In honor of Jeffrey Donovan's birthday today, May 11th, we have opened an account with Life Rolls On in Jeffrey's name. Life Rolls On Foundation (LRO) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people affected by spinal cord injury and utilizes action sports as a platform to inspire infinite possibilities despite paralysis. Its signature program, They Will Surf Again (TWSA), is an award-winning series of bi-coastal events that empower individuals with spinal cord injury to experience freedom and mobility by surfing a wave with the assistance of adaptive equipment and dedicated volunteers. Through quality of life programs and spinal cord injury awareness campaigns, LRO proudly impacts the lives of more than 100,000 people each year. Featured in national print, television and radio, LRO received its first EMMY® nomination for Best National Public Service Announcement in 2007. (For more information, visit www.liferollson.org.)

We wanted to keep this donation a secret until Jeffrey's birthday, so we contacted as many forum members as possible by private message. We apologize to anyone who was not reached by PM. All donations received by 3pm today, EST, were totalled and that total - $1325! - and a list of the donors' names, were emailed to Jeffrey by Life Rolls On. An announcement was also made by LRO via twitter.

We've asked Life Rolls on to keep the Jeffrey Donovan USA Network Forums Burn Notice account open indefinitely, and they are for sure going to continue accepting donations in Jeffrey's name through the month of May. That means there is still time for you to let Jeffrey know how much you appreciate him, and to wish him a happy birthday, by donating! Here's how to do it:

Go to the donation page at http://liferollson.org/donate

Click the donation you'd like to give and fill in as shown. [note: It appears that on the website there’s a minimum donation of $10.00, but LRO will accept donations of any amount. If you’d like to donate less than $10, call LRO at 866-939-4559]

Click the “next” button. When you get to the next step, you will be asked for your name, address, credit card number, and so on.

There is a drop down box to indicate how you heard about LRO. Click the option which says, "USA Network Burn Notice Forum." This is a change from the previous procedure.

You’ll see a box where you can send a message to LRO which says, “Comments for your donation. Tribute Details. Question for LRO?” LRO has asked us to add the following information in the comments section when donating: For the Jeffrey Donovan USA Forums Burn Notice Fans Account. (If you’d like to add any other comments for LRO, just add them after that.)

For more information, please private message PhilippaConnors or Brenna.

Thank you to everyone who has already donated! Phi and I didn't expect such incredible support for our crazy little endeavor. Burn Notice fans are clearly amazing and generous people. I have to believe that Jeffrey will be proud of what he has inspired one little group of people to do!

$1325.00!!!! WOOT WOOT!!!! Everyone here is so wonderful.. we rocked it!!! Wish we could've been there to see JD's face when he heard. Maybe someone caught a pic?

I want to thank those who spearheaded this "campaign": Brenna, Phi, and any others!



Can I just say something about this "group" -- this "family" we've created around this television show? From the creator to the stars to the writers (including Tod Goldberg, author extraordinaire) to others associated with the show to the fans... I have not "met" a more generous, gracious, caring, friendly, intelligent group of people. There have been things happen on and off the board, friendships forged, acquaintences acquired... that are just incredible.

For those of you who have been touched in some way by this board, you know what I'm talking about. It's almost indescribable. (And, no, Kusa... that last word doesn't look right no matter how I spell it, but I know you'll let me know how it should be spelled!)

Y'all are just "good people!"

And, thanks Brenna and PhilipaConnors for allowing me to be part of this fun but important little "side trip" from the board... It was a generous and gracious act of kindness, and I bet Jeffrey got a kick out of it!

This is what Brenna wrote in her initial post. I'm going to eliminate the quotes because I think it looks more confusing formatting wise.

We've asked Life Rolls on to keep the Jeffrey Donovan USA Network Forums Burn Notice account open indefinitely, and they are for sure going to continue accepting donations in Jeffrey's name through the month of May. That means there is still time for you to let Jeffrey know how much you appreciate him, and to wish him a happy birthday, by donating! Here's how to do it:

Go to the donation page at http://liferollson.org/donate

Click the donation you'd like to give and fill in as shown. [note: It appears that on the website there’s a minimum donation of $10.00, but LRO will accept donations of any amount. If you’d like to donate less than $10, call LRO at 866-939-4559] [/quote]

Here's how the page will look, FYI:



Click the “next” button. When you get to the next step, you will be asked for your name, address, credit card number, and so on.

There is a drop down box to indicate how you heard about LRO. Click the option which mentions Jeffrey Donovan.

