Please be advised, that this is NO LONGER a surprise for Bex. We presented him with what we had raised so far on his birthday, but we are a little less than halfway to our ultimate goal, so please share the link, thank you.

Hello all, Schari has a special request this year for Bex's Birthday. Anyone who has been to our home, our munch, or seen us at various conventions and events knows that I would never get anywhere without Bex assisting me at every angle. He's not only my devoted assistant and sounding board, but also my roadie and chauffeur on many occasions.

Well Bex is turning 40, and sure, he has made an Amazon list of all the little knickknacks he would like, but the truth is, what he needs is a new car. I don't know if you've recently heard his current ride, but it does not sound good, and fixing it will just delay the inevitable. It's not that Bex can't afford a monthly payment on a car; he can, it's the deposit to get it in the first place. Of course, the more he puts down, the lower the monthly payment, which is very useful when you have to drive to a day job two counties away, attend a master's program in person at Montclair State University, not to mention all the stuff he helps me out with, and let's not forget that he drives all over NJ to play softball, one of his true passions.

Along with everything he does for me and our social community all year long, he also plans a surprise theme for my birthday EVERY year. Now it is my turn to do an amazing surprise for him. Update: He was extremely surprised and humbled when he found out that he would be the recipient of all your generous donations.

So, instead of a big party or a weekend getaway or a collection of more stuff he doesn't need; I felt it would be more meaningful to all pitch in and contribute to a deposit on a new car. Something he desperately needs, would be very grateful for, and will always remember as his 40th Birthday Surprise.

For the record his birthday was October 15, but we decided to keep the fundraiser open until October 31, so that anyone who still wished to contribute, could. Thank you very much to all who have contributed so far and to those of you who still might.