Thanks for 70th Birthday Greetings

My 70th birthday was Monday and my wife and two kids hosted a party at my home on Saturday, with neighbors and family attending. We had a great time.

During the weekend more than 150 people offered birthday greetings to me, mostly on Facebook. I  hope you'll browse my timeline and read some of these.

What delights me is that 20 Facebook comments came from former students of the tutor/mentor programs I've led, from as far back as 1973.  Seven were from former volunteers, again extending back to the 1980s.

One student wrote:

Wishing one of the coolest guys a happy birthday...you've taught me so much and gave me the opportunity to be apart of something that was important to a lot of us kids who didn't have anything else to look forward to as a kid growing up in cabrini green...thank you so much and have a bless birthday

Another wrote:

Happy Birthday Mr. Dan! Thanks for being so significant in the Cabrini Green culture!

37 comments came from  Chicago and national people who I've connected with via the Tutor/Mentor Leadership Conferences I've hosted, or events they have hosted, or through on-line networking.

And 13 comments were offered by members of Acacia Fraternity at Illinois Wesleyan, who have been consistent in providing financial support since the 1990s.  Two of my IWU fraternity brothers were part of the original start-up of Cabrini Connections and the Tutor/Mentor Connection in 1993.

One of my favorite greetings came from Terry Elliott, from Western Kentucky. He posted this message on Twitter, with an inspirational animation to go with it:

Against the Flow: the story of the Rock that is Daniel Bassill https://t.co/LxvjTcBvvu
Happy 70th @tutormentorteam @sensor63 @dogtrax pic.twitter.com/MMev3kWApH

— Terry Elliott (@telliowkuwp) December 19, 2016

12 greetings came from family located in Chicago and around the country and 3 came from men in Africa who I've shared ideas with for many years.

At the right is a graphic that shows people I was connected to on Facebook in 2012, and puts them in categories similar to the mix who offered birthday greetings over the weekend. I've not done a similar analysis recently, but I should, just to illustrate how the outreach I do, even my birthday celebration, intends to reach people in many different sectors and connect them to information they can use to help solve some of the problems we face in Chicago and the world.

I appreciate the greetings, and value the complements. However, it's to financial support provided by a few who help me keep doing this work.  Visit this link and offer your own contribution if you are able.