It is not often I reach out to the shooting community but in this case I make an exception. One of my students Terry Shoemaker came to Trinidad State Junior College with a dream of becoming a 1000 yard riflesmith and return to his home state of Pennsylvania to compete with his old friends and build the rifles he so loves to shoot. Terry's dream has come to harsh and abrupt stop. Over the summer Terry began to feel ill and was then diagnosed with lymphoma and is now in competition for his life as he undergoes chemotherapy.
Terry has lost his hair and quite a bit of weight and has become a fragile shell of student that walked into my office two years ago. Yet he made me a promise that he was going to continue in his studies and machine shop labs because he was not going to let this get him. The sign of a true competitor and I tip my hat with pride to him.
Terry is one of those students that is always willing to place his work on the back burner in order to assist a fellow classmate who is struggling with a machining formula or assigned project. I have seen him drop what he is doing to lend a hand in my classes when he sees that I am attending to someone and another student requires help as well. These are the people that give and ask for nothing in reward but are content to see others succeed as a result of their help and selfless kindness. These are those that I call �the gentle� people of the world.
Well my gentle person could use all of our assistance now. You may know that most students get through their college years on a hope and a prayer and that money is always tight add treating cancer to that equation and money becomes non existent. Terry has two daughters that want badly to see their father for Christmas but the doctors told Terry not to fly in he weakened condition and the three day drive alone is not feasible. I would like to try to raise the money to fly his two daughters round trip from Pennsylvania to Colorado for Christmas and maybe have a little left over so that he could provide a nice present for them.
I know times are hard for many of us and money is tight but we could all feel better for a helping out a fellow shooter be with his daughters for Christmas this year and we can have a better sense of the true gift of giving for a worthy cause this year as we gather with our own families. I am going to start the drive for joining terry with his girls for Christmas with a $100 donation. I will print a list of all those who donate on Christmas day and hopefully with pictures of Terry with his girls no amounts will be listed with the names it does not matter if you can give $5 or $500 all will be thankfully accepted.
There will be two ways to donate to help this dream come true for Terry.
One through the TSJC Educational Foundation by contacting Toni DeAngelis

Toni DeAngelis
Executive Director
TSJC Educational Foundation
600 Prospect St.
Trinidad, CO 81082
719-846-5520/1-800-621-8752 ext 5520
[email protected]

Two through PayPal and making a donation to the �Terry Shoemaker Christmas Fund�.
By sending the donations to [email protected] and I will turn them over to Toni.

May God Bless you all for your help!

Merry Christmas,
Speedy Gonzalez

[img width=700 height=503]http://i48.tinypic.com/95okdd.jpg[/img]

[email protected] doesn't sound very acedemic IMO.

You'll have to forgive me but this looks like a good old fashioned scam to elicit $$ from good folks with big hearts.

I agree that this certainly does set off the BS Detector. It was also posted elsewhere.

The lady named in the posting does exist. I left word at her office about this posting and the suggestion that if it was legitimate, that she work with and through the owner of 24hcf.

Chuck

What's the percentage of donations that goes for administration?

Gotta be honest with ya, SGY, if you were a regular poster and people had some time to get to know ya you'd maybe stand a chance. As it stands I doubt you'll get a single donation and personally, I think you should take your tin cup elsewhere.

Merry Christmas to you, too.
Good bye.

You're a good man there Chuck.

I found this guide to be a very easy way to contribute:

Thank you for your call today regarding the Terry Shoemaker Fund. Here is the link that will take you to the Foundation�s secure online donation site.

https://olg.campusnet.net/OnLineGiv...dpdM1PS9LTLYR8IWwQ4JbLkU5kPerQ==&fg=

After clicking on the link, please register using the Sign Up Now feature on the page. It will ask for your basic information to set up your profile. Once you�ve done that, please click on Make a Donation. This is where you can input your donation amount. In the designation drop down menu, you may choose the Terry Shoemaker Fund. From there, complete the information requested. You will receive a computer generated receipt for your records.

If you have any questions, you may reach me at the number below. Thank you for your generosity and kindness to help TSJC student, Terry Shoemaker.

