"You had told me about this drive, but oh my goodness...I can't believe this! This is incredible!" --Mr. Mike Abdale, Alsup Principal
There were moments our new principal who had never seen this before was speechless. Standing still, his eyes chock full of tears as he watched package after package delivered to the office. Person after person coming to the building loaded with gifts, clothes, food, toiletries, books, and even money for us to distribute amongst the students and their families. The Air Force coming in droves with stacks of presents. A family driving all the way down from Wyoming to deliver boxes and boxes. A church donating money. Hundreds of normal, everyday people who received my blog or email and decided to act. Decided to send anything from a $5 gift card, to school supplies, to hundreds of dollars for new pajamas. As the gifts kept pouring in, my principal became even more silent. He finally said through his tears, "There's just not enough thanks I could say that would convey just how much we appreciate this."
I agreed with him and told him I would try. So here's my attempt to show you just what it was like in a small elementary school in Commerce City the week before Christmas...
Stockings stuffed full of gifts for 1st and 2nd graders created and paid for by two teenagers from Boulder. They delivered them themselves and passed them out to squealing 6 and 7 year olds to cries of, "I've never had my OWN stocking before!" Brand-new coats delivered anonymously which I passed out to kiddos who had been showing up in the sub-zero temperatures in hoodies. Their mothers called me the next day with tears of gratitude. The Air Force organized their own gift drive and came with brand new toys, books, socks, mittens, and coats for the entire 2nd grade...all 96 of them. I heard a few kids exclaim, "This is the best day of my life!" and "I'm taking this home and putting it back under the tree so I have presents on Christmas!" The student council from Merino High School which is a 4 hour drive away came in Santa hats to give gifts, hugs, and joy. Hand-sewn warm, fleece blankets were delivered for every kiddo in my class. You would never imagine the amount of joy something simple like a blanket brings, but it was there. Boxes and boxes of new grade level books arrived and the kids paraded through my classroom to pick out the ones they wanted. Brand-new shoes, pants, and clothes for students who were in desperate need of them. Bags of school supplies for the kids to take home so they can finally get their homework done. A pair of new pajamas for every kid in 2nd grade. We had a record attendance that night for our Christmas Music Program and every kid wore their new pjs and were so excited and proud. And finally...a new Christmas tree for a family who had finally gotten out of the homeless shelter into their own apartment and just couldn't manage a tree for their family. Thanks to you...they got one. A new 7 foot, prelighted tree that they can use year after year and be reminded that hard work and struggle will pay off...because there are people like you that care.
As Mr. Abdale said, there just isn't enough thanks in the world to convey what your actions created here. It's a feeling of spirit, of caring, of giving, of the goodness that is in all of us that just isn't talked about enough. All of you...ALL of you helped create that for hundreds of students and their families. By working extra hours, by coordinating with your companies, by forwarding my email, by making sure you were part of the help and not waiting for someone else to step in, you all created this. Thank you isn't enough, but it's what I have. So...thank you.
Please enjoy the following photo video. Hopefully it will give you some insight into what your action created. I am so blessed to be a part of it as it lives in my heart not just during Christmas, but throughout the entire year.
Thank you.
2013 Christmas Drive Video
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