April 28th, 2008 at 5:40 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Vote here to send ONE super volunteer Michael Castaldo - or ONE’s Marine - to the 2008 presidential conventions to advocate for ONE. (If he wins, this group will send Michael to the Republican and Democratic conventions.)
February 11th, 2008 at 3:49 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Got this message from our super volunteer, and former marine, Michael up in NH today today:
“if i win this i get to go to one of the conventions, a press pass, and the chance to ask the next president if they will end extreme poverty and preventable disease.”
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:16 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Check out the January 1, 2008 Reuters piece on former marine and ONE super activist Michael Castaldo.
Excerpt below:
RYE, N.H., Jan 1 (Reuters) - The war in Iraq, the war on terrorism and how to improve America’s image abroad are hot issues as presidential hopefuls court New Hampshire voters before the state’s Jan. 8 nominating primary.
But former U.S. Marine Michael Castaldo has been working tirelessly since February to focus voters on another foreign-policy issue — how the United States can do more to combat extreme poverty in places like Africa, eradicate malaria, combat AIDS/HIV and secure fair trade rules for poor nations.
As a volunteer for the One Campaign — an alliance of more than 100 charities funded by Irish rock star Bono and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation — Castaldo says he has attended more than 200 campaign appearances since February…
Castaldo — who served as a Marine from 1984 to 1990, votes Republican and is an atheist — attends as many campaign events as time permits to press Republicans and Democrats alike to signal their support for One’s agenda.
Those tactics seem to be paying off. At almost every McCain campaign stop in the Granite State, the Republican from Arizona hands over his microphone to a One volunteer to tell voters about its agenda.
Castaldo asks candidates questions and says he gets supportive answers from Democrats, including front-runners Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama as well as from Republicans including former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani….
Since taking up the cause in earnest, Castaldo says he has clocked 10,000 miles (16,000 km) driving across New Hampshire and donated more than 2,000 hours of his time. A former stockbroker and now a full-time homemaker, he and his wife have three children — one with autism and one with Asperger’s disorder, a related condition.
Sen. McCain is campaigning in New Hampshire right now and held a full day of town hall meetings all over the Granite State.
ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo caught up with him in Dover Saturday morning and send in this ONE report!
When the senator arrived with special guest, Gov. Pawlenty of Minn, there were at least 400 people there and I must have talked to half of them about the ONE Campaign. Sen. McCain gave his stump speech peppered with well timed jokes, and serious and poignant reflections on what makes America great and what can make it greater. Improve America’s reputation. Improve global health.
After the meeting broke, it was a chance for everyone to meet him. But I had my sights set on Gov. Pawlenty. After waiting , and waiting - it was a big enthusiastic crowd - for the crowd to thin…I had my reward. Not only did I get to introduce myself and ONE, but the Gov. told me about the conversation he had on “the straight talk express” prior to arriving in Dover.
Gov. Pawlenty asked Sen. McCain what to expect from the crowd. Sen. McCain replied: “It’s a good bunch - but there is a special lot, there are these activists, but they are not the in your face kind, they do not jump up and down and scream, they are very polite and respectful, they behave with dignity and decorum - like they want to represent the bottom billion people they say they do, in a favorable light. It is a group called the ONE Campaign and you will see them at almost every stop”.
Gov. Pawlenty told me that he was taken aback because although he was aware of the ONE Campaign, he was not ready to hear such a strong endorsement from Sen. McCain on the bus when no one else was listening.
Sen. McCain was all over New Hampshire and I know that he saw and heard from many more ONE members out on the campaign trail to make sure our nation is doing all we can to save lives and end extreme poverty in the most desperate places on Earth.
Sen. Hillary Clinton was campaigning in Somersworth, NH, yesterday and I just got this amazing ONE story and video from Michael Castaldo! Go ONE!
-Matthew Bartlett, ONE Regional Organizer
“The senator’s voice was ailing so she kept her comments brief and had two mics set up to take questions. When she announced ‘question time’ several people rushed to one mic - I walked to the other. I was so excited to have the opportunity that my hands were shaking, and I left my tripod in my seat… this left me with the choice of a shaky video, or focusing on my question and no video. So I chose the latter and tried to calm down and get it out right.
