It’s hard not to like Michael Fechter.
Hysterically self-deprecating, the former touring stand-up comic and golf ball maker lives for the moments when he can skewer himself. “Hard not to like, except for the ladies,” he jokes. Described by one of his closest friends in Charleston as “an endearing train wreck with a heart of gold,” this divorced father of one wants nothing more than to help every child orphaned by AIDS the world over … and get a few laughs along the way. His plan is as simple as his threadbare lifestyle: round up a bunch of rich white folks, tell them the about unhappy lives of children touched by the dreaded macrophage retrovirus, raise a bunch of money to fund a documentary he’s making to raise even more money, and then give the money to international orphan charities. Oh, yeah, and get rid of almost all of his worldly possessions, too. The first rich white guy Fechter lured in was local realtor John Liberatos, who donated a red 1965 Mustang convertible to the cause. This summer, Fechter wants to take a small (and cheap) film crew along with him in an RV as he and his son drive the classic sports car from Charleston through Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., New York, Chicago, Seattle, and then out to Los Angeles. Along the way, Fechter will try and get celebrities, and anyone who cares for children &mdash orphaned or not &mdash to sign the car with an indelible ink pen. In Atlanta, Fechter, who used to be half of a comedy team with fellow College of Charleston alum Orlando Jones (MadTV, Evidence), will approach Jeff Foxworthy, the famous redneck comic and family man with whom he used to perform.
Fechter will also attempt to put the touch on old comedy buddies like Jerry Seinfeld, Tim Allen, Robin Williams, and Jay Leno.