I met Alton “Ernie” Armoogam when we were room mates during our first year at Nyack College. We roomed together most of our time there. We were a couple of years apart in age and from completely different backgrounds…completely. But it worked. We became great friends and to say that Ernie is one of those people who marked my life is to put it mildly. He definitely left his thumb print. At different points he served as big brother, pseudo father, partner in crime, trusted advisor…always looking out for my best interest. I learned a ton and had a great time.
As often happens we lost track of each other at some point, only to reconnect years later. I learned that he had been in a battle with kidney disease for some time…and that it was wearing him down. We had enough time to catch up and sincerely thank each other for those college years. And then he was gone. Ernie died in October 2009. Here is a brief article on Nyack’s website: Remembering Ernie Armoogam
Ernie was an absolute blast to hang out with! Someone was kind enough to compile this video as well. If you have difficulty viewing it, click: HERE
One thing Ernie was amazing at was connecting with people. He would always have someone new to introduce you to and he’d have some little known fact about them to share. In honor of that…
Meet Everett Arconti. We have many of the same friends. Everett, however, has the odd desire to rappel down a perfectly good building. Why? To raise money for The National Kidney Foundation of Maryland in an event called: Rappel For Kidney Health
Here’s the deal: The event is June 19th and we need to raise $1,000 for Everett to participate.
Here’s the pitch: Do you have any interest at all in helping raise money for this cause and sending Everett over the edge…literally?
Here’s the ask: Would you be willing to spread the word? ReTweet, post to Facebook, email a friend, whatever… The further and faster the word spreads the better the chances of making this happen.
I know times are tough. Trust me. I know. If you are financially able, would you consider donating to the cause? This is truly a case of no amount being too small.
We’ll keep you posted on progress and results. Worst case, the money goes to a great cause. Best case, the money goes to a great cause and we all get to take part in a little bit of insanity.
Questions or comments? Post one in the comment section here. If you wish it to remain private please indicate that and I will honor that request.
You can also reach out to Everett directly on Twitter: @earconti
connectivity 