~ Toni

Toni DeAngelis
Trinidad State Junior College
Director of Development & College Relations
Exec Director - TSJC Educational Foundation
600 Prospect St., Trinidad, CO 81082
719-846-5520/1-800-621-8752 x5520

Alumni Magazine Foundation Information Give Online

Click the link below to check on Speedy at TSJC

http://gunsandammomag.com/cs/Satellite/IMO_GA/Story_C/Bullseye+For+TSJC+Gunsmithing+Students

100 percent of the donations go to Terry. There is not a dime going to administration. I take care of my students as if they were my own when under my care. This is the way we did it in the Marine Corps it worked pretty well there and it still works for me now. Thanks for your concern about being scammed these days but this is legit boss.

Merry Christmas,
Speedy

Looks legit so hopefully it's on the up and up. If so, that's a nice gesture and I wish you the best....

Seeing how the donations do not go to an email based through the campus AND the link posted as a "guide" comes up as a dead link...this still smells very fishy to me.

Sounds like someone using an existing cause to benefit from it for their own means.

Kind of like someone standing outside a building ringing a bell for the Salvation Army, then taking their own bucket home and collecting the cash.

Terry's donation link is now funtional, I did not copy and paste the entire link on my first posting. My bad! Donate or not you should keep Terry in your prayers as former Navy Vet. and fellow shooter he and his family need all the help they can get to make this a special Christmas holiday..

Speedy

Nebraska,



Note the number of posts for our .com "friend": 5. More than a little questionable.

I know that a first post is normally used by a new member to introduce themselves, but I had to answer this thread first.

I'm a medically retired Special Forces weapons and communications specialist, in a wheelchair due to my service, the winner of a bronze star as well as numerous other military awards, and a summer student of Speedy, who I first met about 2 years ago. I believe that was the same summer that I met Terry, a quick learner and a guy that would help out anyone above all else, even those people that he didn't care to associate with, yet he would put helping others above getting his own work done, and his own work is exceptional.

I know that there are a lot of scams out there. I get 10 or 20 every day in my e-mail, but this one is legitimate. I was there, in Trinidad, CO last summer when Terry was first diagnosed with cancer. They immediately put him in the hospital, in Denver I believe, and the doctors started figuring out what to do next. A week or so later he came by the shop and I expected to find a middle-aged man that was distraught over being diagnosed with something that could be and apparently will be terminal, but instead I was greeted by the same Terry that I had known for the past 2 years, a vibrant man that was not going to let this keep him down or keep him away from completing his work at TSJC.

TSJC, Trinidad State Junior College, is a small college, a 2 year community college with argueably the best gunsmithing program in the country and a college that's small enough that something of this magnitude is noticed by all, not just a few. If you think that this is a scam, and apparently many of you do, then go to the TSJC website, http://www.trinidadstate.edu/ and contact the head office. But PLEASE don't take up time insulting Speedy. The e-mail address that he gave out is his personal e-mail address and it matches his personality. Speedy has stayed late and even come in on Saturday so that we could get more shop time. A finer man you will not find, and if you do a google search for "Speedy Gonzales rifles" you can find out all about him, or have even the remotest interest in benchrest shooting then you will surely have heard of him.

So donate or not, keep Terry in your prayers or not, but please don't write this off as a scam because the person that spoke up about it has an odd e-mail address.

Flame suit is now donned. I have pretty thick skin.

Robert sends

Speedy thanks for the information about Terry. As you stated he is a fine individual. I contacted Toni yesterday. Please keep me informed as what is going on with Terry.
Thanks Gary

I would feel a lot more comfortable about this being real if Rick posted the IP addresses of SGY and Paradude54.

No offense intended, but a poster with 5 posts and another with one does make me wonder just a tad.

More than a few of us can do a lot with just an IP address... and report back to the 'Fire.

Having posted this, I feel like the Grinch, so I do want to note that I hope this is the real deal! If it is, my experience is that most shooters have a heart of gold and you will find help here.

John

Kind of interesting that all these NEW people coming on endorsing this.

Jim

Sounds fishy to me, and I'm a new guy.

if it is, these guys need an ass whippin for using vets for money.

I've heard good things about Speedy and the rifles he's built. If someone like Butch Lambert trusts him I'd say he's GTG...

