Where's the fun in a fundraiser?
It has already started. My daughter came home this week with a slick packet along with a DVD to get us all pumped up about a Booster-thon Fun Run. I know marketing and I’m sure the first thousand or so they raise will go to foot the bill for the expensive campaign they’ve unleashed. A DVD? In a plastic pouch attached to a lanyard? Really? Can’t someone in the office just run off a bunch of copies and call it a day?
I dragged my feet for as long as possible. On the way home from school yesterday she started in. “Mom, I have to bring in my Fun Run paper and then I’ll get a bracelet and my teacher says then I’ll be awesome.” To her I said, “Honey, you are awesome even without a bracelet.” She wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, but if I have a bracelet I’ll be even awesomer!”
So this morning I bypassed the per-lap sponsor section. (Do they really expect her to run laps? She still rides to school in her stroller!) And instead I donated a flat $20. And put my mom down for another $20. (She’ll learn about that here.)
I also stayed up late last night attaching BoxTops for Education pieces to a paper so that her class can compete with the others in her school. They’re currently not even in the top ten. Luckily I’ve been tossing those suckers into an empty butter tub for the past year and had about 40 of them to send in. I stared at the sheet that took me about fifteen minutes to complete. First I had to trim each coupon and then glue them on. At ten cents a pop, I filled up a sheet worth $2.50. I have that much change in the bottom of my wallet! I'm letting her do the rest over the weekend.
Then earlier in the week she came home with a sticker on her dress reminding us that it was Chick-fil-A night. And of course we had just eaten there the night before.
Maybe it’s third-child-syndrome at work here and quite frankly, I’m just tired. But I know when I pick her up from school today she’d better have a bracelet on and be smiling from ear to ear since she will most definitely be awesomer than she was when I left her this morning.
I dragged my feet for as long as possible. On the way home from school yesterday she started in. “Mom, I have to bring in my Fun Run paper and then I’ll get a bracelet and my teacher says then I’ll be awesome.” To her I said, “Honey, you are awesome even without a bracelet.” She wasn’t convinced. “Yeah, but if I have a bracelet I’ll be even awesomer!”
So this morning I bypassed the per-lap sponsor section. (Do they really expect her to run laps? She still rides to school in her stroller!) And instead I donated a flat $20. And put my mom down for another $20. (She’ll learn about that here.)
I also stayed up late last night attaching BoxTops for Education pieces to a paper so that her class can compete with the others in her school. They’re currently not even in the top ten. Luckily I’ve been tossing those suckers into an empty butter tub for the past year and had about 40 of them to send in. I stared at the sheet that took me about fifteen minutes to complete. First I had to trim each coupon and then glue them on. At ten cents a pop, I filled up a sheet worth $2.50. I have that much change in the bottom of my wallet! I'm letting her do the rest over the weekend.
Then earlier in the week she came home with a sticker on her dress reminding us that it was Chick-fil-A night. And of course we had just eaten there the night before.
Maybe it’s third-child-syndrome at work here and quite frankly, I’m just tired. But I know when I pick her up from school today she’d better have a bracelet on and be smiling from ear to ear since she will most definitely be awesomer than she was when I left her this morning.
Comments
My daughter is supposed to raise $100 cash for a band marchathon before next weekend. This after already paying close to $1000 just to be in colorguard. I told her we were not contributing the money. I also suggested she might do better by asking 100 people for $1 than ten for $10. But I think she's only up to $17 after two weeks, so maybe not. Everyone's so tired of fundraisers, $1 is even too much to ask.
Gahhhhh
I went to a fund raiser dinner today, where each child had to sell 20 tickets at $7.00 each, and they have two sons in the same scout troop. Plus, the parents had to furnish some of the food. There has to be a better way. During my daycare days, I spent #80.00 on "stuff" one Christmas, because I had to buy from each family. The next year I donated $50.00 to the school directly, and put each child's name on the note. Problem solved.(for me, any way)
Mother
PS: After 3 boys and dozens of precious neighborhood arm twisters, I have enough gift wrap to circle the globe. There is NO Fun in fundraiser.
Pillsbury's Largest Stockholder,
Connie