The Motive of Kindness

Dr. Andy thanks a bunch of dear friends for their help with a fundraising project to support families affected by Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome

“Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.” Eric Hoffer

Dear Friends,

I am perpetually grateful for people’s kindness, but especially this week as I consider the names of all the friends, relations, and a few strangers who have made donations to the Jukie Jones Duren Endowment for the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation.

Maybe you know some of these people: Amy Abramson, Jane Beal, Jean Biegun, Christina Blackman, Anita Boone, Sandra Borgerson, Sara Brookman, Katy Brown, Pinar Brummer, Bill Buchanan, Charlie Burks-Martin, Crilly Butler, JP Cahn, Linda Casillas, Agustín Chapa, Joy Cohan, Roxanna Deane, Carl Dekart, Truman Duren, Patrick Fitzgerald, Andy Flores, Lucas Frerichs, Margaret Hitchcock, Eve Imagine, Julia Johnson, Lauren Kahn, Alicia Kinney, Mickey Kish, Kristine Kjellsson, Michael Koltnow, Bill Maul, Gary May, Julie McCall, Manuel Medeiros, Ann Miller, Geoffrey Neill, Jord Nelsen, Donna Neville, William O’Daly, Steve Oerding, Kari Peterson, Sophie Quynn, Jennifer Quynn, Ranger Ralph, Kathryn Ray, Craig Roberton, Brooke Sarkaria, Wrye Sententia, Wendy Silk, Dyson Smith, Peggy Stein, Jennifer Sterling, Dawn Stranne Wright, Ginny VanAckeren Schram, Sara Watterson, Cindy Williams.

I get to see some of these kind people every week or every month, such as at the Sudwerk Pub Quiz (I see a number of regular teams represented) or at the Poetry Night Reading Series. The kindness of poets often reflects in the big-heartedness of their poems. In a rather heteronormative statement, poet Wallace Stevens said that “A poet looks at the world the way a man looks at a woman.” I can assume that Stevens meant with a heart full of love, respect, and appreciation.

I also see friends from the Davis and Sacramento communities, some of them well known for their civic-mindedness and humanity. Public servants, retired professionals, administrators, teachers, professors, and healthcare providers all stepped up to support a small and hard-working organization that supports families who are newly desperate or newly resolved while facing difficult medical challenges.

I see friends and relatives of Kate from Chicago and Florida, friends of mine from throughout California, as well as from Boston, Washington D.C., and even Savannah, Georgia. I see friends from high school, friends from college, and two friends who attended both my tiny private school and the huge Boston University.

Two of my mom’s favorite coworkers from her time at the Martin Luther King Memorial Library kindly donated. Some of the friends listed above I run into on the greenbelts of Davis, and at least one, my oldest friend on the list, I haven’t seen in more than 45 years, but with whom I caught up on the phone last year, noting that her voice and energy hadn’t changed a bit over the ensuing decades.

I’m lucky to know all (or almost all) of the people who have helped us build the Jukie endowment this year. So far we have raised $3,629 for the Jukie Endowment of the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation, ensuring that this non-profit will benefit from continued support in perpetuity. With your support, we may even discover a cure for Smith-Lemli-Opitz Syndrome by the time Jukie reaches my age.

While the Facebook fundraiser has concluded (just around the time that many people are fleeing Facebook), the need continues, and the Foundation webmaster has created a special page titled “A 2025 endowment fundraiser to provide an eventual annual source of support for the Foundation to help SLOS families.” Perhaps your name could be added to this list? Checks sent to the Foundation will not incur processing fees.

Because of the matching gifts and such, some friends are waiting for Giving Hearts Day, February 13^th. If you visit the Smith-Lemli-Opitz Foundation webpage before then, a pop-up menu will prompt you to follow their lead. Perhaps the Jukie Endowment will reach our $5,000 goal after all!

With love and gratitude,

Dr. Andy

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If you want to see my Christmas quiz for free, please subscribe via Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/c/yourquizmaster.

Thanks to all the new players joining us at the live quizzes and to all the patrons who have been enjoying fresh Pub Quiz content. We have over 60 members now! Thanks especially to new subscribers Megan, Michael, Janet, Jasmine, Joey, Carly, The X-Ennial Falcons, and The Nevergiveruppers! Every week I check the Patreon to see if there is someone new to thank. I also thank The Original Vincibles, Summer Brains, Still Here for the Shakesbeer, The Outside Agitators, John Poirier’s team Quizimodo, Gena Harper, the conversationally entertaining dinner companions and bakers of marvelous and healthy treats, The Mavens, who keep attending, despite their ambitious travel schedules and the dropping temperatures and the cost of avocado. Thanks to everyone who supports the Pub Quiz on Patreon. I would love to add your name or that of your team to the list of pub quiz boosters. I appreciate your backing this pub quiz project of mine!

P.S. Three questions from last week:

1. Youth Culture. The Marvel actors Ian McKellen, Elizabeth Olsen, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all appeared in the same number of movies over the course of their careers. Is that number 20, 30, or 40?

2. Countries of the World. Found in Central Asia, with a small portion situated in Eastern Europe, the largest landlocked country in the world has seven consonants and three vowels in its name. What country is it?

3. American Cities. Of the 20 cities with the most families per capita under the poverty line, two are found above I-80. One is Walla Walla, Washington, and the other is Elmira. In what state do we find Elmira?

P.P.S. Our next Poetry Night at the Natsoulas Gallery is February 7. It'll be a wide-open mic!