Bourbonnais resident uses autographs to raise money for unhoused, disabled veterans

Not long after the turn of the century, Momence native and Bourbonnais resident Donnie Daugherty picked up sports cards, autographs and memorabilia as a hobby, scouring tables at Chicago-area card shows for that perfect piece.

Between his growing love for the card and autograph community and a connection through his job at CSL Behring to former NBA player and Chicago native Priest Lauderdale, Daugherty started his own autograph consignment company, Accelerate Celebrity Services, which led to a chance meeting at the 2019 National Sports Card Convention in Rosemont that added perspective and purpose to his passion.

It’s where he met Tim Virgilio, the founder of Signatures for Soldiers.

“I kind of just happened along the booth and started listening to his mission,” Daugherty said. “They use autographs to raise money – an all-volunteer charity – and all money raised goes to help homeless [and disabled] veterans."

Since then, Daugherty has also been a volunteer for Signatures for Soldiers, which was created in 2014 and has been a 501(c)(3) charity, which means nobody in the organization receives any money for their time or items.

Virgilio, who lives in Temple, Texas, said that he and his wife, Michelle, began getting involved with small, local nonprofits aimed at helping sick and unhoused veterans around 2007, with the idea of eventually finding some way to contribute more.

Seven years later, the idea came to him.

“There was a Thursday Night Football game on, and I was just sitting on the couch thinking of ways [to get more involved],” Virgilio said. “That’s when the idea came to reach out to athletes, asking them to sign a couple cards with the hopes of raising $500.

“That was really the humble beginnings.”

Thanks to the approximately $30,000 they raised at their booth at last weekend’s 45th NSCC at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Signatures for Soldiers crossed the $400,000 mark since their 2014 inception. And that’s not even including the funds Daugherty helped raise, which have yet to be fully tallied. It also doesn’t include their upcoming auction in partnership with Heritage Auctions, where more than 100 autographs and memorabilia items from scores of athletic legends will be available from Aug. 17 to 31.

While Virgilio manned the organization’s booth, selling autographs either donated by collectors or athletes themselves, Daugherty’s role in the organization goes hand in hand with his own autograph consignment business.

At the NSCC, several VIP admission packages offer either 12 or 18 free autograph tickets that can be redeemed for signatures from 18 athletes who hold autograph signings at the show. Daugherty collects donated tickets, gathers items to be signed and consigns them online. Last weekend, he estimated that he collected about 700 signed items from the 18 signers.

Some of the VIP signers included former Chicago Bull Craig Hodges, former Chicago Blackhawk Kyle Calder, former Chicago Bear Roland Harper and former MLB ace Dwight Gooden. Other signers at the show wound up partnering with and donating to Signatures for Soldiers as well, such as former Chicago Cub and baseball legend Rafael Palmeiro.

When the NSCC isn’t taking place, Daugherty operates similarly at his signings for Accelerate, where he collects autographs to be sold or auctioned online for the charity.

“When I started helping Signatures for Soldiers, they wanted any ideas I had,” Daugherty said. “I said that there’s a large online collector community. ... I knew signers in advance, so I could pre-sell or consign people’s items.”

While Daugherty, 50, wasn’t running back and forth to collect autographs and donations last week, he made sure to enjoy the special weekend with his family. His wife, Missy, and sons Cooper, 15, and Dawson, 12, took in the show as well.

And the only joyous feeling that could rival helping veterans was seeing how thrilled the boys were to meet and get autographs from one of the biggest superstars in attendance, Chicago Cubs All-Star outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong.

“To see the boys be that starstruck, they were literally shaking,” Daugherty said. “He was so nice, took pictures, signed items. It was really cool to see both of them both so pumped up and shaking. It was awesome.”

Those interested in learning more about Signatures for Soldiers can visit their website, signatures4soldiers.com.