Clad for Kids 2011...Grand Total $2,450.25!!!

[Beefcake]

Wow, I can't believe that we are now in YEAR 3 of Clad for Kids!!!!

For some of our newer members, I started the Clad for Kids program to help some needy families of children that my wife and I teach for Christmas. It started with me wanting to do something to help this one particular little girl in kindergarten that literally had her toes sticking out of her shoes and no winter coat. I couldn't bare the thought of what the winter and Christmas would be like for her and her family and the need to help her literally brought tears to my eyes during that weekend when I came up with Clad for Kids. In the past two years, our metal detecting community has provided Christmas for a total of 19 kids and 12 families!!! My wife and I spent every dime and bought enough clothes for each child to have 7 brand new outfits, shoes, winter coats, gas cards and yes...A wish gift! What would Christmas be without a toy:huh: 100% of all the money goes to these families and the gifts cannot be refunded or used for things that does not benefit the kids. The idea came to me from our hobby.... We all end up with a pile of dirty clad at the end of our detecting year and I thought it would be nice to help some kids with it.

Once again, I am opening the program up for the month of NOVEMBER... This gives my wife and I the time to shop and wrap the gifts for delivery. Second, I set up a paypal account for the program!!! This will make donations easier than mail and hopefully allow for those over-seas to participate!

To donate by using PayPal.... Click the Clad for Kids logo in this post! **Please include your screen name and forum with donation... ex. Beefcake, AD

For those who do not want to use PayPal... Please PM me and I will give you my address to send a check or money order (This is how it all was done last year).

If you have any questions about this program, please PM me and I'll tell you all about it!

This year we will be receiving some help with the wrapping by having a few of my High School students fulfill thier community service commitment for graduation. I've had several that were very interested in helping and I thought it would be a great chance for them to give back to their fellow classmates!

On a personal note... I don't know of anything I've ever done in my life that has been so rewarding as what we did the past two years. To see that little girl and the others come to school in new clothes, new shoes, and a warm coat was a feeling I've never experienced before. The gifts were delivered to the parents (who were all very grateful and humbled) and as far as the kids knew... They were from Santa. I grew up rather poor...My mom and dad divorced when I was a little boy and I know what it is like to not have new clothes and know what it feels like to not fit in. Poverty affects us all... and for a kid it is beyond their control. I don't judge the predicament that families sometimes find themselves in... I want the kids to be taken care of. Remember, the donations do not have to be large and any amount is greatly appreciated. Thank you all!!

Click on the link above Clad for Kids banner to donate via PayPal!!!!

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Z5498VVBTE8VY
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Z5498VVBTE8VY] (http://http://metaldetectingforum.com/spp/clad-for-kids.jpg[/img]

[size=24pt]2011 Running Total - $2,450.25!!

***Attention Donors*** As many of you know, we did hit a bit of a speed bump last year with the program's name. ONLY DONATE TO A SITE WHERE YOU SEE THE OFFICIAL CLAD FOR KIDS LOGO IN THIS POST. The Clad for kids program DOES NOT have a website and is not affiliated with any other person but me. You will only see donation posts within threads on Metal Detecting related forums started by me (Beefcake). Thanks for all your support this year during the turmoil... The program wouldn't have survived without all of you!

Donor List: I only put your first name to confirm that I received it...Thank You!
James
Dale
Scott x2
Allen
Tri-State Hunters Inc.
Jan
American Detectorist
Mark B
Brian S
Joe H
Vladimir
Matthew
Robbie
Alan
John C
Mike H
Gwen
Keith
Laren
Rudy
Ray
Anthony
Johnny
Jeremy
Keith R
Curt
Noel
Jordan
Tom
Harold
Dale (New England Detectors)
Host comet LLC
Gil
Joe (November to Remember Group Hunt - MDM)
Tana
Janis
Jane
Ernest
K&M Discovery Team Group Hunt
Cliff
Curt
Roy
Harry
Zachary
Fred
Michael
Anonymous - You know who you are... Thanks buddy!
David
Donald
Recycled Memories
Jason

[Beefcake]

OH, and for Facebook users... I decided to start a Clad for Kids facebook page... So go on and please like...It will help spread the word!

[Epi-hunter]

Thanks for organizing this again Beef. It's a great thing that you are doing. |:confused:)

It's too bad that a selfish person decided to try to personally profit by stealing your idea and program name, but I'm glad you did not let that person stop you from continuing a terrific and worthwhile project. :clapping:

[Beefcake]

The good that the progam does is more important to me than a website... It has functioned just fine and dandy for the past two years doing it the way we do it! Thank you for all your support and friendship over the years Angie... It meant a lot to me!!!

