WP-ORG Fund Drive 26

Dear Members of WP-ORG,

It’s time for another WP-ORG fund drive! As you know, WP-ORG services are made possible through your generous donations.

WP-ORG is an independent volunteer organization operating separately from the United States Military Academy (West Point) and its Association of Graduates. We support members from the USMA class year groups, parents of current cadets and midshipmen, parents of recent graduates, West Point societies and parents clubs, as well as other special interest groups that are a part of our community.

WP-ORG serves the extended West Point community: graduates, Army and Navy cadet and midshipmen parents, and members of our many service-related lists. I’d like to take this opportunity to personally welcome those members who have joined our ranks since the last fund drive.

Should you wonder what constitutes an “acceptable” donation amount, our answer is now as it’s always been: donate in accordance with the value you receive from the services provided by WP-ORG, but not more than you can afford.

WP-ORG is governed by a volunteer board of advisors. Brief biographical sketches of the current members of the WP-ORG Board of Advisors may be seen here.

Our budget for the next six months is $109,216 ($2,279 less than FD25, our previous fund drive) and may be reviewed here.

If you wonder why you should donate, an explanation may be found here.

As in previous drives, you may make a secure donation by using your credit card.

Or you may donate by check made payable to WP-ORG and sent to:

WP-ORG
3800 Buffalo Mountain Road SW
Willis, Virginia 24380-5082

Please be sure to indicate your affiliation and/or year group on your check.

Regardless of the donation method you choose, WP-ORG is recognized by the IRS as a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization. 100% of your donation is tax deductible. For those who may need it, our EIN number is 51-03877132.

The authorization may be found here.

WP-ORG’s privacy policy can be reviewed here.

Thank you for your support! You are WP-ORG. Your donations make WP-ORG possible.

Dempsey Darrow
USMA1975, “Courage and Drive”
CEO WP-ORG, Inc.

West Point R-Day, 2009

Thanks to the West Point Commandant of Cadets, Brigadier General Michael Linnington, WP-ORG was accorded a table at this year’s R-Day. We had WP-ORG’s Dian Welle, her husband Dan, WP-ORG moderator Megan Hostler, her husband Dutch, ‘68, and Bob Totten, ‘60, steering new cadets’ parents to the sign-up sheets. My wife, Mary, also pitched in.

Many thanks to Dian for the hard work she put into the WP-ORG sign, the brochures and nametags; thanks also to Megan for the goodies (invariably the candy would be spotted by some kids and they’d come over with their parents in tow). Some of those who stopped by the table were already on Plebe-net and were thrilled to meet their moderator, Megan.

We signed up close to 400 individuals in a single day and afforded them and others who were familiar with WP-ORG the chance to put some faces to the names.

Thanks to all involved, especially BG Linnington, for their efforts and for making this possible. A special thanks to spouses Dutch, Dan, and Mary for their involvement.

From a WP-ORG standpoint, R-Day was quite a success!

Mary and I took a few pictures while we were there.

~ Dempsey

Fund Drive 25 Completed!

Fund Drive 25 was completed on 27 April. The final Donation Report may be seen here.

Thanks to all who donated, WP-ORG is funded for another six months!

~ Dempsey

Fund Drive 25 Continues

Through Sunday, April 5 (Day 6), $37,164.84 had been received, representing 33.3% of our $111,495 goal.

Here is the latest fund drive message from WP-ORG advisor Mike Lyman, class of 1987:

“The Long Gray Line of us stretches…” As a cadet I learned those words and thought I understood them. We saw grads return for reunions. We did alumni reviews. While a cadet I met boyhood heroes and formed friendships with the sons and grandsons of some of those great graduates. But, I did not really know the LGL.

Fifteen years ago as what was to become West-Point.Org was forming, I became friends with grads throughout the LGL on the wp-forum. I reconnect with my class by creating our website and mailing lists. Soon Dick Breakiron ‘51 invited me to join a group discussing important graduate issues like younger grad participation and early Association of Graduates governance changes. Dick was CEO of WP-ORG at the time and asked me to serve on its advisors group. This led me to further involvement in WP-ORG, my local West Point Society and the WPAOG. Dick and WP-ORG had finally tied me into the LGL for real. I discovered my passion to support the West Point Community. Grip Hands!

