Heroes

When my two sweet 8 year old friends put the word out that they were having a Bake Sale to help support people with lupus, their friends, teachers and neighbors all turned out to help make it a gigantic success.

I told you HERE about Rosebud and BB, the 2nd graders who were the masterminds behind the sale. Both have been running in, and raising money for, the Lupus Race For Life for the past four years, but since Rosebud is struggling this year with a nasty kidney disease, they decided a bake sale was the best way to help raise funds, support Lupus International and still participate in a meaningful way.

Around 2:00pm on Wednesday, the bake goods and the girls' 2nd grade classmates started rolling into the shopping center to help. Before we knew it, Chris (Rosebud's Mom) and I saw how much bake goods we had and thought we'd be standing in front of the Albertson's supermarket all day and half the night trying to sell everything! So many people generously baked that the tables were overflowing and we had two additional shopping carts filled with donated homemade cookies and cupcakes!

But we had a secret weapon, actually several of them-- Reallllly cute 2nd graders holding handmade sighs promoting the sale. They were focused and fearless! "Bake Sale! Bake Sale, Get yourself some Bake Sale!" was the chant of the day. No one within 30 yards of the market's entrance got past these little dynamos without being asked if they'd like to buy some cookies to help sick people with lupus.

When shoppers would pass on the cookies but still make a donation they'd squeal "We got free money!". When the market's manager came out and invited the girls inside the store to sell goodies to the staff, they turned on their very best and most respectful manners and asked if they could "spare a dollar for a bad disease." And when their moms would come to pick them up for dinner, they'd beg to stay until everything was sold despite our scheduled end time of 6pm.

By 7:30-- a mountain of tasty bake goods were sold and.... drum roll please.....

The girls raised $800! Can you believe it?!? And by the way, we were mostly selling things for 50 cents and a dollar!

It was an exhausting and joyful day all rolled up in one. Rosebud was absolutely worn out but stayed til the end with her cousin BB cheering her on. Their young friends were so proud to have helped and accomplished so much. I think the kids all learned several lessons on a number of different levels-- the first of which was to step up and participate to help others.

I'll be at the Lupus Race For Life on Sunday, October 3rd in La Mirada, California supporting all the awesome people running to help people with lupus. The runners and this awesome group of 2nd graders are my heroes.

Hope you have a fun weekend planned!

Welcome to www.TheFiftyFactor.com - Joanna Jenkins