DONATIONS TO THIS WEBSITE
3/8/2009
After 7 years of maintaining this website, I have decided to accept donations to help support it and help it grow.
My reasons for not accepting donations in the past were a mix of pride, a desire to serve the men and women who served and the thought that if I accepted donations, it would make me feel "obligated" to post whatever was sent to me.
One major purchase wiped out my acquisition budget for the year. and I found myself passing up material for the site due to the cost.
The only area of the site that I have accepted sponsorship for (previously) was the Deck Logs for the Neshoba. This was something that a number of guys had asked me to add, but I didn't because of the expense. When I admitted the reason to one of them, he suggested that I see if anyone wanted to "chip in." All of the months were sponsored by individuals.
I don't really know how much the site costs per year...but it runs somewhere between $1,000 and $2,000 per year or more - to be honest it could even be more. Some of the expenses related to the site are:
Domain name (some of the ships and Sampson have asked me to get domain names for their groups, but I have not done so because of the added expense)
Web space and bandwidth rental - site has grown from 5 meg to over 500 meg.
Postage for material I borrow and return - usually paying postage both ways (each Cruise Book averages $5 round trip)
CD's, Postage and packaging for CD's and other things I mail out at my expense - I've given away over 600 CD's. Do the math...
Items purchased so that I can scan them to post on the site. I usually donate them to Sampson, the Oneonta, NY Library, the Slater or other ships afterwards. I rarely collect "stuff." (no room for it...) though the Neshoba scrapbook isn't going anywhere.
Computer equipment - I've upgraded three times since starting the site and sometime in the future will need to do so again. I've "killed" 4 scanners and 2 printers so far
Cameras - I finally upgraded my digital camera - it enabled me to post things that I didn't before.
Other misc. expense.
This is not a plea for donations...or a suggestion that the site will go down if not supported. It's just a matter of being practical and being willing to let others help if they so desire. The site has grown far beyond my wildest expectations when I started this project in October 2001.
If you are interested in donating to the site, you can send a check to:
Russ Padden
2 Scotchtown Place
Middletown, NY 10941
Or you can send money via Paypal (I'll use that money to buy stuff on eBay for the site) http://www.paypal.com/
My Paypal identity is ussneshoba@rpadden.com
I would be happy to acknowledge you, or note donation as anonymous if you prefer.
A special thanks to Ray Allen APA 216 and Glen Ayer APA 213 - both made generous contributions to the website.
Both are plank owners of the website and without them this site would probably never have started.
As usual, they were the first... See my comments about them on the Dedication Page.
Donations:
Bill Gowen in honor of his Dad CBM Carl E. Gowen of the USS Harris APA 2
Pat Stanley - son of an APA 54 USS Wayne Veteran
Steve Glover - Sampson Vet
William McMahon - son of a Sampson Vet
Ray Allen APA 216 USS Neshoba- site Plank Owner
Glen Ayer APA 213 USS Mountrail - site Plank Owner
Grady Willmon APA 54 USS Wayne - site Plank Owner
Randy Cook for Jack Cook QM/2 USS Ormsby APA49 Pacific Theatre WWII 1924-2003
Joel Pipitone APA 216
Joe Divine - a Tin Can Man
Steve Steiner - son of an AP passenger
Joe Devine for DD 614 USS Mackenzie
David L. Busch for his Father Ensign Martin P. Busch USS Neshoba
Andrew Ciongoli for his Father who was in Sampson CO 230 - Dewey Unit from Turtle Creek PA - Company Picture March 12, 43