Here's how this page will look, FYI:



You’ll see a box where you can send a message to LRO which says, “Comments for your donation. Tribute Details. Question for LRO?” LRO has asked us to add the following information in the comments section when donating: For the Jeffrey Donovan USA Network Forums Burn Notice Fans Account. (If you’d like to add any other comments for LRO, just add them after that.)

For more information, please private message PhilippaConnors or Brenna.

Thank you to everyone who has already donated! Phi and I didn't expect such incredible support for our crazy little endeavor. Burn Notice fans are clearly amazing and generous people. I have to believe that Jeffrey will be proud of what he has inspired one little group of people to do!

[Like Brenna, I want to say thank you to everyone who has already donated to this terrific organization! I know that Life Rolls On really appreciates it! ]

I wanted to say, well said GAGilder, you expressed all my sentiments precisly (and hopefully spelling don't count or I'd never survive ). I too have enjoy the many and varied contacts with some truly exceptional people from all areas of the globe and all the varied associations to Burn Notice. It is a wonderfully unique experienc to have not only fans of the show, but writers, authors, actors, staff and even the show's creator Mat Nix all taking the time out of their very busy lives while coming together here to share their experience and form this family atmospher.

We are a blessed group.

And thanks you Brenna & PhilippaConners for making this happen!!!!

Bravo all and thanks!!!

-Mac

No, Thank you for all you do. This was a great idea.

I want to thank philippaconnors and brenna for heading up this massive effort. And to everyone who donated - just extraordinary! For having only a few days and with it all being hush-hush we sure did donate a lot, and I'm sure Jeffrey appreciates every last dollar. This community is awesome.

Although the information has been released by LRO, we do not know if Jeffrey has read his email/twitter yet. As soon as Phi or I are able to do so (if we hear anything at all), we will let you know how the gift was received.

I'd also like to add my own personal thank you to everyone who donated already. Yes, Phi and I put in a fair bit of work to pull this off, but without the amazing reseponse from you all, it would have been time wasted. You guys are really, really something! $1325 is so, so, so much bigger than what we ever dreamed of (did I mention we didn't send out the first PMs on the subject until last Thursday? So that's $1325 in about 4 days!).

I have frequently been wowed by the creativity, artistic ability, humor, and intelligence of the members of this forum (the shirtless tally, anyone?). I'm proud to be associated with y'all!

Wow, that total is really gratifying. I haven't been here long, but it was clear from the first that this is more than just a forum, it has come together as a community. It is a pleasure to know you all

Great job Brenna and Phi on all the work you did in putting this together in such a short time, thank you both.

Wow over $1300, I am always amazed by all the wonderful people on this forum and I'm truly honored to be a part of this community. LRO is such a great cause, I'm so thrilled to see that we did such a good job and how generous everyone was. Hats off to everyone that participated.

I can't believe we collected so much in such a short amount of time thanks Phi and Brenna for doing a wonderful job....I wish I was a fly on the wall when he opened his email to see that....

I must say we are great group on here...love coming to visit...

Kriss

Ditto! Thanks so much Brenna & Philippa for all your hard work in making this happen!

So happy we could support LRO in this great way in honor of JD's bday

It was a terrific idea from the beginning, Brenna and Phi! Congratulations on the success of your efforts!!! This is sure to be extremely meaningful to Jeffrey, but will most significantly benefit the recipients of the donations. You did a fantastic job organizing this project!!

Everyone -

I am speechless. Now, you all KNOW how rare this is, for Philippa Connors to be speechless. LOL!!!!



$1325.

Amazing.

I am honored to be a member of this most generous, thoughtful, and kind community. I...I honestly am just so astounded that I am having trouble finding the words. The only thing that keeps coming to mind is that line from Willy Wonka, when Charlie gives the everlasting gobstopper back - and Mr. Wonka cups his hand over the little candy and says softly, "So shines a good deed in a weary world." It is amazing how one group of people can do so much when they come together. We have an amazing thing here on this forum.

And CAGilder is right - I know EXACTLY what you are talking about when you speak of the incredible friendships and connections formed both on and off the forum. Some of the people I have "met" on this forum (some of whom I am happy to say I will actually meet next month ) will be dear friends of mine for the rest of my life.

I'll likely come by to gush some more about all of you once I am no longer rendered shocked and awed.

Thank you for making this such a wonderful community, everyone.

Edited to add: Siggy26 just sent me a text to let me know that LRO will be publishing her article about this donation in their newsletter, which goes out to 47,000 worldwide. This is just amazing and wonderful!!

