Paul: You of course are the initiator of this thread and have had more contact with the Malones than most of us. I'll just put down my own take here and others can respond if and as they see fit.
My own feeling is that Barb shouldn't be asked to weigh in about the family's situation here on the thread, but perhaps someone like yourself could function as a private intermediary. If it turns out they could make use of some assistance, that's the direction I'd most like to go in. Maybe we could have a special Audiogon auction with proceeds to be donated. (Of course it's possible Audiogon might shy away from setting such a precedent, seeing as Pat won't be the only member here who dies, and although it would be charitable as an action, it would not be giving to a charity. Personally though, I don't think this need be an automatic disqualifier; for instance, over the years I've attended several benefit music shows held at area clubs for local performers who've needed help with medical bills or similar.) I suspect that trying to set up some kind of more permanent or general fund for this type of cause wouldn't be practical for a variety of reasons. And though I know Pat said he thought it was a nice idea for a tribute, I myself can't get behind the "audio scholarship" proposal (don't need to go into why here, but obviously others disagree with me on that one). Summing up: My opinion FWIW is that more limited and more direct action is both best and most workable, provided that it's needed and wanted. However if Barb doesn't feel the same, then maybe she can let us know their prefered charity(s) for making memorial donations.
My own feeling is that Barb shouldn't be asked to weigh in about the family's situation here on the thread, but perhaps someone like yourself could function as a private intermediary. If it turns out they could make use of some assistance, that's the direction I'd most like to go in. Maybe we could have a special Audiogon auction with proceeds to be donated. (Of course it's possible Audiogon might shy away from setting such a precedent, seeing as Pat won't be the only member here who dies, and although it would be charitable as an action, it would not be giving to a charity. Personally though, I don't think this need be an automatic disqualifier; for instance, over the years I've attended several benefit music shows held at area clubs for local performers who've needed help with medical bills or similar.) I suspect that trying to set up some kind of more permanent or general fund for this type of cause wouldn't be practical for a variety of reasons. And though I know Pat said he thought it was a nice idea for a tribute, I myself can't get behind the "audio scholarship" proposal (don't need to go into why here, but obviously others disagree with me on that one). Summing up: My opinion FWIW is that more limited and more direct action is both best and most workable, provided that it's needed and wanted. However if Barb doesn't feel the same, then maybe she can let us know their prefered charity(s) for making memorial donations.