Today, the LGL and the extended service academy communities have the ability to grip hands in a way never imagined when that song was written. Thanks to the vision of ditus Bolanos ‘90 and several early believers who created WP-ORG, we can grip hands across cyberspace and join together in fellowship and service like never before. WP-ORG is community of grads, spouses and parents doing what we love to do in the servive of the LGL and the extended service academy communities.

We help future cadets cadet life through The Cadets of West Point.

We help recover lost and stolen class rings.

We help cadet and midshipman parents.

We plan our reunions.

We honor our fallen.

WP-ORG supports the creation of listserves and websites to enable classes and societies to communicate effectively.  Active duty grads in combat use WP-ORG mailing lists to reach a wealth of experience and knowledge, vetting ideas floated at all levels of the Army.  Through WP-ORG grads grip hands to support each other, WPAOG, West Point and the nation in ways never before possible.  When the West Point community needs online support, WP-ORG stands ready and willing to perform.

I will always remember Dick Breakiron fondly for helping me truly to join and understand the LGL. I will continue to support WP-ORG with my time, money and passion for helping to make it all happen and giving me a place where I can serve the LGL.

Through 24 fund drives you have voted your support for these efforts by contributing the funds necessary to keep it all running. Once the budget is met we say thank you and stop asking. Six months later we once again ask “Are we still doing our job? Are we still doing the things you value? Are we still doing the things that are important to you?” Every six months you vote yes with your donations.

So, are we meeting your needs? Are we helping the LGL to grip hands? If your answer is yes, please donate what you can to help keep us going.  Give according to the value you see but no more than you can afford. You can donate online here, or send a check to:

WP-ORG
PO Box 4
Willis, VA 24380-0004

To review our six month budget you can see it here.

WP-ORG is a 501(c)3 non-profit and your donations are tax deductible and
may qualify for your company’s matching gifts program!

Grip Hands!

Mike Lyman
USMA 87
WP-ORG Advisor

Fund Drive 25

It’s time for another WP-ORG fund drive! This will be FD25, our 25th fund drive since we started keeping score. As you know, WP-ORG services are made possible through your generous donations.

WP-ORG is an independent volunteer organization operating separately from the United States Military Academy (West Point) and its Association of Graduates. We support members from the USMA class year groups, parents of current cadets and midshipmen, parents of recent graduates, West Point societies and parent clubs, as well as other special interest groups that are a part of our community.

WP-ORG currently serves approximately 30,000 members of the extended West Point community. Some are graduates, some are Army or Navy parents, and some are members of our many service-related lists. I’d like to take this opportunity to personally welcome those members who have joined our ranks since the last fund drive.

Should you wonder what constitutes an “acceptable” donation amount, our answer is now as it’s always been: donate in accordance with the value you receive from the services provided by WP-ORG, but not more than you can afford.

WP-ORG is governed by a volunteer board of advisors. Brief biographical sketches of the current members of the WP-ORG Board of Advisors may be seen here.

Our budget for the next six months is $111,495 and may be reviewed here.

If you wonder why you should donate, an explanation may be found here.

As in previous drives, you may make a secure donation by using your
credit card here.

Or you may donate by check made payable to WP-ORG and sent to:

WP-ORG
3800 Buffalo Mountain Road SW
Willis, Virginia 24380-5082

Please be sure to indicate your affiliation and/or year group on your check.

Regardless of the donation method you choose, WP-ORG is recognized by the IRS as a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization. 100% of your donation is tax deductible. For those who may need it, our EIN number is 51-03877132.

WP-ORG’s  501(C)(3) authorization may be found here.

WP-ORG’s privacy policy is here.

Thank you for your support! You are WP-ORG. Your donations make WP-ORG possible.

~ Dempsey