One of my Flint Radio friends

Jeff Wade is the program director of 103.9 The Fox in Flint Michigan. Jeff actually is the one who made sure that I was the hire as a talk show host there in Flint at WWCK AM another station that he managed until I came along and he handed the baton to me. Below is a newspaper article that appeared in the Flint Journal in their Holiday Hero section. I wrote the nominating letter to the Journal. I think after reading the article you will understand why.

Radio Personality, Jeff Wade, raises money for Old Newsboys

by David Harris | The Flint Journal

Tuesday December 09, 2008, 9:26 AM

Ryan Garza | The Flint Journal


"If we can help one single young mom from crying herself asleep on Christmas Eve because she doesn't have presents for the kids, then it's been all worth it," said Jeff Wade about the donations he collects while living in a recreational vehicle.

BURTON, Michignan — Jeff Wade thinks about what it's like for a child to wake up on Christmas Day with no presents.

It's a thought he cannot stand.

So each year, the 53-year-old Grand Blanc man lives in a recreational vehicle for a week to raise money for Old Newsboys of Flint.

Wade, the program director at classic rock station WRSR-FM (103.1) "The Fox," goes around Genesee County collecting donations.

"When kids go back to school, they all ask, 'What did you get for Christmas?'" said Wade, who is the vice president of the Old Newsboys board. "If they say, 'nothing,' then that's something that is going to affect them for a long time."

The RV has a big poster on its side to promote the fundraiser. Wade sits in the RV waiting for people to come by.

People may donate $20 to sponsor a child. Some have donated upward of $500.

On Monday, his third day of collecting, Wade was in the parking lot of Applebee's on Court Street in Burton. He collected about $1,800 that day and hopes to gather $18,000 for the week.

This is the third year of the RV radio marathon. Wade broadcasts his morning show from the RV and does live feeds from the RV twice each hour throughout the day until about 6 p.m. He encourages people to come by and drop off a donation. Toys also are accepted.

"It hit me on Christmas morning (last year), when I reflected on the week, that there are 900 kids waking up with a gift from Santa in part because of the work we did," he said.

"It's a pretty good feeling -- that picture of seeing kids opening their presents."

Wade said eating and sleeping in an RV isn't so bad. He said it can get a little cold sometimes, but the cause is worth the effort.

Wade's wife, Ruth, said her husband always is thinking of others. She visits her husband often, spending the night with him when she can.

John-Roman Domanski, a former talk show host on WWCK-AM (1570), helped out during Wade's RV week last year. He said what struck him most about Wade's work was his sincerity.

"This goes beyond a radio stunt, and I have been in radio for 35 years," said Domanski, who now lives in Tallahassee, Fla. "This guy lives this stuff. There is a huge difference between trying to do public relations stuff and being a person of their convictions."

Wade grew up in Flint, graduating from Flint Southwestern in 1971. He worked for General Motors for about four years after school before beginning his 30-year career in radio.

His father was a longtime GM employee. He said he has a soft spot for GM workers, especially for those who have fallen on hard times.

"I understand what it's like to grow up as a blue-collar kid," Wade said. "I can relate to the families of Flint."

As people come to the RV, Wade greets them with a handshake and a smile. He calls all the guys "brother" and listens to their stories.

Many donate because they were helped as a child, Wade said.

Don Dawe, 53, of Burton, a retired Delphi employee, donates each year. He donated $100 Monday.

"It's a wonderful cause," he said. "I always make it a point to make donations."

Wade tries to live by the motto that people are remembered not for what they take, but for what they return.

"Nobody is going to remember you by what house you owned or what car you had," he said. "They are going to remember you by what you gave back."

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!