THE CHESS WORLD RESPONDS TO SEPTEMBER 11
The chess community has begun to respond charitably to the tragic events of September 11.
Herman Drenth, President of the New Jersey State Chess Federation, writes:
Hi Bill; Would you please post on your chess news that in response to the request for donations to help the victims of the WTC disaster, the NJSCF has contributed $1000 to the September 11 fund. We want to thank everyone who has supported the NJSCF over the years and made it possible for us to do this.
Though we are not yet aware of any USCF members who were killed in this disaster, the large number of dead make it appear likely that we have lost some of our chess friends. Rich Jackson, a scholastic chess organizer from Connecticut, reports the terrible news that eleven fathers of his scholastic players have perished.
Rich has begun a fund raising effort with the objective of providing a chess board and set to children who have lost a parent in the disaster. I will be sending him a donation (made payable to U.S. Chess Trust) and urge all readers to consider doing the same. He writes:
Dear
Mr. De Feis and other Great Folks,
My faith in the wonderful people that make up the chess community and this
country has been restored. Today, Mr. Richard Peterson of the Chess
Education Association (www.chessmagic.com) donated 100 practically brand new
boards for no fee, out-of-his-pocket. Those boards are on the way.
Cajun Chess, run by Richard Crespo and Mrs. Jean Troendle of Lousiana, are
sending two hundred sets and one hundred boards at cost. At about $6 a
piece, their costs, and they are going to the manufacturer to see if they can't
get that price even lower. After making that order ...
I received an E-mail from Mr. Donlan who contacted Mr. Bob Long at Chessco who
can probably get the wholesale price even lower to around $5 per set/board.
God bless you all!
To date I have distributed 20 sets out of my first order of 96. The towns
of Larchmont and Mamaroneck, NY have had chess sets delivered to all of the
elementary schools that have children missing a parent, children and moms I know
personally. By tomorrow, I hope to finish up here in Greenwich with the
public and private schools. I also intend to contact the school districts
of Stamford and White Plains tomorrow to see how many sets are needed there.
When my next shipment of 200 arrives I will start to reach out to
organizations like the National Scholastic Chess Foundation, Chess in the
Schools and so on so I can start distributing sets to professional colleagues
for distribution at their schools.
Anyone who might like to make a contribution ($5 is a great start, that is one
child whose life will be enhanced through a personally troubling time) should
make checks out to: US Chess Trust, write on memo line NYC Chess Sets,
and mail them to me at:
Rich
Jackson Enterprises
PO
Box 5102
Greenwich,
CT 06831
I am monitoring the amount of chess sets ordered based on donations received.
My first shipment of checks to the US Chess Trust will go out tomorrow
with the invoice for the first shipment of chess sets that I have received and
in the process of distributing. I also intend to contact the Red Cross
tomorrow to see if they might have a list of schools that could use the sets
(probably not, but worth a call).
Please E-mail your circle of friends and ask them to donate, it is tax
deductible. This is something we as a chess community need to do. If
anyone has any questions, please E-mail me (RICHSCHESS@aol.com)
and I will be happy to answer any all
questions.
Nothing would please me more than to roll up in front of the Cantor Fitzgerald
office in Stamford, a firm that lost 700 employees who left 1,500 young children
behind, and give them chess sets for each of every one of those special and
wonderful young faces. A picture of that would light 10,000 smiles alone.
My Prayers and Blessings to all!
Rich
Jackson