The Importance of Serving Others
Mðnу thðnkÑ• and a tÑ–Ñ€ þ’ thõ hðt tþ “ImрðÑÂt a LÑ–fõ†ѕÑÂhþlðrÑ•hÑ–Ñ€ writer Hollyn Bebow fþr tðkÑ–ng þn thõ fþllþwÑ–ng õѕѕðу tþріѠѕþ ÑÂrõðtÑ–võlу:
Chronicle a successful raffle fundraising campaign you or a family member has been a part of. What results were achieved? How did it help the organization and/or the community it was meant to benefit? How did the experience enrich you?
Hollyn is attending Texas State University where she earning a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Thðnk уþu ѕþ muÑÂh Hollyn fþr your unique and wõll-dþnõ essay – ðnd bõѕt þf luÑÂk wÑ–th уþur Ñ•tudіõѕ!
“Impact a Life†Scholarship contributor: Hollyn Bebow
Yþu ÑÂðn hõlÑ€ Hollyn Bebow’s pursuit þf a scholarship award bу ÑÂlÑ–ÑÂkÑ–ng the “sharing Ñ–Ñ• ÑÂðrÑ–ng†buttþnÑ• bõlþw.
This past holiday season, I received the opportunity to volunteer for a raffle fundraising event that became known around town as the Blue Santa Fundraiser. At the time that I signed up to volunteer, I had no clue what it was or the experiences I would have waiting in store. The purpose of it was to raise money for police officers to buy Christmas gifts for families and children who are in need and could not afford gifts on their own. It was advertised all around town and on social media and countless people showed up to show their support for the city and contribute toward the festivities. The event was an eye-opening experience for everyone involved and it was very successful overall. By the end of the day, plans for the event next year were already being arranged.
To start off, numerous items were donated, such as Christmas decorations, jewelry, sports attire, and toys that were to be raffled off. A person could purchase as many tickets as they wanted and select what they wanted their tickets to go toward. For example, the tickets I purchased were put in the raffle for a picture frame that I adored. Community members felt good about the raffle tickets they bought because even if the item wasn’t their prize, the proceeds were still going to the police officers to buy gifts for the families in need in our city. The hundreds of raffle tickets that were sold led to hundreds of dollars and countless toys being raised and donated to the cause. Without this event, the chances of raising as much money were small, and at the end of the day, volunteers and city members were extremely grateful for the opportunity to participate in the generous fundraiser. Plenty of families received a joyful Christmas with presents and happiness, even though they could not afford it on their own.
During my all-day experience of volunteering, I could understand the importance of serving others, especially during the holiday season. The holiday season that I experience every year can be completely different to another family that is in need, so I felt great knowing that several families would be blessed with the Christmas that they rightfully deserved but could not afford on their own. I worked hard to ensure that tickets were being sold, toys were being donated, and the word was being spread around town. Throughout the day, I encouraged visitors to continue buying raffle tickets to raise more money and increase their chances of winning the prize. Overall, I learned that something as small as a raffle ticket fundraiser could have a significant impact on my community and the needy families in it. I also realized that I should always be generous when helping others and that even if my chances of winning the raffle were slim, the greater prize was knowing that families were receiving a wonderful Christmas. I know that in the future, I will continue volunteering at events like this to continue growing and serving my community.