success!

The video presentation of the “success stories” at Operation Breakthrough at the dinner Friday night did what it needed to do: raise awareness and raise money. Just after the video ended, a very energetic auctioneer hopped up on the stage and, in the course of the next five minutes, raised $94,000.00 in cash pledges by asking the auction-number wielding attendees to raise their hands and make commitments. Not only that, but the executive of a major engineering firm here in Kansas City was so moved by the stories that he offered an internship to one of the young men we featured in the video.

Speaking of Operation Breakthrough, their African drummers and dancers will be performing at my opening this Friday night at the Leopold Gallery in Brookside. I was speaking to Sister Berta (co-founder and co-director) about this, and she asked me to make sure that the kids knew they were going to be helping SOMEONE ELSE for a change. She told me that these children are so accustomed to receiving assistance that it is easy for them to forget that THEY can actually help others. They may not have money to give, but the donation of their time and talent on Friday night will almost certainly inspire some of the people at the opening to make donations to Change the Truth. I hadn’t really thought about what an important message that will be for them.