Consider this blog post an off-brand Hallmark thank you
card. It’s a “we appreciate you,” a “we value you,” a
“we-couldn’t-do-this-without-you” kind of card to each CalSERVES mentor and
staff member who spent the past two months raising money for our 1,500+
students involved in the CalSERVES after-school program. More importantly, this
little paragraph is a GIGANTIC nod to the generous donors who shelled out dough
that will keep our kids’ noses in books instead of in trouble over the summer.
As of Monday, May 7 CalSERVES has received donations from
over 700 people and has raised nearly $19,000. These numbers are remarkable
considering that, in an economy bleaker than it has been in decades, we have
not only met, but we have exceeded our goal of $15,000! CalSERVES has not seen
this kind of success in a couple years. These numbers are humbling. What was an
even bigger reality check, though, was the walk itself.
As someone who has never participated in the Sonoma County Human
Race, I remained blissfully in my CalSERVES bubble. Before Saturday, my only
concern was my kids at my school. Sure, I considered that since
the Human Race is the largest fundraising event for Sonoma County non-profits
that several other groups—maybe even several dozen more groups—from the area
would drop by this event. What I saw upon arrival at the walk, however, jolted
me from my 7a.m. stupor. Floods of people gathered on Sonoma Avenue in Santa
Rosa, each showing support for the organizations that do so much for this
northern California community.
In true CalSERVES form, members elevated the energy by
arriving in themed costumes specific to their sites. Bellevue represented the
“nerd” population proudly, Kawana looked colorful in their shorts and tube
socks, Wright personified #thefarm with plaid shirts and farmer hats, Meadow
View kept it cool in their dark shades, Taylor Mountain and R.L. were ready to
run! The office? Well, eat your heart out, Olivia Newton-John. They rocked 80s
off-the-shoulder shirts and leg warmers. Each site came with its own motivation.
Where did we find it at such an early hour? It wasn’t from a tall cup of coffee
or a bowl of Special K cereal. It was from the notion that in only three
kilometers we, and those who contributed, could change the lives of thousands
of families.
Again, thank you to all who have participated in and donated to the Human Race.
Lauren Loeffler
Wright Charter VIP
To view pictures from the Human Race, please visit here.
