Our hats on to Real Deal dads this Father's Day!

Longtime RDB pal Darin Gagne of Manchester, N.H., leads us all by example. So, to you fellow Real Deal dads out there: Rattle the bars on your cage today! Yawp your barbaric yawp! Do something that, if found out, will perplex and unsettle everyone who knows you! Real Deal it up and straight back down again!

You have our express permission to run amok today… right up until that point where you decide to call us for bail money. Because don’t waste that one phone call, is all we’re sayin’; we’ll simply pretend we’ve never heard of you, and then hang up suddenly. It’s our money, after all, and we intend to squander it on ourselves in Vegas.

Of course, you could just call Darin here instead. Cuz obviously, his example is what led you astray in the first place …

Happy Father’s Day!

Team Tallahassee rides again, with Real Deal Brazil sponsorhip, and RDB hats in tow!

Whoot, there we are! The Real Deal Brazil: proud sponsors of Team Tallahassee.

Sometimes, you’ve just gotta break your own rules.

We recently gave a modest sum toward Real Deal Brazil mega-fan Greg Bickford’s participation in Rally New England, a 1,200-mile fundraising drive supporting the nonprofit Camp Sunshine in Casco, Maine. This idyllic lakeside getaway for children battling life-threatening diseases, and for their immediate families, doesn’t charge people to stay, and includes onsite medical and psychological support.

The Real Deal Brazil is a small company, and we’ve had to make it our policy that we don’t do cash donations; it’s simply not something we can routinely afford. Yet with Greg, this is actually the second year in a row we’ve broken our own rule on that! Because how could we not? Greg is such a huge fan of the Real Deal brand, promoting us at every turn. And we’re big fans of his own efforts to turn his free time into a, no pun intended, vehicle for helping others.

Rally New England drivers start their trek July 22 in upstate New York, winding up four days later in New Brunswick, Canada. Each of the participating 85-plus cars is a team of two or more people. Last year, Greg’s Team Tallahassee – named for his current hometown in Florida, and maybe even a little for his love of “all things Zombieland” – was filled out by his brother, Chris; this year, Greg’s dad, Richard, is handling co-pilot duties.

Greg Bickford, right, and dad Richard, with their pre-sponsor-stickered Mustang GT:                          Team Tallahassee.

And again this year, Team Tallahassee is driving Greg’s black 2010 Ford Mustang GT, with a big white RDB logo to be prominently displayed on it, alongside those of other sponsors. But the Real Deal Brazil will be there in more than just logo: Greg and his dad will also be sporting our hats along the way.

Last year, Team Tallahassee rode in Rally Dixie 2012, a 1,300-mile fundraising drive supporting the national nonprofit Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis.

We’re not suggesting you should donate to Camp Sunshine via Greg’s team; this email is just an FYI of what we’re up to, and to say how proud we are to be even a tiny part of Greg’s efforts. But should you wanna check out Team Tallahassee’s fundraising site – https://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/team-tallahassee/rallynewengland – y’know, that would be mighty cool, too.