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Home » Donors Choose and Contests

The United States…of Awesome

Submitted by on September 30, 2008 – 9:20 AM30 Comments

Can’t view the embedded video?Please click here.   (Video is SFW.)

In November 2004, American voters re-elected George W. Bush…and Tomato Nation readers elected to raise almost $25,000 for public schools.

The intervening years have seen a once-proud nation lose its way, but one nation has demonstrated its commitment to education.To community.To hope.

That nation…is the Tomato Nation.

Over the last four years, Tomato Nation readers from around the world have raised more than $150,000 for public schools across the United States.

As we prepare for a transition in America’s leadership, know this: the change you can believe in…is you.

This fall, no matter what your politics, please, join the party: Tomato Nation, Donors Choose, and your fellow readers worldwide.The United States.OF AWESOME.

The 2008 Blogger Challenge.Vote with your wallet.

This message is approved by Charles Best, Founder, DonorsChoose.org.

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30 Comments »

  • Georgia says:

    OK, I’ll be the first to say it: Charles Best is cute! (And awesome, obviously.)

  • Valerie says:

    Georgia, you may be the first, but you won’t be the last. Charles Best is very cute!

  • tulip says:

    Whoo hoo!!! I can’t wait! :)

  • Amie says:

    That? is rad.

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    A mention of last year’s drive on Fortune.com: http://techland.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/09/30/it-takes-a-blogosphere/

    I don’t have 100,000 readers, “obscure” is maybe not the right word, and my last name is actually “Bunting,” but I’m sure they meant well.

  • attica says:

    Long after last year’s awesomeness concluded, I got a great big old envelope in the mail, stuffed with letters from kids whose project I contributed to. I didn’t even fund the whole thing, but I got a whole lotta love! It was a total surprise. And totally awesome.

  • KPP says:

    Hm. Did they visit your website? Double checking your last name shouldn’t have been that hard. Alas! But, congrats on getting in the article. We all rock! Here’s to an even more awesome drive!

  • Margaret in CO says:

    Proud to be a Tomato Citizen!

    SARS FOR PRESIDENT!!!! BUNTIG in 2008!!! (Hee)

  • Kristina says:

    Just curious: how many readers do you have, Sars?

  • Sandman says:

    $150, 000 overall? That’s not just rad – it’s fantastic! And awesome.

    “… but I’m sure they meant well.” Heh. Who knew the Interwebs had eyeroll-font? (Nice one, Buntig.)

  • Jennifer says:

    I participated in this last year, and I was completely blown away when I got a thank-you packet from the class I supported. The teacher had each of the kids draw me a thank-you picture, and then she bound it together with a piece of laminated construction paper. I bawled like a little kid when I read through it, and even now just looking at it makes my heart swell and instantly cures all bad moods.

  • Sarah D. Bunting says:

    Thanks, Sadman! (snick)

    @Kristina: Well…not 100,000. Heh. It’s more like 30,000 individual users a month. A more diplomatic term for a readership that size is “boutique,” but…you know, what can you do. TN isn’t Gawker; so what. We’re not many, but we’re mighty.

  • LaZip says:

    YAY! Thrilled that we’re back for another round of Awesome. I, too, recieved a tear-jerking thank you from the projects I helped fund. One came complete with photos, the other with drawings from the students. Excellent follow-up, coordinated by Donors Choose.

  • Jenny says:

    Bring on the Awesome again!
    This is just what I need right now–with the economy in the crapper and the looming dog-fight elections that I can’t get away from (seriously, McCain campaign, stop calling my house! Just because I live in Texas does not automatically make me a Republican!), it’s nice to be able to make a difference that is so easily seen and so easy to do.

  • Shannon says:

    I love getting the thank you packages! After all of the Awesome last year I received a letter from a little boy who wanted to know if I knew his mom because my last name is Marshall and “she likes to shop at your store, Marshall’s”.

  • mimi says:

    Months after the challenge last year I got this huge package in the mail. I was like, huh, don’t recall buying anything online recently as I’d been trying to reign that it. Turns out it was from the class I’d helped – photos, thank you notes, gigantic flip chart size drawings… Adorable!

  • Cij says:

    I curse this evil economy for curtailing some of my philanthropic activities. Nonetheless, Awesome Tomato Nation will not be skimped!

    The Thank you notes I got last year were amazing and inspiring and tear-jerking. I refused to abandon these underfunded teachers and students!

  • BSD says:

    Geez, how many more Nations do I have to belong to? Sheesh.

  • Kat says:

    *scraping up my pennies* I believe that giving away always means the world will give back to me. I’ve given money every year and never gone broke because of it.

  • KLM says:

    Aw man, I get all teary even thinking about this. Here’s to a solid month of feeling like a slobbery mess at work!

  • Hannah says:

    Heh, apparently the economy isn’t affecting me the way it ought to, because I just read Kat’s comment as “scraping up my penises.” Sorry to project that image onto your social life, Kat. My bad.

    I, uh, will be scraping together something more age-appropriate for the kiddies…

  • Omar G. says:

    That is the greatest. LOVE this video.

  • Drew says:

    They seem to have fixed your name in the article.

  • Laura says:

    I had two thank you packages that never made it to me because my address wasn’t updated–the credit card billing one was correct, but the one saved on the site was old. I thought the teachers forgot about me, and I was sad.
    Don’t be dumb like me–Make sure all your info is up to date!

  • Sandman says:

    “We’re not many, but we’re mighty.”

    Hello, new TN t-shirt!

    @Hannah: Heeehee! I mean, Ew.

  • amy says:

    That video gave me goosebumps! As does the idea of getting to donate again…like everyone else, I got thank you packages from the classrooms I was able to help and it made me insanely happy. I can’t wait to do it all again. My husband and I have saved up our donation money all year so we can chuck it all into The Awesome.

    PS — Hannah — HA!

  • Shannon says:

    I was looking through the proposals on the TN page and I just wanted to point out that this one:
    http://tinyurl.com/3py8so
    only has 3 days left. Maybe the Awesomeness can start there??

  • Driver B says:

    Wooooo hoo! I just promoted this to my entire cohort of masters students, and I’m about to add to my facebook page. I LOVE this time of year!

  • JeniMull says:

    I am so excited about this. Our house is facing a massive drop in value, McCain said that if he’s elected he’ll slash gov’t funding, which equals my hubbby’s job in academic scientific research — and a 3rd baby is on the way!

    So I am really looking forward to such an affirming, energy-giving, karma-rebuilding initiative. I will be donating loud ‘n proud – because only good comes from joining in such a wonderful cause!

  • Donna says:

    I still look through the thank you cards I got from the class I helped last year when I need a pick me up. I definitely wasn’t expecting those.

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