brownjm74 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Well I just finished my new Roadside Donation North Pole. Due to the amount of questions regarding if we collected donations, my Wife and I decided to collect them this year for the Capital Area Humane Society. I built the Pole out of 4" & 2" PVC then built the box that holds the sign. The sign is Plexiglas with "light through" vinyl on it. At the bottom of the pole I have 2 toilet flanges that come apart so I can detach the North Pole and empty the donations out each night. Then I have another toilet flange attached to a piece of 1/2" plate steel with 2' re-bar hooks (that I made) that hold the plate down. I have more photos on the website here: http://www.brownchristmaslightshow.com/2011-cmas-lights-photos.html Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rgardner518 Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 brownjm74 wrote: Well I just finished my new Roadside Donation North Pole. Due to the amount of questions regarding if we collected donations, my Wife and I decided to collect them this year for the Capital Area Humane Society. I built the Pole out of 4" & 2" PVC then built the box that holds the sign. The sign is Plexiglas with "light through" vinyl on it. At the bottom of the pole I have 2 toilet flanges that come apart so I can detach the North Pole and empty the donations out each night. Then I have another toilet flange attached to a piece of 1/2" plate steel with 2' re-bar hooks (that I made) that hold the plate down. I have more photos on the website here: http://www.brownchristmaslightshow.com/2011-cmas-lights-photos.htmlI like your box! My display is 100ft from the place where people park to view it. And my FM sign goes on my neighbors lawn for now. but I may not be able to use there lawn this year. There is no way to collect money in my situation.But of all of the people who collect and give it to groups. I like the group you chose! We have adopted 6 or 7 cats from our animal shelter. I never though to collect for them. Only wish I could follow in your footsteps.Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulanator Posted July 14, 2011 Share Posted July 14, 2011 Very Clever design! Great job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave White Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 I absolutely love it. Mind if I borrow the idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cenote Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Nicely done, does it lock? How do you get the money out of it? Any close ups of the bottom assembly? May I also "borrow" the idea? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
testraub Posted July 16, 2011 Share Posted July 16, 2011 Heres mine...Wish I could hook the afterdark video in here Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Personally I feel donations are okay, but I usually won't donate to these type of things. I recall many years ago in my area where a guy always set up a donation box for some charity or another during his very large Christmas light display, then when the news crews tried to do a story on him, they found out he WAS NOT collecting donations for any charities as his signage claimed, he was POCKETING the money and also using it to help offset his power bill. Not one cent went to charity! And I think this guy ended up in jail for committing a fraudulent crime and I think they even took his house, as well as confiscated all his Christmas decor (wether or not that last about the Christmas items is fact or folklore, I can not say).And I'm not sure what it is they call it when someone does something as despicable as this, just know after he got found out, there was never another Christmas display at that house ever again.So when it comes to folks asking for donations at a Christmas display, I now will always view it with hard scrutiny because of what this fellow did. And this person collected thousands of dollars too. Just made everyone that ever donated to him (myself included) feel cheated out of their money, thinking it was going to a worthy cause, when in reality, it was going in his pocket and paying for his display elements he would add to it, as well as his power bill.So, now I just don't donate at these sites any longer with one exception, and that is because the person that does their display is honest about what they are asking for the donations for, to actually pay for the power their display uses and they are not saying it's for a charity, then not giving it to that charity.So one has to wonder when they see folks asking for donations for charities or other organizations, just how much of the donation is really going there, or is any part of it really going into someones pocket with a small possibility that only a very small portion (if any) is actually going to the charity in question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cenote Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Orville wrote: So when it comes to folks asking for donations at a Christmas display, I now will always view it with hard scrutiny because of what this fellow did. And this person collected thousands of dollars too. Just made everyone that ever donated to him (myself included) feel cheated out of their money, thinking it was going to a worthy cause, when in reality, it was going in his pocket and paying for his display elements he would add to it, as well as his power bill.I also see more and more people directing there Guest to there website and having a link on site directly tied to Paypal and there Charity. I am going this route myself this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rescue_653 Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 cenote wrote:Orville wrote: So when it comes to folks asking for donations at a Christmas display, I now will always view it with hard scrutiny because of what this fellow did. And this person collected thousands of dollars too. Just made everyone that ever donated to him (myself included) feel