In April, I shared a story about two inspiring, fifth grade girls who wanted to make a difference in the lives of children with autism. They spent their snack time and read aloud time making rainbow loom bracelets. They spoke with other teachers and students across grade levels to rally as many people as they could to make bracelets and sign pledges. What they did was nothing short of remarkable. Pledges lined the walls at our school to show support.
After only a few short morning of bracelets sales (at 25¢), the girls made nearly $66! But they didn't stop there. Next was the spring carnival, and of course, the girls did not disappoint. The day after Memorial Day, they arrived in my room with an informational board to display at the carnival. We had discussed making a small poster to inform people of what they were doing, but once again, they exceeded my expectations. Included was a very LONG list of students (WOW!) who contributed by making bracelets. Together, we added added to the display to acknowledge each and every student. (We increased the price of the bracelets in hopes of generating a little more revenue, too!)
And the carnival began! The teachers were so supportive as well as the students, who volunteered to help with the sales even though it was THEIR carnival! (I'd like to give a shout out to Mrs. Golanowski and Ms. Fritze for making this happen.)
During the evening, the girls' parents were right alongside them. (I guess it's no surprise where they get their awesomeness from!) It was so neat to step back and watch everything happen. I wish I had counted the number of times parents thanked the students for raising awareness.
At the end of the night, the students raised just a few pennies shy of $135! Two selfless girls with a desire to help people they never met. It was a beautiful thing, and I was so honored to be a part of it!
The girls decided to donate all the proceeds to Metro Friendship Foundation (MFF), a local, non profit organization that provides scholarships to people for social skills development. MFF values include individuality, collaboration, integrity, and results. I couldn't think of four better words to sum up this experience.
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