Ditto that Phi. It is amazing! And CaGilder I too say well put!
This forum here, has the nicest people!
Brenna & Phi well done!!! LRO is a such a wonderful organization, may they get even more interest with all the tweets, emails, and postings. And to Siggy, for sharing and more importantly writing that wonderful article!
Thanks to all here for being so kind and making it a caring community!!! You guys rock!
Hope Mr Donovan had a wonderful birthday!
{And to Phi I read the tweet and too went speechless }

USA Network sent out a tweet with a link that Burn Notice Fans go covert for charity to benefit Life Rolls On (LRO):

http://blogs.mcall.com/tvwatchers/2009/05/...or-charity.html

And let me add my Ditto to all the above - you all said it so well!!

ETA: Phi and Brenna did a fantabulous job! This is truly an awesome community with generous hearts!

Yes, ITA with you all. Love knowing all you people.......thanks to Phi & Brenna......Happy Birthday to Jeffrey and I hope LRO continues to profit from the fans of BN.

Wow, this is so cool. I'm so verklempt! This is truly a wonderful community we have here.

Many thanks again to Phi and Brenna for such a wonderful idea and all the work you did to make it happen. My compliments to all that participated, you guys rock!

Thank you so much PhilippaConnors and BrennaFender! This was truly an amazing idea and a wonderful effort from all involved. I felt it was the least I could do to show my appreciation and respect for both Jeffrey and Life Rolls On. An amazing job well done by a group of amazing people!

Phi, LGia19, CAGilder, you said it - this is a very generous, kind, and amazing community. Plus there are some truly witty and hilariously funny folks here as well. It is an honor to be a part of, and I too was genuinely touched by the response. Thanks again Brenna and Phi, I think it is remarkable how much was raised considering it was done in only a few days by e-mail, off the forum threads to keep it a surprise. And very cool Siggy26!

I also want to be sure that everyone who visits this forum feels invited to participate.
Burn Notice fans who are not members outnumber members on this site by three-to-one most everyday, so I know today is your first chance to hear of this gift. Also, I don't think there was time to contact every member who has ever been on this board. So if you are a member or not, and want to wish Jeffrey Donovan a happy birthday by donating to Life Rolls On, please feel welcome to participate by going to the LRO site.

I was really pleased to see that tweet from USA Network. Really, The Morning Call is a well-read tv blog, so the mention there was great. It has to have helped raise the profile of LRO, too, which can never hurt any organization. ::Pat on the back to everyone::

I can't tell you what a pleasure it is to belong to this forum. I watched and read for a long time, you guys are the best...

Phi, Brenna...everybody thanks building this up to what is it.

Jeff, Happy birthday! LRO is lucky to have you as a supporter and we are lucky to get to know them through your work.

Gifts we give live on through the people we meet.

Brenna and PhilippaConnors you came up with a great idea here, and really made it happen!

It looks like quite a few fans here must have jumped in and made a donation. It really is a great group here, this message board is a very pleasant place to visit and it's just gotten better. I've very glad I found my way here. Thanks to everyone here.

Oh and Happy Birthday to Jeffrey Donovan!

krocla thank's for the post, a great read, and I absolutely agree with Curator, this thing seems to be taking off like a rocket!! It very gratifying to see so many people joining in to make a difference for our favorite spy-actor and his worth cause.

-Mac

I'm still finding it funny that we've rendered PhilippaConnors speechless (seriously though, loved the movie reference. Made me wanna go get some shiny gobstoppers and a Wonka bar!)

And I also felt the need to share something with all of you. It's a favorite quote of mine from John Quincy Adams:

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.”

It fits the moment, and it fits all of you. That is all. Let's not get too mushy now ;-)

yeah speechless Phi, who would'a guessed!!

Thanks siggy26 for the marvelous quote, it really does examplify the moment, and we can always use a little mushy from time to time!!

Cheers ,
-Mac

Kris Nakamura, LifeRollsOn CEO stated this in a tweet:

Article about the amazing group from the USA Network Burn Notice Forum celebrating the b-day of Jeffrey Donovan http://tinyurl.com/pc3nkd

(The link goes to Siggy26's article -- thanks for writing such a wonderful article and for the inspiring quote from John Quincy Adams.)

Everyone is so awesome! Here's a little something I made in honor of everyone who contributed to LRO:

Hey guys,

I have a little update. I spoke to Kris at Life Rolls On. She said that today the Chairman actually called Jeffrey to notify him of the donation made in his name. I'm very glad to know that he did find out about his birthday surprise on his actual birthday! He either now has or will have a list of the names of all the donors as well.

