TN Fall Contest: No, You’re Expired
Morning, guys. See below re: the “expired” notation on the bonus round — I’m pretty sure that means it’s fully funded, but I’ll check in with Zach (if he hasn’t run away from home by now) and see what’s up there. But if it means what it meant the last time…
You did it.
I started Tomato Nation ten years ago, to tell some stories about karate school and Girl Scouts and whatnot. Then I got a very fat cat and talked about him some, and wrote ghost tales, and told people what to do about their boyfriends. I have a good time with it and I’m proud of my work, most of it, but I’m the proudest of you. …”Proud” isn’t even the right word. “Honored.” I’m honored by you…that all of you wonderful, generous people would get together under a big Tomato Nation umbrella and raise this money.
And like I said, you did it. I collated links and got some prizes together and offered to make an ass out of myself; just another day at my house, really. I also said “awesome” a lot, which is also not a stretch. But Charles Best and his team put together a system that can include everyone, that shows an immediate effect, that addresses a serious problem directly and lets people feel involved instead of powerless to fix it.
And you kicked the living shit out of the problem.
To look at those thermometers, at those numbers, and know that Tomato Nation readers put those up on the board…I don’t know how I got such awesome people to come to my site. But don’t think I don’t know that it’s a privilege, because I do…because it is.
My mom used to have this gag-gifty thing in the kitchen, one of those cans that you can turn upside-down and then right-side up again to make a sound. Usually it’s a cow mooing (we had one of those, too), but we had one that made the sound of a standing ovation. I wish I had that can now. I’d open a can of kick-ass!
I’ll post The Final Awesome shortly. In the meantime, let’s let the DC site catch its breath; I need a Kleenex because I have some moisture coming out of my eyes for some reason; stay tuned.
Congratulations.
Tags: contests
I’ve had a blast the last few days, watching the numbers rise – it’s lovely to sit at my stupid job with selfish people and have a constant reminder that there are AWESOME people out there, too!
Poor DC.org workers! I hope we didn’t break them! :)
Awesome. I’m so excited for the final awesome and for the fact that I’ll be able to donate at least once more next time I get paid.
Heh – I saw this and thought of you!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7026851.stm
I thought I was going to spend all morning crying because they Cubs couldn’t win last night…
but instead I’ll just sit and cry about this post and the awesomeness we all did!
I started to read this site as a follow up to TWoP and I liked the writing, the stories and the advice. But I keep coming back because of the overall awesomeness of the TN readers. Sure it was fun to watch Sars shave her head but raising $60,000 in 4 days? Whole different ballpark of awesome!
And I can’t wait for the video of the tomato costume. Seriously wish I lived in New York and could see it in person.
You and me both, Sars. *sniffle*
This is cheesy but: as nice as it is to know that TN readers rock, I myself am honored that you managed to harness this insane wanting-to-do-good-ness (yeah what’s that word) within your readership for such insane good. So: thank you, for bringing all of this/us together, and allowing us to contribute (even if it felt like only a little) and help kids this way.
Owl poop!
Squeeee!!!!!
Thanks Sars, for reminding us to do what we should be doing all the time. Thanks for inspiring us to kick ass on a very worthy cause.
I squee, you squee, we all squee for philanthropy!!
Yes, there is awesomeness in the citizens of Tomato Nation, but, Sars, you’re the one who gave us direction. Our Fearless Leader. The one we’d follow off a cliff. So, that big can o’ kick-ass is all yours, kiddo. This was your deed–we just helped. Thank YOU.
Sars, I feel like ‘the odd (wo)man out’ – I had very much wanted to donate, but I don’t have a credit card; even so, my being an Australian citizen means that I am ineligible to donate…BLAST!
It’s wonderful, though, that everything was fully funded within such a short span of time – TN readers, take a bow!
Sars and her readers: the most awesome people who ever awesomed.
I was happy to see in Round 1 that we had a music project. Yes, I’m poor, but I’m poor because I’m in college and I wouldn’t have gotten this far if I hadn’t learned about music on the xylophone when I was a wee thing. They deserve the same opportunity that I had, at least. (That currently appears to be the opportunity to ignore a history lecture in favor of reading TN, but that’s neither here nor there.)
CJRW: Squeeeeee indeed!
Sars, I came for the Dawson snark, I stayed for the cats and the laundry room, I got weepy because of Don, and I am in awe for the two amazing years of the DC. I couldn’t give this year, but dammit, I WILL be employed next time around, and I’ll be right there amongst all these fantastic people. Y’all kick so much ass.
I… wow.
Thanks for getting this rolling, Sars. You’re good people.
Maybe it is a privilege, but it’s one you’ve certainly earned. Congratulations.
Man, preach it, baggage. I’m right there with you on both counts. Damn it, Cubs! I made my Dad bet $10 on you to win the World Series in January and you couldn’t at least win a pennant to shut up his laughter??
Oh, well, at least I can come here and see awesomeness.
The generosity that this site has summoned to the cause is astounding. Astonishing. And, yes, AWESOME. I need a button that says “Tomato Nation restores my faith in humanity.”
autiger23..well if the Cubs don’t make it to the second round, maybe I’ll have to send the money I just spent on 4 bleacher seats (I hate the virtual waiting room) to DC.
I’m working on my school psychology grad degree right now and, I can honestly tell you from what I’m learning that the projects we’ve all funded are crazy important for these kids. The kinds of projects that aren’t being funded by the school are the very projects that make learning the experience it SHOULD be for kids. It angers me that these teachers aren’t getting the money they need from schools, and it makes my heart burst to know that sites like DC exist and thinking just how many freakin’ projects we just funded. Insanity.
I’m so happy to share a comment space with you awesome people! :-)
I have always loved this site and been on the “Sars is one of the best writers on the planet” bandwagon but his was just amazingly cool and exciting and AWESOME and I too am really proud to have been part of it.
THANKS SARS!
Ever occurred to you that YOU are awesome, Sars?
I’ve been reading Tomato Nation since 2002, and for many, many weeks, months and years one of the highlights of each week were Tuesday mornings.
A new essay on TN! Whoohoo!
If you should visit Sweden some day, I’ll buy you a beer.
For now, my blog entry about the contest. In Swedish, so email me if you want a translation. :-)
http://marremakro.blogspot.com/2007/10/tomato-nation-goes-education.html
:-)
Thanks for giving us this opportunity.