Our First Fund Raiser

Posted by TeamCharlie on January 4, 2009 under Kids are Heroes, Music for Life | Read the First Comment

Well last night was our first official fund raiser for MaryMargaret’s Music for Life program.  We were stationed in front of a store for the First Saturday Gallery Walk – a monthly event held downtown Frederick to attract shoppers.  Going into it I honestly wasn’t expecting much at all.   I had been forewarned by Ann, the owner of Flights of Fancy who was nice enough to let us use the front of her store, that this time of year is the slowest and we probably wouldn’t receive that much foot traffic.  She also graciously donated 10% of the proceeds for the entire day to MaryMargaret’s charity, so that made everything worthwhile.  The  temperature was 30 degrees and falling, it was just past the holidays, and the location was not even close to central as far as downtown is concerned.  But that was all OK because it was an excuse to get an article written in the Frederick NewsPost, and it was quite frankly work that I wanted MaryMargaret to have to do.   So we bundled up in our long johns, packed up the space heater and headed downtown.  Anything good that would happen would be in my mind a real bonus.  Getting the 10% of the proceeds was unexpected so we already received one before we even got there.  Thankfully there were more of these “bonuses” to come.

MaryMargaret was pleased because she got to play her CD’s for everyone – after all the event is called “Music for Life”.  So the Jonas Brothers and Ally and AJ echoed through the chilly night air. We danced a bit to both keep warm and entertain the local traffic.  There really weren’t many people out down at this end of town, but I was pleased to see MaryMargaret running after people that were walking by and hand them flyers.  We had a visit from a photographer from Frederick Magazine who took our picture.  Apparently this will be about the “Frederick Gives Back” theme to the whole Gallery Walk so it might earn us a bit of extra press.  It was nice to hear that many people had heard of Kids Are Heroes and some even had read the article.  Two gentlemen came by and MaryMargaret handed them a flyer.  They told her that they had read the article and came out specifically to see her.  As they were introduced they told her it was an honor to meet her.  (Proud dad beaming in the background.)  One of them dropped a $50 dollar bill in her donation bucket. 

Later on a young girl came up seemingly by herself.  She looked to be about the same age as MaryMargaret.  MaryMargaret went to her and showed her the flyer.  I was a bit out of earshot, but I did hear the words “Yes I have been on your web site” and “This is AWESOME!!”  The mother then appeared with her 4-year-old son and introduced herself as Laura G.  I recognized that name immediately as she had contacted me the day the article came out asking how her daughter could be involved.  She is from Lovettsville, VA (about 25 miles away) and they also made a special trip to see MaryMargaret.  Little 9-year-old Julia saw the Kids Are Heroes web site and has all kinds of ideas swimming in her head as to what she plans to do.  She wants to help her local animal shelter.  I asked her how will she raise the money and she said, “By singing!”  She sings in a local chorus and she plans to get her friends involved as well.  She is also excited about singing at MaryMargaret’s Music for Life brunch in March.

So all in all the evening was a great success.  In these times, it is especially difficult to ask people for donations.  There are so many people asking that some people are jaded as we indeed witnessed last night.  But the passion was very quick to return as we see how inspired people are by what she is doing.  This is truly going to be a fun project.