PRESTONSBURG – Chris Waugh wants you to buy a vote.

But not the way you might be thinking.

The Floyd County Clerk is helping kick-start a fundraising effort to raise the level of donations for the Floyd County chapter of the American Red Cross.

According to Robin Tackett, the executive director of the Big Sandy Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, the month of November will be the public’s chance to take part in the organization’s Vote-A-Thon.

“If you look in the dictionary, you’ll see that the meaning for a vote is a choice,” said Waugh. “What I want to do is declare a special-election to take votes in the form of donations. You don’t have to be a registered voter, you don’t have to be a certain age and we’ll even take a vote from a convicted felon.”

Waugh said ballot boxes will be set up in the Floyd County Courthouse and also at his branch offices in McDowell, Betsy Layne and Martin. People are encouraged, and even challenged, to offer donations of any amount they can manage.

Waugh first started thinking of the idea when approached by Tackett for a Hero Donation of $1,000.

“He said he thought he could do better than that,” said Tackett.

Now Waugh is issuing a challenge to public officials for a donation of at least $25, to businesses for a donation of at least $25 and, of course, to the general public for whatever amount they can manage.

“I think most of our public officials will be be able to meet that challenge,” Waugh said. “And businesses should know that if they can manage the $25, then the name of their business will be up on the courthouse walls throughout the month of November. You could call that a good advertising deal.”

Waugh and Tackett have decided to have “voters” sign a form after making a donation. These forms would then be put up on the wall in the courthouse.

“I’d like to get enough to wallpaper the whole courthouse,” said Waugh.

And Tackett says there is certainly good reason for this kind of fundraising push, considering many people have a misconception about how the local Red Cross chapters operate financially.

“A lot of people think we get our funding from the federal government or through the state,” she said. “But the truth is that everything we have and everything we’re able to do is made possible through donations.”

One example of that output can be found when looking at how much the Big Sandy chapter spent last year fighting fires in the region. During last year alone, some $95,000 was spent toward that effort, said Tackett.

The goal is to receive 3,000 votes, Waugh said, adding that he also plans to extend his challenge to neighboring counties such as those within the Big Sandy chapter including Johnson, Martin, Pike, Magoffin, Letcher, Leslie, Knott and Harlan.

Those wishing to mail donations can do so by sending them to The Floyd County Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 1089, Prestonsburg, KY 41653. The mail should be marked as “Red Cross.”