I spoke about the one million people that die each year from malaria - death from a mosquito bite. I mentioned that Bill Gates himself praised US efforts to fight malaria around the world, and he urged all the candidates support and expand the Presidential Malaria Initiative. I asked how her administration would address global malaria. As soon as I finished, the senator recalled me to the mic to speak about the ONE Campaign in front of the entire crowd.
After I explained our 2.4 million people movement, I began filming.
I even got to pass a ONE band to Senator Clinton via our NH ONE Ambassador Bill Shaheen.”
Sen. Fred Thompson was in Dover, NH, yesterday afternoon and stopped in at a local restaurant. Since Dover is the hometown of ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo, he was there to represent for ONE and the world’s poorest people. He sent me this great ONE story:
“Thanks to my ability to make friends, and buy expensive bottles of wine, ‘Koz’ - Chris Kozlowski the chef and owner of the ‘Orchard Street Chop House’ was glad to see me. And as a chef myself, I have had more than one personal tour of his kitchen and restaurant, so I knew the back entrance as well as the front. This enabled me to position myself where I knew Sen. Thompson would be coming in and ‘band’ him there.
In the hour before Fred arrived, I talked to his advance staffers and they had some great things to say about ONE and our professionalism. Fred finally walked in, and after banding him, one of his staffers said “you guys are everywhere”! I said, “Thank you for noticing”! The senator was kind enough to pose for a picture but because I did not have the flash turned on, it is too dark to be of much use. I am attaching it anyway.”
From the Main Streets to the back room kitchens, you never know where you will find ONE! Way to go Michael.
September 5th, 2007 at 2:48 pm | posted by Virginia Simmons
Today is a special day in New Hampshire. Not only is it debate day for the 2008 GOP presidential candidates, but it is also ONE’s Marine, Michael Castaldo’s birthday! So he will be trading his ONE shirt for a suit tonight and will be attending the GOP Debate as a special guest of the ONE Campaign.
Michael - your service to our country, our world, and to ONE is inspiring and empowering. You are a tireless campaigner for the world’s poorest people, and have helped lead the way for ONE Vote ‘08 in the Granite State.
You are a hero, and on your birthday we say thank you and wish you many more!
August 29th, 2007 at 10:54 am | posted by Virginia Simmons
ONE’s Marine Michael Castaldo got a hot tip that Mayor Rudy Giuliani was going to make an appearance at Chowerfest in New Castle, NH and sent me this amazing email:
“Well it was a hot one and for a chowder fest and that does not bode well. Since I was early, I put myself to use and helped set out the cold drinks and get the tables ready for the chowder. When it was time to serve the chowder I was the one ladling it out of the massive pots into the chaffing dishes for service by the proud chefs.
In between I went around saying hello to the many guests that had assembled, and making sure the host’s family, and the Rudy staffers were banded. I found myself as usual at these events bumping into a few other former marines and as is also usual, we ended up congregated in a corner, and this time we talked about the ONE Campaign. Each marine in turn told his version of why extreme poverty and its eradication was the key to national security. Each of them would gladly re-up and serve alongside the other - you could see it in their eyes…
Moments later the wives, standing along side each other, shook their heads in agreement and almost in unison said “that’s what you are always saying honey”. Then one former marine said “Africa is the key” - I swear it was not me. He had never heard of the ONE campaign before.
As for the mayor - I was able to thank him for the comments he made during his speech on international affairs recently. I told him “I think you have taken a page out of the ONE Campaign’s play book” - he smiled broadly and said “The ONE Campaign has it right”. He then was kind enough to pose for a picture accepting a ONE band…”
The fight against global disease and global extreme poverty is not an easy job - but with the help of ONE’s Marine Michael, and all 2.4 million ONE members, we can save millions of lives around the world by lending our talents and voice to ONE Vote ‘08. This is our chance to make poverty history.
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