David Murphy

We're just two days away! Hope to see you Saturday. If not, hope you can help out. News this week points to some exciting new drugs and therapies that are potential game changers for people with pancreatic cancer. It's your donations that help make breakthroughs like this possible! I'll be walking with Rafferty's Raiders once again this year, in memory of my friend, Dr. Michael Rafferty. Let's keep the momentum toward a cure moving!

Let's take steps together at PurpleStride! PurpleStride is the ultimate event to end pancreatic cancer. Register for free and start fundraising today!

What a great night! Celebrated the retirement of one of the best photographers and nicest guys you’ll ever meet… the great Ricky Harris… who recently wrapped up nearly 4 decades in news, mostly at 6abc. And what a turn-out! A crowded house at Fabrika down the street from The Fillmore for this guy, which says a ton. People from all over the Philly news spectrum were there. A super night for a super guy, who now joins his wife Joyce on that beautiful retirement train and spends more time on his life’s passion, music. Guy plays a mean bass! Congrats bud!

After travel and a stubborn winter cold put me behind schedule for 2026, I got platelet donation #5 in this week with #6 scheduled early next month. This really is something you ought to try if you can. People with cancer and others are depending on people stepping up. Thanks American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania for making it so easy to get involved. One of my favorite charities!

Just sayin’…

Super fun lunch with some of my old work mates this week. Pictured: Andy Doane, some dumb weather guy, Cathy Gandolfo, Nora Muchanic, Steve Thode. Really good people.

Had a great time watching Temple University’s live student newscast this week. The broadcast goes out on Verizon and Comcast. It’s the real deal. The students put together the whole thing. No wonder Temple places so many students in the business and serves at a feeder for multiple markets. Live shots from the Phillies’ Opening Day, a story shot in Harrisburg. Very impressive. Very proud of my old school!

New t-shirt this month! When you give blood, the donation is red; with platelets, it is indeed… GOLD! Was delayed getting my second give for the year by a cold (can’t give unless you’re a hundred percent) and a trip to Hawaii! Somebody out there saw me in a Red Cross Platelet Donor sweatshirt and said, “I have the same one!” Two east coast platelet donors together in Volcanoes National Park of all places! Thanks for the new shirt American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania. See you again soon!

2026 and we’re off and running! Platelet donation #1 in the books. Aiming to beat my record of 16 this year. Thanks American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania for making it so easy to give! BTW, I just found out that half of my New Year’s Eve donation went to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Any location is great, but there’s always a little extra pang when you find out you helped out a kid. 🙂 If you haven’t tried giving platelets yet, why not make 2026 the year? It always feels great to give!

Platelet donation #15 for 2025 (I got it in just hours before the calendar flips)... and I got a shirt! Much thanks and appreciation to the amazing staffers at the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania Spring Garden Street Donor Center for taking such good care of me again this year. How about you join me in 2026? Platelets are sooooo important! And as I always say... It feels great to give!!! Happy New Year, everyone!

Many thanks to Dan McCarty at The Spirit for the nice write-up. Hopefully, we can get more people involved in this great Red American Red Cross program!

Retired Action News personality still finds purpose in Red Cross donations - The Spirit Former television personality David Murphy, of Drexel Hill, may have seen his broadcast career come to an end, but by no means did he retire from making a difference in the world, particularly as a supporter of the American Red Cross. The former Action News (6abc) meteorologist and reporter made his...

Tony Rowley, the man who died in Saturday’s apartment fire in Drexel Hill, was the brother of one of my former classmates at Holy Child School in DH. His wife is hospitalized, as I write this. Tony was a long time firefighter with the Lansdowne Fire Company. His wife is a former EMT in Media. Two people with histories of being there for the rest of us. I’m passing along the fundraising link for this epically unselfish family, in case anyone wants to chip in. Super sad situation.

Standing with the Rowley Family: A Hero’s Final Call — TheYardFoundation Following a tragic apartment fire, Tony has passed away, and his wife Anne (former Media EMT) is fighting to recover from her injuries at Jefferson Hospital.

I’m apparently going to be featured in an upcoming edition of the American Red Cross Southeastern Pennsylvania newsletter, which occasionally mentions frequent donors! These are some of the GREAT staffers at the Spring Garden headquarters who manage the donations. Have gotten to know a bunch of these folks well over the last four-plus years. They do an excellent job involving very important work. Platelet donation #14 for 2025 in the books. Going to try to squeeze in #15 before the end of the year. Maybe I’ll see you down there!!