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/3529575/Gunsmith_School#Post3529575

To pop onto a new site and ask for $100 donations, and to have a couple of other new accounts created whose only activity is to endorse the charity...

Far too likely to be a scam.

Not meant to pass judgement either way on the validity of the original posters intentions but only as a heads-up.

When I googled "Speedy Gonzales rifles" as one of the above new members suggested, my AVG Av popped up a warning alert " Exploit Rouge Scanner (type 972)" on the first 3 websites I clicked on. I don't know, maybe it's just on my end but again, just a heads up.

From what I've heard and seen Speedy is a hell of a Benchrest competitor and gunsmith. He doesn't spend much time on the 'net, rarely post on BC or Long Range Target Shooting. Thinking he has too much to loose pulling a scam.

If so may the fleas of a thousand camels infest his armpits....

Speedy and I are two completely different people. He was a Marine and I was in the Army. I live in Murfreesboro, TN and he lives in Trinidad, CO. We're different ages and miles apart in our abilities with machine tools.

I imagine that's easy to fake. I'm not about to give out my IP address to anyone; to be honest I don't even know what it is, but as a reference to my character you can check me out on ebay as Paradude54 or on gunbroker as SFWeaponsMan. I have nothing but good feedback.

Yeah, I know, it does seem strange when you see two people with few if any other posts suddenly bringing up money. I actually found this forum as the result of Terry's situation, which is why my first post was to this section of the forum.

From all that I've seen it looks like a good one since I enjoy damn near anything outdoors. During the summer when I'm at TSJC taking gunsmithing classes me and my siberian husky live in a tent for a couple of months on some land that I own near Trinidad. Much cheaper than a motel and much more enjoyable.

I plan to stick around, post some more and you guys can get to know me better. You can decide for yourself at some future date whether I'm a good guy or an a**hole. Hopefully you'll judge me for who you see and what you hear and not as a scam artist, which I'm not.

Exactly what I was thinking - it's starting to smell again!!

At best I'd call it poor form......

I just went to the first 3 on the list and didn't get any kind of alert. Maybe we have our virus protection or firewall set-up differently. Rifles I can understand, computers are a regular route for colorful language for me though.

Oh.....in that case......

Not trying to be confrontational, but what would I need to do to convince you that Speedy and I are 2 completely different people?

Toni/Speedy/SGY,,,,,,,,,,,,you said "It is not often I reach out to the shooting community but in this case I make an exception. ......"

What do you mean by this?

Google Foo found the same post at Benchrest and Accurate Shooter.

Also an article in Guns and Ammo
http://www.gunsandammomag.com/cs/Sa...alnut+Gives+to+the+Future+of+Gunsmithing

A quick email could verify this.

I sent one off....

Trinidad State Junior College
NRA Program Coordinator: Speedy Gonzalez
(719) 846-5578
[email protected]

I gave at the office...

I put the phone number in Google and got

www.nragunsmithing.com/trinidad.html

www.nrahq.org/education/gunsmithing.asp

They both list Speedy with his email address. Looks like a legit guy and legit email address.

"Speedy Gonzalez is a United States Benchrest �Hall of Fame� member and 13 time National Champion and Benchrest World Record holder.

The only NBRSA member to win National Championships in both Varmint and Hunter Class competition.

Qualifications include 25 years tool & die making experience in the fields of machine tools, pattern making, plastic injection molding, stock design, barrel making, electro discharge machining of carbide bullet swages.

He also holds a degree in mechanical engineering.

[email protected] "

I have news for you S.O.B.s I am good friends with both Speedy and Terry.The two of them have not only taught me how to be a better gunsmith,but how to be a better man.As my man Speedy says " no good deed goes unpunished.You boys keep your damn money.We will take care of our own!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great post. You take care of yours and we wil take care of ours
It takes a lot of gall to come begging on a site where you've never been and only supported by others of the same ilk.

Just Got an email back from Speedy, he is now sorry he posted for
help for his friend/student.

This one is legit and from what I could find Speedy is a stand up guy.

This is why folks are logging in and coming to his defense.

Boy, did this one turn upside down...

