Addressing an Issue: Fights Between BG Fans

**Autum** Mon Sep 20, 2010 6:43 pm

Hello BillyCentrics:

First and foremost I want to request that you all read this post very carefully. Lately, a very serious issue in the Billy Gilman fan community has arisen, and it needs to be nipped in the bud immediately.

As many of you know, an online auction went on for 2 weeks on www.mda.org to raise money for fighting muscular dystrophy. As Billy has done for a few years, he donated some pretty awesome merchandise to be auctioned off. Some of the things Billy donated were 4 signed CDs, a signed publicity photo, a couple of signed MDA cards, the shirt and scarf he performed "Coming Home" in, as well as a guitar and a couple of pairs of shoes that he and many other celebrities collectively autographed.

For those of you who may not know how auctions work-- people can go on there and make offers for any specific item they want for a set amount of time. As the offers increase in amount, the price of the desired item goes up. Once that time runs out, the person who offered the most money is the person who wins the item. The MDA online auction was no different. All items auctioned off went to the highest bidder, and every penny the buyers paid for their items went straight into the MDA's funds for wonderful things like Muscular dystrophy research, making medicine for people with muscular dystrophy, sending kids with muscular dystrophy to summer camp, and more!

Now, keep in mind that without the additional money raised from the online telethon, there are tons of children affected by muscular dystrophy who wouldn't be able to attend MD summer camp in June 2011 and there would be less funds for research for finding the much-needed cure for neuromuscular diseases.

Anyway, let's face it. All of us here absolutely love Billy! If we didn't, then why would we sick beside him through the thick and thin over the course of an entire decade?! And sure, we all want to own Billy-related merchandise and memorabilia such as the items auctioned off online. Now-- here's where the problem is addressed.

After the online auction ended on September 16, there were some fans (yes, more than one person) who became angry at the different people who won items from the auction. Now, I understand that bidding is very competitive and things can get heated when we want things that mean a lot to us, but folks, this is utterly ridiculous and completely preposterous!

So, here are some things I need to say:

-Do you seriously think Billy would want his fans ANGRY at each other just because one fan won something of his that another didn't? Absolutely NOT! If fact, I would hate it if Billy became aware of the anger, hateful messages, fights, etc and just decided to stop donating cool items for the auction altogether. That wouldn't be too great, would it?

-For the people who thought that the higher bidders should have let those with less to give win the auctions-- I know, as well as anybody, that money is hard to come by these days, but guys, get real! We're talking about money that goes towards helping fight debilitating, life-threating, horribly disabling neuromuscular diseases! So, technically, the higher someone pays for a specific item, the more money that is to help these people out! Make sense?

-We need to be happy for each other! We're all supposed to be a fan community here! We are suppsed to support Billy in harmony and not fight over him. Quite frankly, it's ridiculous! For example, when I go to see Billy and I see other fans getting to meet Billy, get his autograph, take pictures with him, etc, I am so happy for them! I am also happy for the people who won Billy's CDs and other signed items in the online auction even if they outbid me. Because for one, if someone is willing to pay a high price for a Billy item, they obviously love the guy and he means a lot to them. Therefore, we need to appreciate Billy and respect each others' happiness!

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With all of that said--

I just had to address this. I had several incidents brought to my attention and also experiences some of this myself. Let's just remember to be happy for each other and do what's most important-- support Billy!

Thanks for your attention,
Autum