finis - lili's raffle drawing

lili stirs the tickets directions to support staff walmart manager, melissa,

draws winning ticket

Lili's People to People raffle closed at 7pm, April 14, 2007. Melissa, night manager at the WalMart Market that has so kindly allowed Lili to sell tickets in front of their store, drew the winning tickets. As we loaded the car after the completion of the raffle, Lili's heartfelt comment was, "Thank GOODNESS that's over!!!"

Approaching adults she doesn't know is very difficult for Lili. I am pleased with the People to People program because it has forced my daughter to develop in ways she never would have developed had she not been chosen as one of their student ambassadors. She may still be reticent to approach people in asking for something that will benefit herself but at least she has learned how.

This particular fundraiser has forced her to approach strangers and initiate conversations with them - soliciting sponsors and explaining her program. Although asking for donations - even if it means the person may have the opportunity to win a siginificant prize - was extremely difficult for her, she still had a lot of fun with some of the people who purchased tickets from her.

One of her very staunch supporters and helpers commented to me, "I've learned so much about people (from sitting with Lili outside WalMart, selling tickets)!" And it's true. My daughter and her friends have seen a much wider swath of humanity than they would have in any other way. It's one thing to run down to the Market with a list of items you want to purchase before hanging out with your friends and a totally different experience when you spend hours sitting in front of the same store watching and talking to the patrons who come and go. Teenagers generally socialize with their own age group. Through this fundraiser Lili and her friends have had to approach and interact with adults of all ages.

I'm grateful for Lili's staunch supporters. Josh , the young man in the photo I posted last week, spends every weekend at our house - has ever since he started studying welding at the Clearfield, Utah, Job Corps last July. He is one of Larry and Lili's dearest friends. I know I can always count on Josh to accompany Lili if I need someone to be with her for protection purposes. He's gone with her to sell tickets when she's gone door to door. He helped her with her car wash. He helped her sell tickets at the Market. He's helped her with the yard work project she has going. He's one of the very limited group of kids I'll allow in my home with her, alone, if I have to go somewhere and Rick is at work.

Vanessa has spent countless hours with Lili on all of her fundraising activities as well. Nessa also spends every weekend she can at our house. She and another of Larry's and Lili's friends, Airk, have worked with Josh and Lili on the yard project. She and Airk both donated the money they received to Lili's fundraiser. In gratitude, Lili gave them tickets equal to the amount they had given her. Since Nessa is getting married in May, Airk gave his tickets to her as a wedding present. Nessa won both of the messages in the drawing. The couple they did yard work for won the dinner at Romano's Macaroni Grill.

The grand prize was won by a gentleman who lives in downtown Salt Lake. I took Nessa and Lili down there to sell tickets the day Lili applied for her passport and he was the first person to whom they sold a ticket that day. We had met him when we helped his next door neighbors (another elderly couple who are dear friends of ours) move from their home a couple of years ago.

I am sure that all of the folks who bought tickets from Lili and her friends were very fine people. They were kind to my daughter and supportive of what she was doing. ...But I'll have to admit I'm so pleased with those who won - because I knew them all and I appreciate the particularly kind people I happen to know each one of them is. Good neighbors; good folks.