And just how did you think this was going to work? You just thought youd show up and people would throw money at you? And now you are trying to make these guys into the bad guys just becase they want to know if its for real or some internet hoax? Screw you, go beg somewhere else.

my name is Emerson Gates.I live in Trinadad Co.It won't be hard to find me.If one of you gutless gasbags want to stop by for a chat,feel free to stop by

Trinidad? Are you there for a sex change?

no i am here to learn how to make deadly weapons

Every elk camp, deer camp, bar, school, and yes, internet site has a certain protocol. It's typicall unspoken, but very clear. Rarely does announcing yourself sight unseen and asking for handouts get a good result, no matter how noble the cause.

Emerson, I know you won't disagree with this - someone wanders into your deer camp and say he's got a buddy who needs a deer, can you lead him to one, is going to get a long, cold stare, no? There was (and still is) a better way to make this pitch. Get an introduction, someone to vouch for you. Provide some bona fides beyond bald assertion. Don't rely on internet links . . Too much water under that bridge for anyone who is familiar with the world wide web. Go from there. . . .

Stefan

Just sent $20


We're willing to help but we just want to make sure the cause is legitimate. I can tell there's a sense of urgency here. Just realize it came across as a bit suspicious.


Good luck and best wishes.

Hell, I'd rather send you money than stop by for a chat, and I ain't sending money.
You sound a bit unbalanced.
You always have your little fits when folks don't swamp you with money just caused you asked?
If Speedy hangs with you, I gotta doubt the "stand up guy" bit

If you truly want to help your friend, shut your [bleep] mouth or stick to the topic. I just sent money once I learned the fella was legit and I'm sure others will to unless you let your emotions get the best of you.

Emerson and Speedy--

Sorry you got a rough welcome here. I have done some internet business with Speedy over the years, just buying some small parts. He, his shooting, and his guns are extremely well known in BR circles.

But these days on the internet we do have to have some caution in the face of unsolicited requests for donations. If we didn't we would all be Nigerian millionaires by now.

I wish your student all the best.

I'm sending a grocery card. I have no issues with that. Everyone and I mean EVERYONE should be allowed food. I buy several hundred dollars worth of of grocery cards every year just for this sort of thing.

Anyone hungry and unable to afford groceries then just PM me. If you're ripping me off then it's your conscious that will suffer. Not mine.

I picked up this strong belief to feed the hungry from my Dad. Several years ago he brought home 12 people during the holidays who heard his morning radio show and his offer to feed those who were hungry. I'm glad he instilled this quality on me.

Merry Christmas,

David Lee

Stefan,
A deer camp and the internet are very different.Some one walks out of the woods and it is time to get a little itchy.Someone hits your website and asks for money you can backcheck,find out some info before you spout off.The reason for the outrage is this.Speedy is one of the most genuine people you will ever meet.In his defense,He thought he was reaching out to a "close knit group of fire arms enthusists" he was wrong and regrets having done so.
Terry may not see another Christmas and thoose of us who know him are very disturbed.
Did you know any of this? No.Did any of you bother check to see if any of this was legit? No. It is far easier to be a bitter little man in you basement than to do a little research and maybe help a man.

E.

You know if I was asking for help I would not offend everyone on the website by being abrasive. This is a pretty close knit group and most are willing to help a person in need. But you have to admit coming to a forum without anyone knowing you or vouching for you then asking for donations is a bit suspicious. I beleive sir you need to change your attitude and approach.

You need to change your board name to 4andonly and stick with it.

not to worry,i will not be back

Whoooaaaaaa Boys!
This was never meant to escalate into WW III, this was about my student Terry. Looking back I can see that folks would be skeptical to donate to someone they had no clue to who they are. After I posted on the two web sites 6MMgr.com & benchrest.com (Where I am known a little better) I received an email from one of the regulars who posts here on 24 Hour and urdged me to make a post here because of the kind of people that are on this site and their genuine concern for the shooting community. I did without thinking and now we have slid down hill and reason for the post "TERRY & his two girls" has faded into the shadow's.
I thank those from this site with all my heart who took the chance on being scammed and made a charitble dontaion to my student Terry.
Let's just let this thread die out and go onto something else fighting amongst ourselves is what those who wish to take our firearms away love to see. We must stay united in that cause or in the future we will be writing about the good old days when we used to have guns.


