The Landing

It is proving to be more difficult than I thought to post from the island. I do have a photo taken seconds after landing here on Pig Island. Call or email all your friends and encourage them to make a donation!

The crossing

tick...tick...tick...

Ship Ahoy!

The official watercraft of Bras Across the Water, the SS Moondog, is now sitting in my driveway ready for action. My truck is not big enough to pull this monster, so Commodore Trey will be towing the boat from my house to the Anderson Road Recreation Area boat ramp for the launch. Mrs. Moondog continues to work tirelessly assembling the mighty BraSail, and she is almost finished.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to mount the sail onto the boat. I am also working on a pre-launch checklist so I don't find myself alone on that island without something important. If anybody out there can think of any important, but often overlooked camping items I might be forgetting about, please comment on this post.

Stop Sending Bras. Start Sending Money!

Two more large packages full of bras arrived today (one of them contained a check too, Woohoo)! We now have more than enough bras for the sail and decorations for the boat. I am so pleased with the response to the requests for bras. Now it is time for me to start making a serious plea for monetary donations. When I fisrt started this thing, I was pretty certain that I was going to have to make a trip to the Salvation Army Store to buy bras just to complete the sail. I could not have been more wrong. If the same number of people that donated a bra for the sail decide to donate $20, that's $3000 right off the bat. I keep getting questions from people that are confused about the donation pledge form. Forget about it. Please just donate what you can. By the way, the next 10 people who donate $50 or more via this website will receive an official Moondog Free Press T-shirt as a token of our appreciation (I will email you next week to get your size and mailing address).
Also, if any of you want to conatact me while I am on the island, send me an email at jeff@moondogfreepress.com. If my cellphone-laptop contraption works as planned, I will check my email and post to this blog every hour that I am on the island, and I will also respond to emailed questions or comments in this blog.
Finally, I talked to Mark Mascolo, my friend who offered the use of his pontoon boat as the official watercraft of Bras Across the Water. He was enroute to pick up the boat this afternoon when I talked to him. He said he would be taking the boat to his farm, transferring it onto a better trailer, and bringing it to my house tomorrow afternoon. This is perfect timing because I am very close to securing a live interview with a local on-air personailty very early Wednesday morning. Exposure on local TV could be HUGE for donations!

Hoist the Mainsail

I went to Lowe's this afternoon and picked up some PVC pipe for the mast and crossbars for the sail. Mrs. Moondog has begun attaching bras to the sail. I'll post another later tonight if we get it finished.

Come Sail Away...

I am expecting a large shipment of bras today. As soon as the mail arrives, Mrs. Moondog and I are going to sort through all the bras received so far, and commence working on the decorative sail and flag for Bras Across the Water. Because a large portion of the bras we have received are white, we have decided to use a bright pink sheet for the background. Discussions as to the shape and size of the sail are ongoing, but I am leaning strongly towards a rectangular design approximately seven feet tall and five feet wide. Something I had not given much thought to was the weight of more than 100 brassieres. In order to keep the sail from sagging under the weight of the bras, I need to come up with something to keep the sail taught under the weight. I hear the mailman at the door. I will post pictures of the sail tonight if we get it finished.

The route has been chosen

This aerial photo (click for larger view) shows what I hope will be the final choice for our launching site and island campsite for Bras Across the Water 2005. The only things I could foresee changing either point would be (a.) some sort of problem at the launching ramp that prevents us from getting the boat into the water or (b.) another person or persons already camping on the island. I don't even want to think about that because I am very pleased with Pig Island. It has a gently sloping pea gravel shoreline on the western approach which should make for an easy job of landing and securing the boat. Most of the island is covered with mature trees that will provide protection from the elements and sun, and the ground is not completely overgrown.

Q & A Time

I guess the word is finally getting out because I have been getting a lot of questions about Bras Across the Water recently. I will answer a few of them here today.

• Q: Why are you doing this?
  
  A: Partly because my family has been personally touched by breast cancer, but also because I believe everyone should have some cause they believe in and support with their time and efforts.


• Q: Who gets the money raised from Bras Across the Water?
  
  A: This year, the recipient is the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation.


• Q: What does sailing to an island in a boat festooned with brassieres, camping there for two days, and blogging about it have to with Breast Cancer awareness?
  
  A: Not much really, but it got your attention. Also, I was originally hoping to have people make their donations in a manner similar to walk-a-thons, bike-a-thons, etc. That is, they could pledge a certain dollar amount for each hour I remain on the island ($.50 X 48hrs. = $24.00 donation). This has not worked out too well. I have only received half dozen pledges in this format. Maybe the pledge form is difficult to use. I am open to suggestions.


• Q: How can I be sure that my donation is really going to charity?
  
  A: By making your check payable to the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation. After all of the donations have been received and totaled, I will hand deliver them to the Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation here in Nashville, Tennessee. As far as donations placed through the website, you will just have to trust me.

Part two of Q & A time will be here tomorrow.