cheated out of their money, thinking it was going to a worthy cause, when in reality, it was going in his pocket and paying for his display elements he would add to it, as well as his power bill.I also see more and more people directing there Guest to there website and having a link on site directly tied to Paypal and there Charity. I am going this route myself this year.Our local volunteer FD collect toys and money for what they call the "Fill the Fire Truck Toy Drive" for a local home / nursing home that for mentally challenged/ disabled children. This year is the first season I will use The Demented Elf for my voiceovers and I am just going to direct people to the FD if they wish to donate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wirekat Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 testraub wrote:Heres mine...Wish I could hook the afterdark video in here That's a seriously secure donation box. That's the same mailbox I have (for mail). It's darn near bulletproof.I use a small lockable mailbox bolted to the fence but I'm thinking I need a bigger one that is easier to empty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulXmas Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Orville wrote: Personally I feel donations are okay, but I usually won't donate to these type of things. I recall many years ago in my area where a guy always set up a donation box for some charity or another during his very large Christmas light display, then when the news crews tried to do a story on him, they found out he WAS NOT collecting donations for any charities as his signage claimed, he was POCKETING the money and also using it to help offset his power bill. Not one cent went to charity! And I think this guy ended up in jail for committing a fraudulent crime and I think they even took his house, as well as confiscated all his Christmas decor (wether or not that last about the Christmas items is fact or folklore, I can not say).And I'm not sure what it is they call it when someone does something as despicable as this, just know after he got found out, there was never another Christmas display at that house ever again.So when it comes to folks asking for donations at a Christmas display, I now will always view it with hard scrutiny because of what this fellow did. And this person collected thousands of dollars too. Just made everyone that ever donated to him (myself included) feel cheated out of their money, thinking it was going to a worthy cause, when in reality, it was going in his pocket and paying for his display elements he would add to it, as well as his power bill.So, now I just don't donate at these sites any longer with one exception, and that is because the person that does their display is honest about what they are asking for the donations for, to actually pay for the power their display uses and they are not saying it's for a charity, then not giving it to that charity.So one has to wonder when they see folks asking for donations for charities or other organizations, just how much of the donation is really going there, or is any part of it really going into someones pocket with a small possibility that only a very small portion (if any) is actually going to the charity in question.It sucks when people do that.If they can't afford to do a big display without cheatiing people then they should cut down or stop.I collect for the Food Bank. This year we collected a few items and I threw in $50. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstorms Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Orville wrote:... they found out he WAS NOT collecting donations for any charities as his signage claimed, he was POCKETING the money and also using it to help offset his power bill. Not one cent went to charity! And I think this guy ended up in jail for committing a fraudulent crime and I think they even took his house, as well as confiscated all his Christmas decor (wether or not that last about the Christmas items is fact or folklore, I can not say).Heh, heh, heh, sounds like he got busted pulling a "Ben Sever". Remember that episode** from Growing Pains where little brother Ben Sever went around the neighborhood with a collection can and pocketed the money.**Growing Pains, Charity Begins at Home (Feb 1986). http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0781286/If one wants to raise money for the power bill I think you can be up front about it. Years ago I saw an impressive display in Livermore, CA that had a donation box for the power bill and I happily dropped in a few bucks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownjm74 Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 cenote wrote: Nicely done, does it lock? How do you get the money out of it? Any close ups of the bottom assembly? May I also "borrow" the idea?First off, anyone that wants to use this idea please feel free to do so!Yes you can lock it. Not shown in the photos, but I will be adding locks to the bottom of the collection box and my base. In the photos you can see the wing-nuts that hold the two together.Also I have added close up photos of the base here and on my website.As far as how to get the money out, if you look at the photo with the black plug in the end all you have to do is twist the red knob and the black plug will pull out and thus give you access to the money. This plug is used for pressure testing PVC in a new construction. You can get these at a big box store.If anyone has any questions just post a reply or send a PM.More Photos seen here: http://www.brownchristmaslightshow.com/2011-cmas-lights-photos.html Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownjm74 Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 Photo of the bottom with the plug Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownjm74 Posted July 19, 2011 Author Share Posted July 19, 2011 One more photo of the base: Attached files Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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