My beloved Banana Computer, talked about in videos, seen on trading cards, mentioned off hand here and there - My I-Sit-on-Its-Lap-Top, my good pal which I feel understands me sometimes a lot better than my fellow monkeys, died. Its logic board fried. And while Elvis may have liked Fried Bananas, I think they stink.

Here's me and my Banana Computer in happier times:

And here's my Banana as it is today.

Sad, isn't it?

So I need to get myself a new Banana. Only trouble is, I'm a sock monkey, and I don't have any money! And Bananas cost money! So in order to get me a new Banana, my friends at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter and from monkey shelters around the US have pitched in special items, and we're having a BENNY NEEDS A BANANA auction on Ebay!

From here at the Red Heel Monkey Shelter, there are lots of rare and previously unavailable Sock Monkey Dreams items for both sock monkeys and humans with an interest in sock monkeys! GB is auctioning his tire flattener and his mushroom decoy! Rabéla is auctioning her original Windmere, which contains original Monkey Fuzz! Nurse Dana is giving the dress off her back for the cause! There's special signed copies of Sock Monkey Dreams, special limited edition posters, and weirdest of all, several shelter citizens have actually put themselves up for auction to raise money to get me a new Banana! Talk about flattering!

We've also gotten a ton of support from our friends! My pal Link has created a special monkey photo print, my pal Coco has donated some of her wonderful Rockford t-shirts for sock monkeys, wonderful human Carrie-Faye has given one of her amazing Munkee Mugs, my pal Daisy Marie has donated one of her dresses.

All this support is really really gratifying and overwhelming.

So I'm sure you're asking yourself right now: "Benny, what can I do to help you out?"

Well, my friends, I have created a website called http://www.bennyneedsabanana.com to let you know what you can do! There you'll find the whole story of my tragically kaput Banana, links to the auctions and buy it nows (priced from 4.99 to HOW HIGH WILL IT GO?), and lotsa other neat stuff.

So if you'd like to help a monkey out, check out my auctions and do what you can. Even if you can't buy anything, check out the auctions. Some of them are pretty funny, and the more lookers and "Watchers" we have, the better the auction will do in the Ebay system. "Watch" my old Banana - that's a good place to start. If you REALLY want to help, let your friends know I need a new Banana.

Remember, I don't want a free lunch. Just a new Banana.

Thanks!

Your pal,

Benny Hathaway