Hi all – this is, for all intents and purposes, a call for us all to take a minute to be there to support our friends Rocco and Dick. I’ve resisted the urge, but after speaking with friends, we decided “why not?”
I’ll explain. We’ve all watched Dick go through chemo and radiation for the past few months and we all know that Rocco is having a heart catheterization on Monday to determine whether or not he can have his knee surgery. During this time, he’s unable to work – period.
I could type for months and months about all of the things that Dick and Rocco bring to our collective lives but, if you’re reading this, you already know and love them as much or more than we do. Dick is constantly baking and delivering to neighbors and is just such a charismatic and cool man (and let’s face it, he HAS to be cool, calm, and collected to even deal with Rocco on a daily basis LOL).
Rocco, as I will eternally refer to him, is our ‘Messenger Angel.’ He has documented his life and shared it so generously with all of you just so that the story won’t go away. He’s our scribe and he’s our friend. He’s literally shared every detail of his life – much of which was first hand testimony of the AIDS crisis as it unfolded – so that we (collectively) wouldn’t forget.
We talk about the LGBT ‘Community’ – and we all like to believe that we’re part of it – but when you look closely, you can see our foundational brothers and sisters who keep us all going and keep us all together when times get dark. Dick and Rocco are two of those guys. Always there to help. Always there to encourage. Always there to listen. Always there to laugh. Always there to put a smile on your face.
I hope and pray they won’t be mad at me for creating this, but I’m going to take the risk. They would never (NEVER) ask for anything – but let’s show some love and be supportive to these two amazing guys so that they can just focus on healing. Bottom line – if you have it in your heart to do so, please donate. It doesn’t matter if it’s a buck or a thousand – it’s the thought and it’s whatever is in your heart.
I literally never give to or deal with these – and this is the first time I’m creating one – but I can’t think of a better cause than using this tool to help the guys we love so deeply and so elementally. When we consider our ‘Community’ – we have to consider the ones who keep us pushing forward (through all of this political hellscape) towards a time when his diaries are just a distant memory from an era before we are all free and equal and appreciated. And Rocco and Dick are those guys – they just are.
And if you can’t donate – please share this link. Bottom line – I’ll do bake sales and yard sales and will even make Rocco sell his underwear if I have to LOL. Thanks for reading (and don’t be mad, Roc and Dick… it was all Alicia’s idea hahaha).