I’ve mentioned a few times that I play Warmachine, a miniatures wargame. As a participant of the hobby, I’ve come to know the work of some of the more skilled modelers and painters in the community. One such artist is Dan “YoungWolf7” Smith. Dan is a member of a group of painters called the BrushThralls(.com), and they’re some pretty talented guys.

Last year Dan was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had to undergo surgery and treatment. To offset the medical costs, Dan and the other BrushThralls decided to assemble and paint a 750 point Warmachine army, and then auction it off. It was codenamed Project Rainy Day.

The auction was a great success (you can see the auction and finished models, all done by very skilled individuals).

Unfortunately, the cancer seems to have returned. It looks worse this time, and Dan is too weak to organize another fund-raiser. (here is his blog post from yesterday, which explains it in detail)

I’m not going to ask you to donate. No, the only favor I ask of you is just to look over the situation and then decide for yourself. I know donating to an individual rather than an established charity is always met with some skepticism, and rightfully so given some of the awful stories you hear of people abusing the generosity of others.

I don’t know Dan Smith personally. I’ve never even exchanged words with him. But I have followed Project Rainy Day with interest, and I have seen his impact on the community and how well-known and well-liked he is, and I feel comfortable vouching for his cause. It wouldn’t be on my front page if I didn’t think it was on the level, and if I didn’t think there was a chance for us to really help someone out here.

There is a donation link at the end of this page.

Dan goes in for surgery on Monday. Some prayers, well wishes, etc would surely be appreciated as well.