What's Going On?

One of my favorite videos on the Internet is He-Man singing, “What’s Up?” by 4 Non Blondes. If you haven’t seen it, it is simply a shotty lip dub of two guys belting the 90’s anthem to old videos of He-Man.  I highly recommend you check it out. Despite being titled “What’s Up?”, the chorus incessantly asks, “What’s going on??” By the end of this post, you all will be able to answer that age-old question. You all will know what is going on.

            So, what is Helping Hands Webcast? 

Helping Hands Webcast is many things, but above all, it is unique. It is the world’s first (!!) telethon that will be conducted entirely through the web. A webathon, if you will. On September 13^th, we are taking the Internet by storm. Not only that, it is the first telethon that is done to exclusively benefit one family. In this case, a wonderful family that is more than deserving of support.

All donations will be given to the Hurley family of Shawnee, Kansas. Paul Hurley, husband to Trudy and father to Lauryn, has been living with diabetes since he was a child. 40 years later, the disease has taken its toll. Paul has had a kidney transplant, has lost the use of his legs, and has lost a foot to diabetes. However, Paul has not lost his fight. Despite these unbelievable challenges, Paul has maintained a positive outlook. Having recently been paralyzed, the Hurleys must redo the entire interior of their home: wheel chair lifts, roll-in shower, installing ramps to the front door, etc. Renovations are expensive. Not to mention the titanic medical bills they will be facing. Paul and his family are long time family friends to many. They are also highly involved in the Kansas City theatre community. If you have seen any show at a local community theatre, chances are you have seen a Hurley.

Trudy, Lauryn, and Paul Hurley a few years ago. 

We will be utilizing Kansas City’s vibrant and talented theatre community to provide top-notch entertainment for the Helping Hands Webcast.  You can expect performances from sensational vocalists, riveting musicians, dance companies, and some more off beat performances from stilt walkers, contortionists, and maybe even fire breathers! While this event is run entirely by volunteers, we are sparing no expense. We are pulling out all the stops for the Hurley family.

Get ready for a telethon of the contemporary era. A telethon without telephones! Get ready for a telethon strictly over the web. From collecting donations to broadcasting the actual event, it will all be done with the help of everyone’s best friend, the World Wide Web.

We have never undertaken anything this colossal before; it will be quite the journey. A journey that will be documenting here! Follow this blog for how we are eating this massive elephant. Expect to meet the creative crew of this fun event, get behind the scenes details, and donating details so you can be a part of this unique fundraiser.

So, what’s going on? Well…a lot. We still have many positions to fill, talent to find, videos to shoot, sets to create, and hands to help (too cheesy? I don’t care!). But that is what this blog is for, documenting this exciting process.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter  @HelpingHandsWeb for updates now and live tweeting during our September 13^th broadcast.

If you would like to donate right now, great! Check out our website for how to contribute. 

This is just the beginning.

 We have a long way to go, but with a lot of hard work comes a great reward. 

-HHW