Billy The Kid is one of those iconic figures.

Most people have heard of him, first year students of the old west know him by William H. Bonney.  A small number of people know about either his connections with Pat Garrett or Lew Wallace, the person who would go on to write the classic Ben Hur.

In the words of Billy Joel “his daring life of crime made him a legend in his time, east and west of the Rio Grande.”

Tonight, PBS’s American Experience will debut Billy The Kid to its national audience.  From a PR Perspective, Billy’s fame wasn’t generated by 60 Minutes, Twitter, FaceBook or a YouTube video.  Billy got his fame through the ultimate in viral messaging: word of mouth.

In the old west, people talked about Billy and his exploits.  Some were eyewitnesses, others had second hand information… the power of story.

While I was familiar about Billy the Kid through high school history classes and the Billy Joel song referenced earlier, I really didn’t appreciate the “legend” until I covered a story for KOAT-TV in the early 1990’s when I went to the old Dona Ana County Courthouse where some old warrants from Pat Garrett were found behind a false wall in a basement storage area. Speaking with some of the clerks and other “old timers” I was hooked.

The Garrity Group is helping to sponsor PBS’s American Experience Billy The Kid broadcast, and other similar programs, to raise a awareness of the people and events that shaped a portion of New Mexico and the West.  The other programs will focus on Jesse James, Geronimo, Little Annie Oakley, Wyatt Earp and Custer’s Last Stand.

In the “Old West” and even in the “New West” word of mouth is the ultimate viral messaging.  These programs give us a chance to see how it was done before Twitter and a 140 characters.

Billy The Kid Photo Credit: Robert McCubbin

Today we will be finishing our Different December outreach in great fashion but hosting the residents and house parents of the Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home.

The ACCH is dedicated to providing God’s love and care to school-aged children who are neglected, abused, or in need of  a home and family through long-term and short-term residential care.

The Garrity Group’s Christina Grant identified the ACCH for her own unique reasons.

“The ACCH opens their doors to kids that most people walk away from and do an amazing job that makes a real, positive, tangible impact. I know, because there was a time in my life that I was one of their residents.

When I was 13 years old, my life took a difficult turn that resulted in me living at the ACCH. I was thankful to have had a safe place to live that not only provided shelter, food and clothing, but also a supportive, family-oriented environment.

Many of the children there have struggled their entire lives just to survive and have never had a safe and healthy place to call home. I was luckier than most, I had family members in the area and did not grow up in the same harsh environment as many of my friends.

Many of these children have never had a place to call home or even a place where they were provided the basic necessities. During my two years as a resident there, I learned how to face my own personal challenges and experienced the true meaning of grace.

I have selected the ACCH as my Different December charity because I know they make a difference.”

The Garrity Group will be hosting 12 residents and the respective house parents from the Albuquerque Christian Children’s Home for dinner and dessert at Lumpy’s Hamburgers.  In addition, because of your gracious gifts, each child will receive a gift from their wish list.

If you’d like to help, just click on this link and donate as a part of the “Garrity Group Fund”.

Thank you for helping us make this a Different December!