Pledge Drive Update: Kids Know KEXP Is Good Radio

KEXP’s kid-friendly volunteers are waiting to take your pledge

Everyone who knows me, accuses me of being a sap. In my grandmother’s time they may have called me an incurable romantic, which is more palatable. Label me what you will, but I have faith that we can learn a lot from children.

Sometimes they just see the truth of something when we adults add a bunch of layers of stuff and obscure what’s right in front of our eyes. This week, children have opened my cloudy eyes.

Over the weekend, Isabelle and her mom came into the station so that Isabelle could give us $5. Isabelle looks like she’s five years old, long eyelashes, enormous blue eyes. She was wearing her bathing suit because it was 90 degrees outside and she’d been frolicking like the rest of the city. She really likes KEXP, she tells me, and gave this week’s allowance to help the station stay on the air. Somehow, Isabelle knew that it was important to give her allowance to support the music she hears at home on this radio station.

Isabelle was so shy that it took about 5 minutes of coaxing and cajoling to get her to enter the pledge room. Finally, she sat down at the pledge table, and helped Barry, the pledge room volunteer with a big ol’ beard and long hair, flll out her pledge form. Her mom matched her gift, too!

Imagine being really, really scared to do something, and wanting to do it so badly that you have to build up your courage to actually do it. Isabelle taught me that doing the right thing, sometimes takes resolve.

And then I learned something from Arlie, John and Tiffany Richard’s son. Arlie’s not even three. No one likes getting up at 5am, but Tiffany said it was easy to get Arlie up early on Monday morning, when she was answering phones, because he knew he’d be going to the station.

Now, there ain’t too many toys hanging around these digs, but Arlie loves to be here. We all do. And it dawned on me that we all love KEXP (staff and listeners, alike) not only because it’s fun, but also because KEXP helps us connect with something that is super important to us – whatever it may be. I think for Arlie it may be that he gets to see his dad and eat doughnuts. For others, it’s another sweet thing.

And then I had a good laugh and appreciated the clarity of an email I got from a KEXP Gold Club donor this week, after he and his family attended their first VIP Club Concert:

Leesa, the show was great! The whole family loved it. The arrangements for families with children are terrific. The children (11, 8, and 7) were already KEXP fans, but now they are devoted followers.Here is a typical conversation from our time in the car this weekend:
Children: Dad, KEXP says they need money to stay on the air! They need
$600 in the next 3 minutes!
Dad: Yes, I know, it’s the summer pledge drive.
Children: Dad, we have to send some.
Dad: Guys, we already gave during the last one.
Children: But, Dad, they say they really need more. Can’t we call
again? If they don’t hit their target, they will go off the air!When we got back in the car yesterday afternoon:
Youngest child: Dad, hurry and turn on KEXP!
Dad: OK
Youngest: Oh, whew, they are still there!The children choose their own charities and other causes for giving part of their allowance. We’ll talk about whether they want to become KEXP members too!Thanks, kids!