I have to be at Wal-Mart at 6:45am tomorrow morning (on a Saturday! *makes face*). We'll be taking about 20 kids shopping - there were 5 whose parents said no. I've already talked to some of them about it, and they are excited. We have three(!) siblings from our team and their older brother/sister and two others from our team who had siblings in other grades who were nominated. Plus assorted 7th and 8th graders (a few of mine from last year who are now in 7th...one of whom is the one I mentioned in the original post last year who came to school for a week with a hole in the crotch of his pants) and a few from the other 6th grade team (one of whom I have in reading class). It's going to be really great.
My final total of money I raised was $2215.14!!! This is about three times (!) what I raised last year. Three times! Crazy! Because of this the final total this year was about $3300, and the school has never raised more than $3000 before (and this is with less in-school donations than normal). And, really, it is all because of you guys, your friends, Williams people, and my non-LJ friends and family. I mean, I raised about double what was brought in through other school sources. We will be able to get the kids everything they need, without having to stop at a cap like last year, and we'll be able to get them something that's worth more than $5 for their something special, i.e. an "unnecessary" item.
I just am still amazed by everyone's generosity. This is what the Christmas/holiday season is supposed to be about. Whether it's Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanza, Solstice, harvest or December twenty-fifth, everybody should use the season to come together and work to make the world a better place, whether it's just for one kid or 5 kids or a tribe in Africa or a family in your city or just your spare change. And that's what all y'all did here. Everyone is so impressed with me at school, BUT I COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT ALL OF YOU. I did very little when you think about it - I just extended my hand and asked for some help. I begged and cajoled a little, but it is all of YOU that came through for me here. YOU ALL are the ones that deserve thanks. Whether you donated $10, $50, $100, or $500, or just passed the word onto your friends, you did something really good for some kids who have very little.
I thank you for that from the bottom of my heart. Peace be with you this season, and I extend that into the new year. BECAUSE YOU ALL SO TOTALLY DESERVE IT.
(P.S. One line is so totally stolen from Blues Travellers.
