In which we call upon story-lovers worldwide to help us, please!

I've mentioned before that Jim and I and our friend Mary share hosting duties for a storytelling radio show on our local community radio station. We tell stories on the air, and play recordings of storytellers from all over the world. It's a fun way to spend Sunday mornings.

What I haven't mentioned much before is (violin music here)

Pledge Week.

For a lot of years, we've had fun during pledge week. We get all three radio hosts in the studio together, taking turns on the mike and answering phones. It's really fun to talk to our listeners, especially the folks who don't normally call the station during our show.

And then (violin music increases volume, increases pathos)

there was the last pledge drive. In October 2009, at the very deepest pit of the economic recession here in the Swamplands, our membership drive was beyond miserable.

Usually our 2-hour program brings in $500 to $1000 in phone pledges.

But this time, we got one call.

For $10.

From Mary's mom.

I left the station in tears. In ten years of radio work, I've never experienced such a dismal pledge drive.

Determined to avoid such a horrible experience again, I started making phone calls and issuing invitations.

Tomorrow's show won't just feature me and Jim and Mary. Instead, we've got the best of the Seattle Storyteller's Guild coming to join us on the air! We're gonna have a party!

We're having a potluck breakfast in the studio, we're gonna tell all kinds of stories on the radio, and it's gonna be a blast!

So...maybe y'all wanna listen?

And...maybe y'all will call the station to say hello? And maybe pledge a little bit to keep our show (and our radio station) on the air?

We'll be broadcasting from 9 to 11am on Sunday, March 14th. It surely would be great to hear from you.

Click here to pledge online. Or better yet, call the station and say hello! (425) 303-9070

Let's see how much fun we can have on a Sunday morning!