Raffles Fundraisers Can Have a Huge Impact
As common as raffles are, they are very underrated. Few people are able to see the huge impact that they can have on just one person, or an entire community. A few years ago, a girl in my younger brother’s elementary school had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Her family, like many other families of cancer patients, struggled with all of the medical bills from doctor’s visits, treatments, etc. After a few months of her being diagnosed, the faculty of my brother’s school put together a huge potluck for the family,complete with big baskets that were to be raffled off. The parents on the Parent Teacher Organization put the baskets together. They all had cool themes like ‘movie night’, ‘spa day’ and ‘beach trip’. The kids were super excited about all of the goodies and food and the parents were excited to show off their cooking skills.
On the night of the potluck there was a great turnout-some people who attended didn’t even have children in the school, but still showed up because it was such a great cause. The food was so delicious that there were hardly any leftovers, and after everyone had eaten, the raffle drawing began and the winners claimed their prizes. It was fun to wait and hear who’s ticket number would be called next, and to see how excited the winners were when they received their baskets. All twenty-five baskets had found a home. By the end of the night they had raised over two thousand dollars for the family. I had never seen people more grateful than this family was by the end of the potluck. Before we had even found out how much money we had raised, the girl’s family couldn’t thank anyone enough. The energy in the room was so hopeful and comforting, you wouldn’t have even known that it was once a room full of strangers.
Experiencing the community rally around this little girl and her family, regardless of whether they knew each other or not, opened my eyes to the potential that we all have to make a difference. This experience made me see that you don’t have to spend a lot of money, or make a big scene to change the world for the better. Sometimes all it takes is a friendly smile to someone in order to make a difference. I realized that I have the ability to make a difference every single day. My community had become closer and more in touch with one-another after the potluck. The steady support continued throughout the little girl’s treatments which, I believe, made it so much more easier for the family to get through those hard times. In the instance of the little girl with cancer, it wasn’t completely about the money, even though it was helpful. It was about the love and support of the community, backing the family up and giving them hope that no matter what, they wouldn’t be alone in their fight against the horrible disease.
“Impact a Life” Scholarship contributor: Catherine Sullivan
Yþu ÑÂðn hõlÑ€ Catherine Sullivan’s pursuit þf a scholarship award bу ÑÂlÑ–ÑÂkÑ–ng the “sharing Ñ–Ñ• ÑÂðrÑ–ng†buttþnÑ• bõlþw.