Readers step up with record donations
The Mercury News giving program expected to raise more than $625,000
Stories can be powerful. And Mercury News Wish Book readers again showed how some stories can even change lives by donating to the annual giving program at record levels. Through Tuesday, the Mercury News Wish Book had received $570,123 in donations from more than 1,500 people. That’s enough to cover all the “wishes” readers learned about in 21 stories of families, individuals and programs in need that were published between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. More donations from pledges are expected to push the total to more than $625,000 — more than the campaign has ever received and a huge increase over the 2018 total of $439,577. Bay Area News Group Publisher Sharon Ryan said the record total demonstrates the generous spirit of residents in the region. “Our company’s mission is to serve the communities of the Bay Area and we consider Wish Book one of the most meaningful projects we do each year,” Ryan said. More than 150 nominations were received this year from Bay Area nonprofit groups and individuals. Among those stories that drew the most response and donations from readers were Independence Network’s wish for a new van to take students with physical and cognitive limitations on outings; Sunday Friends’ quest for $20,000 to offset the cost of rent and supplies and to fund its programs for children’s financial literacy and parental support; and Heart of the Valley Services for Seniors request for funds to keep helping West Valley seniors continue living at home. But perhaps none touched as many people as the story of Alannah Clayton, a San Jose teenager
living with muscular dystrophy.
Her parents, Jeff and Debbie Clayton, asked for $55,000 to replace her aging hospital bed, where she spends nearly 70% of her time. Over the years, her father — a software engineer and natural tinkerer — used creative solutions and automation to make his daughter’s life easier, but a bed was the one thing he couldn’t fix.
The response after the story was published was incredible, Jeff Clayton said. “We’ve had neighbors take the paper and go door-to-door and mention that their hometown girl needs a bed,” he said. “I think I’ve gotten to know some people in a different way because of how the story touched them and they decided they wanted to help with this challenge of raising the funds.”
Alannah’s dad said he thinks she took pride in sharing part of her life with Mercury News readers and even posted the story to her Instagram account. Not surprisingly, donations poured in from scores of readers who were moved.
But then something really amazing happened.
The Mercury News received a call from a couple who had read Alannah’s story and wondered how much of the $55,000 was still needed. The answer was about $20,000, and the couple — who are remaining anonymous — said they would bridge that gap. The Claytons were stunned.
“Everyone giving what they can is tremendously awesome, but I wanted to make sure they knew that their donation — helping us finish our goal — was incredible,” Clayton said. “We want to send them a special thank you for seeing the need and doing that for us.”
And the new bed that Wish Book readers are making possible for Alannah could literally save her life, her mom, Debbie Clayton said.
“This is potentially a life or death difference,” she said. “I could really foresee this preventing a hospitalization at some point. Sometimes we just don’t have enough hands and the way this bed operates will let us do what we need to do very fast.”
“It’s been a perfect gift to the new year,” Jeff Clayton said.
Donations are accepted year-round, and you can still read the stories and learn how to donate at wishbook. mercurynews.com. The Mercury News picks up all the administrative costs of the program, so every penny raised goes to the programs and families in need.