So what exactly is a Don? Hell if I know. What I do know is decades ago I said to an original Don….Wood_Don …I said, “”so what is the Don endgame”? He replied simply, “to be solvent enough to give back.. as a Don should”. And so this is where we are—giving back—giving back in the name of a Cornerstone Don, Steve “Blade” Hess. A man whose Don-Dom can be traced back to the early ’90s, The Blade will always typify Don Nature. And now the Dons have registered as a non-profit. And we need your help.
I am not the LEAST bit comfortable asking for donations. Never will be. But this is different. I’ll wager my grandchildren’s lives that this money is going to the right places. This is our destiny. This started with a bunch of Dons getting together at Cholak’s apartment and starting a fantasy football league…in the 80s!! And nearing 35 years later it is a movement…it is a belief…it is a Kenosha rite of passage. You are a Don…and if you ain’t, you damn sure wish you were. And you are ALL welcome. The Blade was the quintessential Don.
Steve Hess didn’t care how good you were. He didn’t care who you played for. Think about the first time you met Blade…you wondered “how did this dude even know who I am”? Because he was a Don….and Don’s know. Blade was a poster child for Don-Dom but he’d have been the first to tell you that it is the quiet Dons that run the engine. And he’d be right. He was the guy that made ALL of the hats and shirts and memories happen, and there is NO ONE that could have even come close to making it happen as he did. In the same vein, no one could administrate and network Don-Dom like Swa, and much of what will take place on August 6th and 7th at the Moose Club is due to his hard work and dedication to the memory of his old running partner.
I’m here to speak for the silent Dons. We respectfully ask for your donations in the name of our guy. We love that you come out strong to support the game, we love how HUGE Griff has made the bags tournament, and most importantly, we love that this weekend has become a celebration of “The Man”. I saw Swa at Lucci’s the other night and he asked me to do this. Why wouldn’t I? And Lucci’s is a prime example of where funds will be funneled…to folks that are having a rough time. I respectfully ask that you trust a Don. Please contact Swa (Chris Wade) at 262-945-0373. Donations can be made with cash,check, Venmo, or PayPal.