[CyberSage]

Beef,
This is such a great part of metal detecting Christmas tradition now. Thank you for choosing American Detectorist to play a small part in the wonderful help that you provide for so many who are struggling. The example you and your Wife give to us is truly inspiring buddy. This is without a doubt what Christmas is all about. Thank you, and may God bless you.

Jack

P.S. What do you say American Detectorist? How about we show up all the other forums in donations this year! :)

[Dimeman]

I just sent a donation by Paypal.
You are doing a GREAT service !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :perfect10: :perfect10: :perfect10:



Robbie

[Beefcake]

Thank you guys and Thanks for the kind words as always Jack... You have been an irreplaceable friend and provided me with the strength to continue this program... I can't thank you enough for the phone time and a friendly ear on the other end when all the troubles happened... This is really starting to feel like a Christmas tradition... This has been something amazing that I think we have all been able to feel proud about! Thanks guys! Love you man!!!

[Ill Digger]

Hey!!! :clapping:
Boy! Am I glad to see this post!! :cheering:
I'm glad it didn't deter you from carrying on the tradition! (See it is a tradition! lol )
I bet your chest has a hard time holding in that BIG heart of yours! :smitten:
Your a good man Brian thumbsup01
Good luck with drive! :cheering:

[SeabeeRon]

Most have said it here already, we love you man!!! :smitten: :clapping:

[Beefcake]

I'm very happy to report that we have raised over $700 and we have already topped Year #1's total! I'd love for us to beat last year's total... Let's keep it up!!! :cheering: :cheering: :cheering:

[CyberSage]

It's going to happen Brian! Thanksgiving weekend should be very beneficial for Clad For Kids. What better way to give thanks? :perfect10:

Jack

[Dimeman]

Had some pretty good clad days this month-------------just sent a little more for the kids. :yes: :yes:

GREAT JOB.. beefcake !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :perfect10: :perfect10: :perfect10:

[Beefcake]

Got it Robbie!! Thanks for the donations X2!!!! Greatly appreciated! :clapping:

[Epi-hunter]

Woah Brian!!! Awesome total... thanks for organizing this and for all you do! I know it has taken thousands of hours on your part and that of your family too, as well as donating your time during the holiday itself to deliver these gifts.

Karma: What goes around, comes around. You will be blessed for your good heart. :smitten:

[Beefcake]

We're pushing on $1200! There is 10 days left for donations to be collected and then on to the gathering kids, shopping, wrapping, and delivering phase. Let's finish strong!!!!

Thanks Angie.. I don't know about the thousands of hours part, but it is all worth it in the end! Thanks for providing space for the program to grow!

[tanacat]

thumbsup01 I just donated- glad to share for a good cause Brian.

[Beefcake]

Thanks Tana, were you the Frogs in action?

[Beefcake]

A great big Congratulations to all those who donated! We surpassed last year's total and are now closing in on $2000 for the year!!!! :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

[Beefcake]

Last day and we are finishing strong!!! I have to be honest, I really had my doubts about the success of the program this year. There was a point when I didn't think that I was going to continue Clad for Kids. During the summer, I had reached a real low level of my opinion of humanity and it was my friends from the forums that pulled me through it. The first year we raised around $600... The second year we raised nearly $1600... and when I considered just giving up and letting humanity beat me down... We have raised over $2300 this year. I want to share my most sincere expression of gratitude for having a great life and being able to be affiliated with folks like all of you! We've shown that humanity is still good and that good deeds can still be done... no matter how much some may try to bring us down. This was just an idea that I came up with on a whim... I had no idea if it would work or not. I just wanted to help so bad and knew I did not have the means to do it on my own. None of this would have been possible without your support... I may have come up with the idea...but you all own it! I hope all that have donated...and those who may donate in the future... will know that on Christmas morning, there is going to be roughly 20 kids this year waking up to a great day full of smiles. I hope you all can feel what I feel when I see a kid come to school in, for the first time for most of them,...new clothes. I have witnessed first hand the smile on a face of a kid that finally fits in... is not the poor kid... doesn't have to show off their newest tattered hand me downs. This program has reached 19 kids so far... I don't think we'll ever know what that moment in time will have on their lives or their family. I hope you all can wake up on Christmas morning and feel the way I feel... Looking at my own children opening thier gifts... I always take a moment to think about what is occuring in the lives of someone we've never met or may never know. I hope we all share the humble pride in what we have accomplished... Thank you all.

Brian