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Home » Donors Choose and Contests

Contest: 5(K) Is Alive!

Submitted by on October 23, 2009 – 2:02 PM39 Comments

Marvelous news on the match front!   Asirda is as psyched about the HP percentage drive as you guys — so if you can get to $120,000 by 10 PM ET on Sunday, Asirda will throw in another 5K.

(We’ll get 3K if we get to 120K after that — but for the purposes of the HP match, the more money we have in the bank as of Sunday, the better.)

Reaching $120,000 by 10 PM ET on Sunday will also get you a tiny baby in a giant foam tomato. A tiny, cute baby who loves you.   See?

sheads

...C'mahhhhhn.

Put the baby in the tomato DO IT RIGHT NOW.

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39 Comments »

  • Vanessa R. says:

    Oh it is on! Watch out little zebra fish!

  • charmaine says:

    Share, and share a lot. We are so up to this challenge, and no need to wait til Sunday!

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    Here’s another incentive, in the form of a letter I received from Ms. G, whose “In Cold Blood” project we fulfilled:

    Dear Sars,

    I was reviewing Blake’s poem Song of Liberty with 6 of my students today
    when another student entered the door with two giants boxes stamped Barnes
    and Noble. I bounced in my chair with glee, causing 2 of my other 51
    students that period to laugh. One said, “That is the happiest I’ve ever
    seen you!”

    In the boxes were 60 copies of In Cold Blood from the Donor’s Choose grant
    that your readers supported.

    This year has been one of the most stressful starts of any year I have
    taught in my (albeit short) ten-year career as a teacher. With state budget
    cuts class sizes have blossomed. Five weeks into the school year, my first
    period AP Lit class was downgraded to honors and they increased the class
    size by 37 more students. In making the class honors, I was forced to change
    the curriculum entirely from one that focuses on literary analysis to one
    that focuses on college-level expository composition. And I had to enact
    that shift between Tuesday at 3:30 PM to Wednesday at 8:30 AM.

    These books were originally intended for my AP class, but they are the
    perfect text for my honors students. Were it not for your readers, I would
    be forced to continue to disregard all copyright law and all environmental
    sense and just make copies of articles for my students. Now they will have
    at least one actual text with which to wrestle.

    Thank you, both to you and your readers, for making it possible for me to do
    my job with a little more grace and a little more joy. Watching a student
    carry in those books today made my day.

    Ours too, Ms. G!

  • Heather says:

    And in non-DC related comments, that? Is one seriously cute baby. I mean, honestly. (Babies in general kind of unnerve me, and I don’t always get the fuss, but Master Stupidhead is really, really adorable. Bunting genes are clearly top-shelf stuff.)

  • J says:

    (sniff!)

    If we get to $120k even sooner, is there a possibility of adding a cat to the baby + tomato shot?

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    We’re pretty sure Bunting genes aren’t responsible — Bunting babies tend to be pretty fuglo — so Gen is the key component there. Heh.

    I’ll see what I can do about the cat; no promises.

  • LaSalleUGirl says:

    Good LORD, is it dusty in here! WHY do we make it so hard for kids to get a good education and for teachers to do their jobs?

    Good thing it’s payday!

  • Maria says:

    Oh my BOB that child is too cute. Definitely have seen his daddy give that sideways glance before, too, so don’t discount your own gene pool, Sarah!

    Very excited about the weekend’s challenge/ goals! Thank you letters keep pouring in – I can’t wait to read more!

  • Dayna says:

    I get from my trip on Sunday. As soon as I’m home and expenses are done, I will be able to contribute to Donors Choose. I have three reasons: gotta have a baby in the tomato; kids need stuff in classrooms (and to know people care) and because getting a bunch of thank you letters from 2nd graders RULES!

  • LaSalleUGirl says:

    So, question: Do we have to raise $120,000 by 6:00 p.m. EST on Sunday or 10:00 p.m. EST on Sunday? The post above lists both times.

    Also, it’s killing me that we’re $17 away from $110,000. I really think I need to go make up that shortfall…

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    10 PM. I’ll fix it; sorry!

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    PS …110!

  • I have blogged and tweeted about the contest TWICE in the past 24 hours. My own little guy (just a bit older than Master S. and who I am using as donation bait) is up from his waking up from his nap, but I will be donating again tonight once his Dad is home and I decide which projects I should throw money at.

    So.EXCITING! Thanks, Asirda, for your generosity and for lighting a fire under the Nation once again.

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    Another awesome thing: last year, we raised $111,000 in the full month. You guys are on pace to do it on the 23rd. Each year, you outdo yourselves, and given your impressive achievements in the past, it’s not easy. Not easy at all. But you still do it.

