I loved high school...well most of it...but always my high school friends. They stuck by me even when I couldn't hold onto my regular baton, my fire baton or my swords during our KHS Spring Talent Show...I can't imagine how frightening the results of my sweaty fingers must have been for the people in the front row bleachers. They were watching a slicing, dicing and burning act. Of course I cried all night after my disastrous drop-itis showing, but my friends never teased or made fun of my folly. In my sophomore year, I advanced from baton twirler-dropper to assistant drill team leader. I remember "yelling' at the tall girls (I'm very short) in the back row who couldn't seem to meet my standard of marching with a 90 degree angle to their long legs (mine are short). They didn't hold it against me.
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| ok, ok, that's me on the left with my fellow KHS cheerleaders Marsha Capen is third from right...she is our latest big donor! |
Some 41 years later, I find myself SO proud and grateful for my high school friends because they sponsored me so generously to support Wounded Warrior Project and Freedom Alliance. Even though money was tight, my high school buddy Phil Bement pledged $100.00 right off the bat. One of those tall drill team members, long time friend Susie (Martin) Jaqua and her husband Jim chimed in with another $100.00. My cheerleading buddy Marsha Capen (and fellow RD) just sent us $100 wonderful dollars yesterday. And Bob Sherwin, our 30 point a game basketball guard and West Point graduate honored us with $500.00 donation thanks to a matching contribution from his employer Zenger Folkman...bringing us up to $8600! Mike Vanderwalker, who hosts our KHS reunion website, was gracious enough to let us announce Road Warriors 2010 on the website all summer and has offered to post any future fundraising announcements as we move forward.
High school is a bitter sweet time peppered with giggles, tears, unfettered joys and overt rejection for most of us. I've got some of those memories. But I also have a great sense of pride in the kids I giggled and cried with all those years ago. Can't thank you enough for picking up the gauntlet and making a stand for our nation's greatest citizens.
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| 41 years later, KHS class of '69: tall Susie, me, Ginny, Sandy and Susie |
BTW...since we're talking education, Road Warriors 2010 is still accepting donations for Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund which honors servicemen who have been killed or permanently disabled in ANY American conflict by providing their children with college scholarships--for any type of college and for up to 4 years of college. If you would like to make a donation to the scholarship fund for Christmas, click on the link www.FreedomAlliance.org.
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