Beginning of Fundraising Nov - Dec

Well, I left off with Fundraising.  Now this is a whole new world for me and the family.  We visited the People to People website to get ideas.  We decided to bake.  Kaitlyn went through my recipe box and picked some items.  She decided on cream cheese poundcake, pumpkin pie, banana bread, and hot cocoa mix.  We later added pumpkin bread.  Now the hard part - all the math and figuring out what to charge.  Well, we bought all the ingredients and set out to measuring for each item, right down to how many teaspoons are in a bottle of nutmeg.  We came up with an order form and just started to email and facebook it to everyone.  She did great for Thanksgiving and Christmas!!  Earning enough to pay her tuition payment.

During her Christmas break she set out to write an essay about her first fundrasier to be entered in a chance to win $5000.00,  the winner to be announced in the middle of February.  We have also been attending webinar's for the same chance to win $5000.00 to be announced in March. 

She is also required to attend monthly meetings with the delegation to get prepared for the trip.  This provides the opportunity for her to get to know the other delegates and her leaders.  The same for the parents.  For our first delegate meeting in January she had to bring a scrapbook page about herself to pass out so they can get to know one another.  We also found out she will be a little busier in the next few months.  How, right amongst the Fundraising?  She has to do a service project and work on a science exhibit with the topic Famous Australian Landmarks with another delegate to be displayed with everyone else's in March.  They want the students to know where they are going.  Not to mention taking tests on the People to People website and scoring  a 100 in order to travel.  They did say they can have more than one chance to take it though.  All the while keeping her grades up in school (all A's last reporting in January) and working on her Personal Progress with Young Women at church and playing on a basketball team.  

We found a website where she could collect unused old phones and inkjet cartridges she could send in for recycling and they send a check depending on their pay scale for each item.  We came up with a flyer before the Christmas holidays and she went around our neighborhood with her dad and taped them on the doors of the houses.  She and I then went back to collect.  Everyone was so nice and she did pretty well.  She had to learn about how to talk with people which was and is very hard for her.  We then talked with Dr. Dave,  Ms. Carmen at The Goddard School in Suwanee, and Maxwell School of Technology about putting boxes out to see if anyone would help out.  After all I keep reading its all about networking, right.  Everyone has been supportive of going through their drawers and toy boxes to help her out.  Thank you!!

She did give a try at having a bake sale.  She and her sister go with her dad to a game store called The Tower.  They learn new games and role play games with others.  He let her come in and sale baked goodies and soda to everyone.  Thank you Mr. Andrew!!

She was also able to have a fundraiser with Car Wash Express in Duluth, GA.  She had to promote the business and the wash.  She did this by working on a flyer to pass out and network through friends, teachers, and facebook.  She was also able to bring friends to hang out with her to hold posters at the street to draw in customers.  She talked with people in line to tell them about her fundraiser and ask them to support her.  A few didn't get the wash but were supportive non the less with a few dollars here and there and good wishes of luck.  It was a cold day but a very nice day. Thank you Mr. Cravens and Car Wash Express !!!  Would also like to thank Kaitlin Andrews, Emma and Morgan d'Aquin, Samantha and Sarina Bland, and of course her sisters Samantha and Elizabeth for being willing to hold posters in the wind and taking turns talking with customers.  Fun by all and it showed with the sunburns the next day.  Also, a thank you to Ms. Hilde for being there too to help me.

As of February 1st she is 1/3 of the way to her goal of $8000.00.

We just keep trucking along and try and come up with more ideas to raise the tuition.

Our next adventure will be Valentine's Day.  She is making homemade coconut balls and peanut butter cups.  I always make these for Christmas gifts but she is excited to learn.  Math, you know it is not my thing and I am glad she likes it.  We bought ingredients, measured, made them, and figured out how to package and how many to put in a package and the cost.  We worked on a flyer to pass out and she started networking at school with her teachers and emailed to all I knew and Facebooked.  She sends out reminders to everyone.  I hope everyone is understanding and not getting upset with the emails.  She is working hard. 

After Valentine's Day is being able to work at a restaurant, Ghengis Grill at Mall of Georgia.  Another delegates mother has worked out with the owner that they can come in and shadow a waitress for the evening and whomever brings in a flyer their receipt will be attached to it and the delegates will receive 20%.  Of all the delegates that work that night they will split the proceeds.  She is nervous about this one (you know that talking thing again) but excited to try something new.