    It’s a hell of a thing to see, never mind getting to sit in the middle of it. Tell a friend.

  • JeniMull says:

    “Put the baby in the tomato” is my new rallying cry.

  • jael says:

    Dammit, the baby did it to me. I donated again. We can do this! Let’s!

  • Margaret in CO says:

    “It’s a hell of a thing to see, never mind getting to sit in the middle of it.”
    One might say that about a tomato suit…

    (me too jael…cannot..resist..the cuteness!)

  • Vanessa H says:

    The cube is really dusty today. (No, really, I’ve been digging through 20 year old files all week). That letter did to me what those boxes couldn’t, make me weepy about the state of U.S. education. I’m off to share a little more of my paycheck.

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    We’re about to pass last year’s OVERALL money mark. Not bad for a Friday afternoon.

    It’s about to turn 5 o’clock here in beautiful Brooklyn. West Coast, you’ll have to carry us for a while.

  • Melina says:

    Holy crap, guys. 111,000.

  • JeniMull says:

    @Sars – your tags just keep getting better and better.

  • Bean says:

    Damn. Almost 44% of all the funds donated in the Blogger’s Challenge so far came from Tomato Nation.

    Awesome.

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    We’ve now raised more money in 23 days than we did in 31 days last year. I’m so proud of you.

  • Rachel says:

    The weather is sucky and I’m stuck home tonight with the cats. So I will continue my obsessive reloading of the widget from home. The comment section on these challenges make me just as teary as the thank you letters.

  • Rachel says:

    You guys! I have a date with my husband in less than an hour, for which I AM WEARING MAKEUP (this never ever happens) and now it’s all fucked up because of the dust in here. *sniffle* Or my allergies. Or something. Maybe I’m ovulating. I now look like someone punched me in the face so I’m taking as an [awesome] sign that I am hot enough without makeup.

    :-) Keep up the good work, Nation!

  • Kimra says:

    No, I’m not crying. It’s just raining … on my face …

    Go nation!

  • Elaine says:

    I got a bonus today at work, and 10% of it went to 2 projects (including the tubas). Just one West Coaster helping you out.

  • @Mike – both of those are done. I couldn’t resist funding out the one for white boards. How can learn math without erasing mistakes?

    The widget is running a bit slow, but at 10:50 EST we’re on the cusp of $112k. Go, nation, go!

  • Victoria says:

    Dang it, I think someone’s been slicing onions in here again. The teacher letters break me every time.

    Give us a lever cute enough, and we will move the world. 112!

  • Ellen says:

    I had a small windfall in my favor from returning some clothes I ordered and ended up not liking, the refund came back on to my credit card today. So I turned right around and put it towards the SC vocational school’s culinary class that wants to make their own “cooking show”.

    ooh, “tiny+cute”… just like the ukulele amigurumi dolls – against the cute, we are powerless!

  • Academic says:

    DANG! Now I know why the totals JUMPED exponentially! There’s talk of a baby in a tomato… and Asirda is speaking another round of match awesomeness. And Sars, you’re totally rocking out on your tags.

  • Dsayko says:

    I keep thinking I’m done donating, but then something sucks me back in again. Guys, these kids need desks. How can they learn without someplace to sit?

    http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=303256&challengeid=23248

  • Sarah says:

    As soon as I get my $50 DC card for signing up for automatic donation, I’m putting it all back into Bet Red. Desks, books, you name it, I’m going to try to throw some money at it. Bet Red!

  • J says:

    Hey, Fellow Football Fans in the Nation (college and pro)…

    http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=301781&challengeid=23248

    I’m donating a dollar each time my Virginia Cavaliers score against Georgia Tech and my Miami Dolphins score against the Saints. (And if either should perform a miracle and win, I’ll add $10.)

    Any other football fans want to support their teams and these kids in South Carolina? Who are you hoping will have a good weekend?

  • M says:

    @J – ooh, good call. If the Vols can make a halfway decent showing against ‘Bama today, I’ll certainly feel like celebrating….

  • Katie says:

    @ J: So the Hoos definitely disappointed today (I was at the game, and I can tell you that it was RAINING–especially when the Cavs had the ball…what’s up with that?), but I’m giving to the flag football project anyway. Here’s hoping these kids can win even if the teams I love can’t!

  • J says:

    @Katie – It looked like seriously crazy – yet typical C’ville October rain! Ah, well, hope springs eternal for us Hoos…

    Off to donate now that my Dolphins blew a 21 point lead…

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