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#make150count

Make 150 Count.

April 11, 2017 By Lena

1987. I was nine years old; a third grade student, a child of the eighties. It was the first year I was asked to participate in the school’s annual fundraiser – the “MS Read-A-Thon” – where students asked friends and family to sponsor them for every book read.
_DSC2104As the donation booklets were distributed, my eyes ran up and down the columns at the back of the brochure. Sponsors. Amount Offered. Books Read.

I paled slightly, my hands trembling as I shoved the booklet in my desk. I felt sick.

My immigrant parents weren’t the type to support charitable initiatives. Don’t get me wrong; they willfully donated to their church and its associated fundraising campaigns, it’s just that they were much less inclined to extend that generosity to organizations unknown to them. I feared that I would be the only student who didn’t raise a sizable contribution – or any at all! – for the fundraiser.

My grade 3 teacher could sense that something was off. Pulling me aside during outdoor recess, she asked if I had any questions about the annul Read-A-Thon. Not wanting to lie, I confided in her.  …

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Filed Under: Lifestyle Tagged With: #make150count, CANADIAN YOUTH, rbc

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Lena Almeida

Toronto Blogger, Social Media Strategist for Listen to Lena Inc. Television & Radio Personality, Columnist and Speaker. Family Travel Expert. Star Wars Fanatic. Perfecting the Art of Conversuasion. Read More…

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