Thank
you so much for writing. I would
love to respond to every letter
and request personally, but
I'm a workingman and must look
forward to the day when I can
indulge correspondences with
far-flung friends and fans.
And frankly, in the past, I
found the attention far too
flattering to take seriously.
I was embarrassed to be regarded
so well by folks like you.
All
of this changed when Beth, the
"SFIC" (Special Fan In Charge),
started to organize the CBFC.
The idea was to give folks like
you something in return for
your kind words and encouragement.
So far, it has been successful.
There is a newsletter, a web-page,
and now, a couple of causes.
Both
of these causes are very personal
to me. One is named for my older
sister who died of juvenile
leukemia in 1964. My parents
set up a scholarship fund in
her honor to benefit needy students
who show talent and interest
in pediatric healthcare. It
has since grown to offer the
Clarence J. Brown Scholarship
for students interested in pursuing
careers in government and public
service as well as the Robert
Townsley Scholarship for students
of journalism. It is called
THE BETH BROWN MEMORIAL FUND
and obviously holds a very personal
place in my heart. Our
other cause is more immediate
and certainly not a memorial.
In
1994 I was fortunate to be part
of the ensemble cast of a television
series called EARTH 2. One of
the actresses in that ensemble
was J. Madison Wright. She played
my daughter, TRUE, in the show
and I am her biggest fan. Her
family very sensibly put her
career on hold a few years ago
in order to move back to their
home in Kentucky and give her
and her sister a more conventional
childhood. Hollywood can be
a hard place to grow up. Unfortunately,
no sooner had they settled into
their new 'old' life, than they
received desperate news. Madison
had contracted a deadly heart
condition. In November of 1999,
she and her family moved again.
This time to the Cleveland Clinic
for Madison to undergo a full
heart-transplant. Now
the Wrights are not rich. Madison
made a few dollars acting but
nowhere near what a procedure
like this would cost. Her family
is insured but only as much
as the rest of us. This procedure
has already exceeded their lifetime
coverage cap. It is truly catastrophic.
Her
family has identified KIDS WITH
A CAUSE as their official charity
and the CBFC is working with them
to raise awareness and funds for
Madison.
It is for the benefit of these
charities that we are requesting
a fee for pictures and autographs.
This is not a money-making proposition.
We recover our costs (which you
can help to reduce by sending
along a SASE) and send the rest
to KIDS WITH A CAUSE and/or THE
BETH BROWN MEMORIAL FUND. I know
this may disappoint and alienate
some of you and if so, my sincere
thanks and good wishes to you.
But to those happy few who wish
to do some good with your kind
attention, I am forever grateful
and humbled by your generosity.
Please help us to make a difference.
With
Highest Regards,
Clancy
Brown
Charity
Information
Beth
Brown Memorial Fund:
The
Beth Brown Memorial Foundation, Inc.
Attn: Dr. Theodore E. Richards, MD , Chairman
981 Bon Air Drive
Urbana, Ohio 43078
Kids
With a Cause
11110 Ohio Ave. #205
Los Angeles, CA 90025
In
1994 I was fortunate to be part
of the ensemble cast of a television
series called EARTH 2. One of
the actresses in that ensemble
was J. Madison Wright. She played
my daughter, TRUE, in the show
and I am her biggest fan. Her
family very sensibly put her
career on hold a few years ago
in order to move back to their
home in Kentucky and give her
and her sister a more conventional
childhood. Hollywood can be
a hard place to grow up. Unfortunately,
no sooner had they settled into
their new 'old' life, than they
received desperate news. Madison
had contracted a deadly heart
condition. In November of 1999,
she and her family moved again.
This time to the Cleveland Clinic
for Madison to undergo a full
heart-transplant. Now
the Wrights are not rich. Madison
made a few dollars acting but
nowhere near what a procedure
like this would cost. Her family
is insured but only as much
as the rest of us. This procedure
has already exceeded their lifetime
coverage cap. It is truly catastrophic.
