I have been away from Joe User for several days.  Yes it was kind of a haitus, but not from any type of fatigue or need to refresh my batteries, altho my batteries sure were recharged!

The Occassion was to work on my wife's family's annual fund raiser.  This is a fund raiser in memory of her nephew killed by a drunk driver on Dec 4, 1993.  He was only 19 at the time, and just starting college.

The Parents, instead of channeling their rage and sorrow into suing everyone in the world (like the car manufacturer, the state, the county, the police, the courts - you know the typical grab for as much money as you can get), they instead started a Foundation in memory of their lost son.  This Foundation gives out scholarships to needy students entering college every year.  The fund the foundation through an annual fund raiser, and the whole extended family (brothers sisters, aunts uncles cousins, etc.) pitch in to help them. 

This was my third year, and each one has gotten more enjoyable with time.  I know we all hate having the bite pu ton us for this charity or that charity since all are good ones (or most all are).  But we each have to decide how best to allocate our limited resources, and while I dont like asking anyone for money, I have no problem asking people to help out with this one.  A no is fine and I thank the people anyway.  I rarely get any rude people or mean ones, and sometimes meet some interesting people! (did you know there is a Richmond British COlumbia?  I did not until last week).

The Foundation does not produce millions of dollars, or even hundreds of thousands.  The Scholarships are for students in the local community and not based upon scholastics, but on need.  It wil not save every child in those areas, but it has helped hundreds pay for college over the past 11 years, and hopefully this year will be a record breaker as far as the amount raised.

All this came about because a family took their pain and suffering and channeled it into something very constructive and productive.  It will not make the 6 o'clock news, and most people will never hear of it.  But for the family, it is doing something for others, with no thoughts of any type of compensation.  Just doing it because it is right, not because they have to.

And that is what makes America great.  Thousands, Millions of people like these doing things that they feel are right every day and every year, and making this the greatest country on earth.