Augie’s Quest
Posted by Richard on September 18, 2007
I've been vaguely aware of the band Five for Fighting and liked what I heard, but I haven't been looking into new music like I used to. It turns out that Five for Fighting is mostly a fellow named John Ondrasik, and he seems to be a good guy as well as a talented musician. I know he's done some USO shows, including a visit to Guantanamo, and he's one of the artists behind Music for Troops.
I'd like you to listen to a really nice Five for Fighting song and watch the accompanying video. Not only will you enjoy it, but you'll be doing good, too. I'll let Dean Barnett explain:
On a day when Barry Manilow is making news for refusing to appear on The View because one of the four co-hosts is a conservative, I think it’s important to note that not all celebrities and musicians are cut from the same cloth.
John Ondrasik, the man who is Five for Fighting, is constantly looking for ways to use his talent to help make the world a better place and does so without any tendentious or childish political narrative. At this link, John has cut a video to his song “100 Years” that movingly addresses the fight against ALS. If you follow the link, good will be done; Glenn Tullman/Allscripts and Bert and Cyndie Silva are each donating $1 for every time the video is played. The video, by the way, is outstanding and moving.
Dean's right. Go watch and listen. They've isolated the genes that are unique to people with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease), so they're getting close to figuring out this terrible killer. The two bucks donated because you watch may really make a difference, and it costs you nothing but four enjoyable minutes. (If you're on a slow connection, start it playing, mute your sound, and go away for 5 or 10 minutes while the whole thing downloads to your buffer. Then unmute your sound, drag the slider back to the beginning, and enjoy.)
Augie's Quest isn't the only charity Ondrasik is promoting, and there are other causes you can help just by watching the videos — or contribute a video for your cause. Check it out. And maybe get some Five for Fighting music, too. Sounds pretty good to me.
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