRE mail, thought I might pass it on........
David is a 7 year old boy who is dying from cancer.
Before he does, he has a dream of one day being in the Guiness Book of
Records for the person who has had the most postcards sent to him.
If you would like to help David achieve his dream, all you have to do is send
a postcard to him as soon as possible.
Send to :
David
c/o Miss McWilliams
St. Martin de Porres Infant School
Luton,
Bedfordshire
England **DON'T FORGET TO SIGN YOUR NAME**
_________________________________________________________________
Paul F. Tsuchiya The MITRE Corp.
tsuchiya@gateway.mitre.org 7525 Colshire Dr.
703-883-7352 McLean, VA 22102 USA
_________________________________________________________________cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) (04/01/88)
In article <8803301334.AA03567@work1.icase> (Charles S. Roberson) writes: >I came across this where I work and thought it was worth passing on. >I hope my fellow Atarians will forgive me for posting something totally >unrelated, but I know how connected you guys are and I think there might >be some sympathetic ears out there! [Stuff about some kid dying of cancer in England omitted for brevity] I have personally seen this message (with only the names changed) *SIX* times over the last 4 years. EVERYTIME it turned out to be a fraud. I have heard of several similar requests, two of them on the 'Call for Action' hotline in the Bay Area. Those *ALL* turned out to be frauds. So before you whip out a postcard to Billy or whomever, *CHECK THE FACTS* and certainly don't get generous and send him a couple of bucks to help with the medical expenses. Sorry to appear to be so crass, but those are my experiences with this sort of thing. --Chuck McManis uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you.
mpsimon@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (M. Patrick Simon) (04/01/88)
In article <8803301334.AA03567@work1.icase> csrobe@ICASE.ARPA (Charles S. Roberson) writes:
:I came across this where I work and thought it was worth passing on.
....
:"...and they told two friends, and they told two friends..."
:-chip
:
--------------------------------------------------
:> Read this on internal MITRE mail, thought I might pass it on........
:>
:> David is a 7 year old boy who is dying from cancer.
:> Before he does, he has a dream of one day being in the Guiness Book of
:> Records for the person who has had the most postcards sent to him.
:> If you would like to help David achieve his dream, all you have to do is send
:> a postcard to him as soon as possible.
:> Send to :
:> David
:> c/o Miss McWilliams
:> St. Martin de Porres Infant School
:> Luton,
:> Bedfordshire
:> England **DON'T FORGET TO SIGN YOUR NAME**
:>
:>
:>_________________________________________________________________
:>Paul F. Tsuchiya The MITRE Corp.
:>tsuchiya@gateway.mitre.org 7525 Colshire Dr.
:>703-883-7352 McLean, VA 22102 USA
:>_________________________________________________________________
I have seen this request before. It is not authentic. It is a hoax that
got out into the news media, that somehow cannot be purged from all the
mass media archives at once. It has actually been around for several years.
No flame of the original author intended. It would be a nice thing to do
if it were a real request.
I learned about this last year when I saw a very similar posting in the
laboratory where I work.
--Patrick Simon mpsimon@phoenix.princeton.edu 3/31/88bruce@ektools.UUCP (Bruce D. Nelson ) (04/02/88)
Postings in other newsgroups mentioning this same worthy project have indicated that the goal was reached. Those postings all indicate that postcards are no longer needed and that a plea has been issued to STOP!
rwa@auvax.UUCP (Ross Alexander) (04/02/88)
In article <8803301334.AA03567@work1.icase>, csrobe@ICASE.ARPA (Charles S. Roberson) writes: > I came across this where I work and thought it was worth passing on. > I hope my fellow Atarians will forgive me for posting something totally ... >> David is a 7 year old boy who is dying from cancer. ... >> a postcard to him as soon as possible. Saw this _last_ year. Must be an echo. The net is big enough :-). Ross Alexander, Sr. Systems Programmer Athabasca University, Athabasca, Alberta alberta!auvax!rwa
mike@ames.arpa (Mike Smithwick) (04/05/88)
In article <8803301334.AA03567@work1.icase> csrobe@ICASE.ARPA (Charles S. Roberson) writes: >I came across this where I work and thought it was worth passing on. >I hope my fellow Atarians will forgive me for posting something totally >unrelated, but I know how connected you guys are and I think there might >be some sympathetic ears out there! > > Read this on internal MITRE mail, thought I might pass it on........ > > David is a 7 year old boy who is dying from cancer. > Before he does, he has a dream of one day being in the Guiness Book of > Records for the person who has had the most postcards sent to him. > If you would like to help David achieve his dream, all you have to do is send > a postcard to him as soon as possible. > Send to : [address deleted] Don't waste you're stamps please. This is a hoax, plain and simple. This story has been passed around for years, and exposed in a local newspaper last year. The origins of the story are shrouded in the dim past, but it was picked up by a British amatuer radio operator, (a "ham") who apparently overheard some guys talking about this little boy. He took it upon himself to publicize it in the ham community, as hams traditionally send postcards ("QSL" cards) to other hams they make contact with (the QSLs are used to prove a contact for radio contests). Well, needless to say, the story was passed around the world quickly, and joined the ranks of such other urban legends as the vanishing hitch-hiker, the exploding poodle in the microwave etc. The hospital knows nothing about a little boy named David. Both the hospital, and the local post office are swamped with literally millions of postcards a year from kids, presidents (The Reagans sent him a note a couple of years ago), actors, and now USENETers. The article didn't say what they did with them, but I should hope that they would have the presence of mind to pass them on to real kids with real cancer. -- *** mike (Cyberpunk in training) smithwick *** "After all, isn't our only real purpose in life merely to make the person next to us slightly more insane than we are?" - Me [disclaimer : nope, I don't work for NASA, I take full blame for my ideas]
pes@ux63.bath.ac.uk (Smee) (04/08/88)
(With apologies to Susan Scheide, who thinks this topic has run on long enough, and that as the people involved created this monster, they deserve whatever they've brought upon themselves.) According to "That's Life" (a UK 'consumer protection and human interest' sort of TV show) on Sunday night, March 13th, and the Bristol Evening Post of March 14th: The postcard story was (basically) true -- except that the boy's name is Mario; David is is father's name. Mario has responded well to treatment. He achieved his goal in December, with something like 150000 cards, and will be in the next Guiness. His father says that it went well thru December, and then things seemed to be quieting down, but just recently there's been a new avalanche of cards from all over the world. Also, in the last week, the story has been repeated on at least two US television stations and in a Hong Kong newspaper, so they fear it will get worse. (Not to mention USENET.) Mario, his parents, Miss McWilliams, and the St Martin de Porres Infant School express deep appreciation to everyone who has responded, but ask 'could you please stop now?' They are being buried in postcards, and the school is getting nothing done, between the influx of cards, and the continual phone calls asking if it is real. Miss McWilliams is real. The St Martin de Porres Infant School is real. The Post Office is really burying them alive under piles of mail (something like 3-5 bags per day, at last count). THEY DONT WANT ANY MORE POSTCARDS. IT IS INTERFERING TERRIBLY WITH THEIR WORK WITH THE CHILDREN. (Sorry to shout. :-) But really, please don't do it. So, thanks, everyone. But no more please. Cheers, Paul