About twelve years ago when I was eight years old, I had a major goal set for myself: to sell enough candy bars to pay for my trip to Florida to compete in a Nationals tumbling competition. I distinctly remember standing outside of stores for hours on end trying to snag each exiting customer and talk them into buying my candy bars.
With the help of my mom and dedicating more than a couple months to selling our sweets, I finally raised enough money and reached my goal. I was going to Florida!! I do not know for sure how much I ended up raising, but due to the support of my family, friends, and complete strangers, I was able to fly to Florida and compete at the National competition.
Twelve years later, I once again find myself selling candy. The only difference is that this time I am not raising money for myself, but to fund the Childreach International USA project of building schools in Tanzania, Africa. As a Futurebuilder, my task is to raise money to send over to Africa. This money hires workers to build schools and efficient plumbing systems, which in turn will promote the idea of sustainability and working toward the goal of sustainable growth.
I will embark on a journey much farther away than Florida, and I will have the opportunity to help work on these new schools that were built from my and other team members’ fundraising efforts. We will build desks and chalkboards and also create a schoolroom setting.
While I personally am very excited for this journey to begin, I cannot even imagine how much more exciting it will be for the children who will have a place to attend school.
Through my previous fundraising experiences, I recall a few key ingredients to a successful sale. One should never expect anyone to buy the items being sold nor expect donations. Money is something that everyone values, and it is not an easy task to convince people to give some of theirs up for you. The best way to promote your fundraiser is to be enthusiastic about your cause and why it is important for you to raise money toward that cause.
Keeping my past in mind as well as the tips I have created for both myself and others, I hope to accomplish my highest goal I have ever set for myself. With a current goal of over $5,000, I know that no goal is ever too high, and that any dream can become a reality.
