Mainstream Media covers Progressive Bake Sale!

Excuse me while I self-promote a bit.  As you may know, this past Saturday the Hungry for Change Bake Sale event turned over 700 American cities into one big small town.  Our version made it into the Miami Herald!

The online copy of the article has the full text, although the paper copy has a much cooler set of photos, and the killer title.  I must admit it is mad satisfying this morning to realize that 272,000 of my fellow Miami citizens are sipping their morning coffee and reading this:

"When you hold the candidates up next to each other, Obama will be the obvious choice," Fike said.

There were quite a few cool coincidences surrounding this event, not the least of which was the photographer that the Herald sent to cover our event.  He is a former student from my friend's class, and he also did the wedding photos when my first daughter got married!  Turning a big city into a small town indeed.

Now, back to the article.

Fike and his wife, Nina, heard about the bake sales when MoveOn started asking for volunteers through liberal blog sites. Not knowing what to expect, the Fikes called some friends and sent out e-mails trying to drum up support for the event. On Saturday, a half-dozen volunteers showed up with card tables, posters and piles of baked goods for the cause. Nina Fike even designed a few T-shirts for the volunteers that featured Obama superimposed on an American flag. She plans to make more shirts to sell at future events and hopes to help organize more bake sales in the forthcoming months.

"I think people are really excited about the election," she said. "It’s history in the making."

History in the making.  It feels amazing to be a part of it.  As Markos pointed out, our neck of the woods is blossoming in support.  Saturday's Bake Sales cemented the wave in yummy frosting.

Judy Seagal, an active MoveOn member for several years, participated in the last nationwide bake sale in 2004. She enlisted the help of her neighbors to bring baked goods to a sale in Miami Shores. "I think it will help, especially here in Florida where there was no campaigning," Seagal said.

Other activist groups got the word out and sent volunteers to the bake sales. William Peña Wells, a member of the Democratic Party of Miami-Dade, came out to see what effect the event would have on the community.

"It brings a small-town atmosphere to the global village," said Wells, who is trying to organize a Democratic group to represent Miami Shores, Biscayne Park and El Portal residents.

The Hungry for Change Bake Sales were grass-roots to the max, and it is a wonderful time to be alive considering the fact that I can share our mainstream media success with all the Kogs here in the online watering hole.  Happy Thursday morning, everyone!