Fund Raiser
Monday, Dec. 02, 2002, 10:22 p.m.

Today was the pick-up day at my younger kid's school for the wrapping paper sale. This is where the school system encourages each and every student to become part of an eager sales force of fresh-faced, order-form-carrying, door-to-door-selling machines for a good cause and a few paltry prizes which can be seen in all their glory in a large glossy brochure which has gone missing in our house.

This afternoon he staggers out to the car with the fruit of his sales efforts - two huge bags of goods. All the stuff that good neighbors, friends, and coworkers obligingly ordered out of kind-heartedness or a real lack of desire to do some small aspect of their holiday shopping. I mean who doesn't need a $7 roll of wrapping paper or a $17 tin of chocolate toffee for that matter. Overpriced - well, just a tad but fundraising is fundraising and the chorus needs our bucks.

Packages and tubes of paper, small tins of gummies and chocolates, candles, pocket tool kits, and art boxes - it was all there - spread out across the living room floor in doubtful piles for hours. I can only hope that all of these items find their way to their true homes in a somewhat timely manner. One can only hope. Of equal importance is that that those dear folks who did succumb to my son�s impressive sales skills � I mean he has been doing this since the first grade - do hand over those checks that by now they have forgotten they would need to write. Our resident sales associate needs them so he can acquire his extravagant prize(s) - can you say glorified party favor(s) - for selling a hundred plus dollars worth of holiday cheer.