LRO will keep the "Jeffrey Donovan USA Network Burn Notice Forum" account open at least through the end of June so that new forum visitors who check us out after the premiere will still be able to donate. Also, PhilippaConners and I have offered to help any other groups who want to motivate their members to donate in this way, and to serve as a link between LRO and this forum to pass on press releases and other news. We are excited to help this worthy foundation in this way, and we hope you are too!

Thanks again to you all!

Brenna

Oh my goodness, I just saw this. HILARIOUS!

I'm not sure we can handle another birthday just yet, lol!!!

Thank you for saying this, DuctTape. I too want those who are out there reading to know we only kept it quiet because we wanted this to be a complete surprise and thus couldn't discuss it publicly on the forum. We welcome long-time *and* newer readers of the forum and hope that you will consider stopping by to say hello.

DuctTape is right - we were working under such a serious time constraint that Brenna and I did our very best to get a working list of members who have been visiting the forum on a fairly regular basis.

The good news is that there's plenty of time to continue to donate in Jeffrey Donovan's name for Life Rolls On (and I'm certain they will continue to keep him abreast of how things are going).

That is a fantastic quote. Love John Adams!!!

Siggy - I wanted to mention how fantastic the article was that you wrote on TV Watchers today. Absolutely fantastic. [and yes, I have been thinking of gobstoppers ever since that scene popped into my head, lol!]




Okay, that is HILARIOUS, FiRocks!!!!!!! You know what this means...

*Philippa cues the Ewoks for C3PO, aka FiRocks*

I would like to piggyback the comments already made about the kind of people who contribute to making this BN forum what it is. There's no other site that compares, IMHO, for me. I am happy that I found this forum and I am thrilled that I joined during S2.
The idea spearheaded by Brenna and Phi in recognition of Jeffrey Donovan's birthday was heartfelt and I feel fitting for an individual who frequently gives back to others and who seems to care more about being accepted first as a good person in the business and then an actor. An actor who is interested in the craft of acting and not just being a "celebrity." A concept that I find refreshing and close to my own core values.

The donations to LRO, whether big or small, paid tribute to that concept too. IMO, these donations revealed a community of members that are not superficial; who do not come together to chat during the show's episodes, but extend themselves to a much broader level. I am so proud that we came together to reveal an open hand and an open heart for the purpose of putting someone else first. One of my favorite reasons for returning to this forum: to spend time with a caliber of people who are caring, interesting and friendly.

Thank you all for giving of yourselves. (Brenna and Phi, awesome job!) It feels good to know that the BN community made a difference for a good cause. The amount raised was unexpected, but boy did it blur my eyes with tears to read the comments being shared and the generosity of our members.

I hope Mr. Donovan enjoyed his birthday!

Thanks again to Brenna and Phi and everyone who participated (and will participate)! A quick haiku ;-)

We do Covert, too.
Project Life Rolls On showed us,
Community Rocks!

Good one, Curator! Expresses the feelings of many!

There probably isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said. So, I'll try to keep this short.

Thank you Brenna and Phi for organizing this! It is a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday for someone who is so giving of himself. What better way to celebrate Jeffrey Donovan's birthday than to give of ourselves.

Thank you Life Rolls On for working with the Burn Notice forum members to make this happen.

Thank you siggy for writing that wonderful article. What a catchy title! "Burn Notice fans go covert for charity". Gotta love it!

FiRocks, that captioning was hilarious!

Curator, love the haiku. It really hits the mark!

I hope I haven't left anyone out.

Oh yeah, and our own Philippa speechless? Hard to believe, isn't it? You know we must have done something really great! I love the people on this forum, and I feel so honored to be part of this community!

ETA: Edited because I did leave someone out. Oops!

Haiku!!! LOVE IT!

Of course the best show would have the best fans!!!

I got a little teary-eyed reading all this. (unlike Fi, the last time I cried didn't have to do with a pony...)

Thanks again to our lovely leaders!

Have a great day everyone!

Nice 'kui Curator, good one!!


And a funny caption FiRocks You showed us the money!!






-Mac

To Members of the USA Network Burn Notice Forum,

On behalf of Life Rolls On Board of Directors, Advisory Committee and the entire LRO team, we thank you, sincerely, for your generous contribution to our organization. Truly, it is only through the support of friends like you that Life Rolls On is able to continue serving young people affected by spinal cord injury.

We are certainly grateful for the friendship and support of Jeffrey Donovan and I'm sure he's delighted that Burn Notice fans have taken an active interest in supporting LRO.

