A Humble Request

Technorati Tags: charities,donations

I know you’re all but busy, and this is a long post, but if you read anything today, please let this be it.
Right now, our nation’s eye is turned to Japan, and the devastation that has taken so many lives, and left even more without a home.  While I feel absolutely terrible for those people, I ask you to turn your attention a little closer to home, to the story of Kyle and Amanda Franklin.

Perhaps you’ve heard of Franklin’s Flying Circus and Airshow. If you haven’t yet, here’s a short excerpt from their about page:
“(Kyle) Franklin comes from a pedigree of talented pilots and airshow stunt people. His father was none other than the legendary pilot Jimmy Franklin. Kyle Franklin’s wife and partner is Amanda Franklin, the daughter of legendary pilot Bobby Younkin and sister to Matt Younkin. Together Kyle and Amanda have created a swaggering, wing-walking pirate show that would make Captain Jack Sparrow gulp.
This flying circus of “Pirated Skies” will have audiences yelling “Aaargh” as Amanda wing walks, playing the part of “Scandalous Scarlett” and sword fights with Kyle, the menacing “Captain Kyro.””

You can watch a short clip of the couple’s  pirate show in this video:



Now that you’re familiar with the Franklins, I’ll get to my request. As some of you may know from the news, my fan page, or another source, Kyle & Amanda’s plane engine stalled in a recent show, causing the plane to crash. Miraculously, both of them survived the crash, but Amanda was severely injured. You can watch the news except from MSNBC’s Today Show here:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/42190777#42190777

While I must say, I can’t making as much of a donation as I’d like, since my family lives paycheck to paycheck like most Americans, I will be donating $2 from every Dark Heart Designs sale, no matter how small. If the sale is larger than $25, we’ll be donating $5 per sale for the remainder of the month of April.
If you don’t want to make a purchase, but still want to help the couple, the following funds have been set up for them:
Moonlight Fund
www.moonlightfund.org and specify the Kyle & Amanda Franklin Fund. You can also send a check to the Kyle & Amanda Franklin Fund, c/o The Moonlight Fund, PO Box 1299, Bandera TX 78003. The Moonlight Fund is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides 24/7-assistance to burn survivors and their families in their hour of need.
International Council of Air Shows Foundation
www.icasfoundation.org and specify the Kyle & Amanda Fund during the donation process. You may also mail a check or money order to: ICAS Foundation, 750 Miller Drive, Suite F-3, Leesburg, VA 20175. Make your check or money order payable to the ICAS Foundation, and indicate "Kyle and Amanda Fund" in the memo section. You may also donate by credit card call the ICAS Foundation Chairman, Caroline Trinkwalder, at 734-595-0864 or call ICAS headquarters (703-779-8510) with credit card information.
For updates on Kyle & Amanda’s condition, you can visit the Franklin’s Flying Circus & Airshow fan page on Facebook.
Thank you for taking the time to read their story. Until next time!
-Tina