May God bless you all & Merry Christmas,
Speedy Gonzalez
Trindad State Junior College
[email protected]
[email protected]
719-846-5578

If I were Speedy or Tony, I'd be racing my way to your place to smack you upside the head. No matter how good your intentions, you're screwing it up for a man that could use some help in short order. You might want to think about that next time you feel like insulting everyone in the room.

Donation on the way.

Plus 1 on that.
I read the original post right after it appeared. I could have made the first response waving the BS flag but I left it alone until the big mouth came in pissing on us.

Whoooaaaaaa Boys!
This was never meant to escalate into WW III, this was about my student Terry. Looking back I can see that folks would be skeptical to donate to someone they had no clue to who they are. After I posted on the two web sites 6MMgr.com & benchrest.com (Where I am known a little better) I received an email from one of the regulars who posts here on 24 Hour and urdged me to make a post here because of the kind of people that are on this site and their genuine concern for the shooting community. I did without thinking and now we have slid down hill and reason for the post "TERRY & his two girls" has faded into the shadow's.
I thank those from this site with all my heart who took the chance on being scammed and made a charitble dontaion to my student Terry.
Let's just let this thread die out and go onto something else fighting amongst ourselves is what those who wish to take our firearms away love to see. We must stay united in that cause or in the future we will be writing about the good old days when we used to have guns.


May God bless you all & Merry Christmas,
Speedy Gonzalez
Trindad State Junior College
[email protected]
[email protected]
719-846-5578

Yeah, he got under my skin but that didn't keep me from sending some money to help a family on what might be their last Christmas together. Can't imagine if that was happening to me or someone I know.

Thanks brother!

Speedy

Speedy,
Small donation sent.

Merry Christmas.
Bob

Ken Howell can vouch for Speedy. Man is spending his own time helping out a good guy in an impossible situation. Terry built a rifle for a friend of mine as a project and it is perfect.

What Speedy also did was to invite all of his students who were not going home for Thanksgiving over to his house for dinner. Keep this in mind when you are judging him.

You da man boss. I'll take anything for Terry.

Merry Christmas to you and yours.

Speedy, sorry everyone has come across so harsh, I have heard of you and know you are legit. It is a great thing you are doing for this young man, I hope and pray all turns out well for him and his family. Really hope we didn't leave a bad taste in your mouth, would love for you to post here a bit more. Folks here will try to pick yer brain dry. Sincerely, Les Green

I have known him for a lot of years and this is a legit deal. I made my donation yesterday.
Butch

This needed sayin..

Grocery funds sent under real name via PayPal. Also sent a PM with explanation.

Merry Christmas

David

SGY,

Sent you a question by PM.

Keith

Unfortunately Les's was already dust when he got here

SGY,
I just sent donation through PayPal.
Mark

Beer logged maybe, but not dust, I could make a Canuck cry at the amount of beer that can be downed.

That might be altered depending on what beer from what country....

Mind you I am more of a single malt scotch kind of lady, though I like a good cold beer in the summer....

Lynn

I can get with ya on the Scotch, Glenfiddich or Glenmorangie. Yummy! Especially sitting in the hot tub on a cold January night in Colorado.

[bleep] your ownself you arrogant freakin prick!

I paid $140 for a loaf of banana bread to help one of our own out during a jam, we give to many good causes around here and I'm damned proud of the group that does so.

flap yer [bleep] gums all you want bitch the plane flys both ways

Randy Reynolds, Fairbanks AK

not hard to find, and ain't lookin to run

oh and I'll be happy to send a donation since folks I know have said it's legit.

I won't hold it against a man that he has an azzhole for a friend somewhere.

hell my bestest pard has an azzhole of a friend and I'm glad he does!

I like Glenfiddich, straight up, no nothing, not even ice. My Father always said additives only "rusted" the scotch....

You and Scotch---Oh my! The visuals that are fully developing in my mind right now---Sweet dreams for sure--

I got some of that bread. Well my parents did. They sure did like it. That and Shooting Lady's coooooooookies! Where did she go btw??

I donated now that I know you are legit.

Jim