As you may know, Life Rolls On uses action sports as a platform to demonstrate the infinite possibilities despite spinal cord injury. Our signature program, They Willl Surf Again (TWSA), empowers individuals with SCI to experience the freedom and mobility of surfing a wave with the assistance of adaptive equipment and able-bodied volunteers. Our next TWSA will take place this Saturday at Jacksonville Beach, Florida, where we will welcome 25 surfers and more than 100 volunteers to push the bounds of possiblity! In addition to quality of life programs, LRO creates awareness and education campaigns as well as provides immediate support for individuals and their families at the onset of injury. Proudly, we touch the lives of more than 100,000 people each year.

More than one million people Americans have sustained a spinal cord injury and every 49 minutes, another injury occurs in the United States. Please know that TOGETHER we can make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

For more information about Life Rolls On, please visit www.liferollson.org. Thank you, again, for your contribution! We extend best wishes to you now and always...and, of course, look forward to a great new season of Burn Notice!

Best regards,
Kris Nakamura
Executive Director/CEO
Life Rolls On Foundation

Thanks for your message, Kris. We've enjoyed working with you!

so nice of you to stop by, Kris - thanks for the wonderful post!

There are some great people here & so happy the forum could contribute to such a great cause

.... what a lovely article. My eyes actually teared up & I'm not wearing waterproof mascara. I'm so proud to 'know' all of you & to be part of such a great group of people. When PC sent the PM I had no idea so much could be raised in such a short time.
PC, Brenna, you went beyond 'great job', ladies you kicked a**! I'm going to pull 'the big sister card' here & say I'm proud of you both. Good work, really good work.
Aloha,
Kai

By request... Here are some LRO Donate signatures anyone can add to their signature if they'd like (use the Insert Button to paste the direct link into your signature, when you "Edit signature" on your profile; more about how to add sigs in the Tech Thread. By the way, these can be posted on any forum, so spread the love!). You can find the sigs/direct link at Natasha's Photobucket which are free for anyone to use, or just copy the links from here:


1: http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr346/N.../LRObutton5.jpg
2: http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr346/N.../LRObutton4.jpg
3. http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr346/N.../LRObutton3.jpg
4. http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr346/N.../LRObutton7.jpg
5. http://i498.photobucket.com/albums/rr346/N.../LRObutton6.jpg

The very cool LRO logo is from their t-shirts at the LRO Store site

I haven't been on in a couple of days but I just wanted to say how proud I am to be part of this board. Everyone is so generous and wonderful! Thank you to everyone who helped put this together and everyone who participated.

I don't even know where to begin in terms of gushing about Life Rolls On.

The LRO folks are AMAZING. Amazing. Having worked with them directly, I now can say that I COMPLETELY understand why Jeffrey Donovan is a supporter of theirs.

This community is so marvelous, so generous...I cannot stress enough how speechless I am on a core level. This really is a uniquely sweet and kind community. I am just....I am so honored to be a part of this. Wow.

*in awe*

I'm sorry I was absent yesterday - I went AWOL for the day, lol! I just needed some time to recharge and now I feel rejuvenated and am ready to take on details of the meet-up (coming up in three weeks, WOW!!!!!!!!). Thank you again, everyone, for your gracious donation to LRO - and for making this such an extraordinarily close-knit and delightful community. I love you guys!!!!!!!!

A big thank you to Kris, the CEO of LRO for coming on here and passing along their appreciation in this way.

Personally, the is Spinal Cord Injury is something that I have always paid a good deal of attention to. LRO clearly is a world class organization that was born out of a families personal tragedy. It is truly inspiring to see all that they have accomplished. To have found out about LRO through someone as special as Jeffrey Donovan only made sense to me. I'm thrilled to have been a part of this.

Kris, I too want to pass along my belated thanks for you taking the time to come and visit with us, it really is appreciated that you have found time to stop by and say hello and give us some welcome details on your orginization (and welcome).

I hope we in the BN Forum community have made a difference with your worthy cause. Continued success in your worthy work.

Cheers
-Mac

Special thanks to Natasha for making those great signatures! Phi and I asked her if she'd make them and consider sharing them and she did it - and did it well - almost immediately! What a champion for the cause. Thanks so much Natasha!

I must say I am truly happy to be a member of such a great forum. And being a nurse in a Spine center, I see mostly elective surgeries but I also see a lot of inital spinal cord injury patients and I think its great what LRO does and that my favorite spy is a supporter of them. YEAH BN FANS!!!