Still trucking along...

Well I'm embarassed that I haven't posted in so long.. but here is an update!

We did a few auctions on Hyena Cart and that raised us a few hundred dollars! We have another stocking set to start on May 1st. I'm hoping to line up a lot of items! So far I have had a few people commit, and one in particular that I am very excited about!! This person www.hyenacart.com/piddlepoddles

We also are having a 'Bowl For Will's Walkabout'. Will is taking pledges (so much money per pin he knocks down) and then he will bowl THE game in a couple of weeks. He is excited because it's doing something he loves!

We were able to pay down almost $4000 just from fundraising! We held a VERY successful garage sale during March. We also raffled off some donated items. I am so thankful to everyone who donated items and also shopped at the garage sale. And of course, those who helped us set up. It was a LOT of work!!

As of today, there are 79 days until he leaves.

Going Strong!

The first round of auctions is almost up at www.hyenacart.com/willswalkabout and it looks like we'll make about $100! That is awesome! Thank you SO MUCH to the WAHMS who have donated their wares! Another round is set to start on March 1. Anyone have anything to donate?
Last Friday we also did a bake sale at the firehouse during fish fry night- made around $40! Not too shabby! We're set to be there again every Friday up until Good Friday!

February 10, 2010

We now have a Hyena Cart! Check out http://hyenacart.com/Willswalkabout/
Thank you so much to the people who have offered to donate items and help me stock it!

February 3 update

Will and I went around over the weekend and passed out donation letters to a few businesses around town. One place (Price Chopper) gave him a gift card on the spot! One place told him no. And every where else said they would 'pass it on to the manager'. We haven't heard back yet from anyone.
I am in the process of writing up a letter to send out. Seems it might be more worthwhile to send them. Will only was able to talk with 2 managers face-to-face.
I also set up a Hyena Cart!! It is www.hyenacart.com/willswalkabout There will be some raffles soon, I'll update when it is officially up and running. Right now it's in the baby stages!
I am going scrapbooking this Friday so I'm hoping to drop off some flyers for my crop!
Our garage sale is set for the weekend of March 26/27. Time to get rid of all our junk for a good cause!! Know anyone needing to declutter? Send them our way!! We'll also be having a bake sale during the garage sale. And possibly doing bake sales at the fish fry night at the firehouse, I'm working on that.

travel dates

I officially have Will's travel dates... he leaves July 5th and returns July 19th. If I'm right, that's only 158 days away. I guess I just needed that number to make me officially nervous!! So many things to be nervous about, so many things to do... And realizing that my little boy will be half way around the world on my birthday. *Sigh* Well, at least he will get fireworks as a send off the night before!
Sending out some more flyers for my crop today and trying to set up sponsors and donations.

Update

I brought Will to Walgreens to get his passport photos taken! Now I just need to fill out the application and find a time where both Art and I can bring it in.
The Scrapbooking Crop is coming along! I have had a few more people sign up, and some people offer to help with food and snacks. I am so grateful for my friends who are helping me!
I am in the talks with the church to set up a garage sale. I picked a weekend in March, they just have to okay it.
Any more ideas for fundraisers?

Update 1-13-10

The scrapbooking crop is coming along nicely! We have had a few people register already, and we're busy getting the flyers out. I'm really hoping it is successful!

Will had a PTP meeting over the weekend. It was fun. He's already made some friends so that's a plus. And they watched videos showing what they will do in Australia which made him even more excited!!

I really need to order his passport.

A woman came to the meeting offered to let us sell her homemade air fresheners as a funraiser. They are $6 each and Will gets $2. He's sold 3 already without doing anything, so it's an easy fundraiser!!

Fundraising Crop!

I have set up a scrapbooking crop at my church to fundraise money for Will! It is going to be on February 27, 2010. I'm trying to get the word out now. What better way to raise money than doing something you love?

I'm also in the process of setting up a rummage sale at the church. Looking for donations of items to sell!!

And a local book store has offered to give Will 20% of sales on one day, we still have to pick. More info to come!

End of December update

Will received a generous gift that will go towards his trip, I plan to deposit that today. He also filled out an application for a scholarship that will hopefully be in the mail tomorrow.
Does anyone know a business that would like to sponsor Will? We plan on putting out lots of sponsor requests at the beginning of the year.
We also plan on having a huge rummage sale, so please keep anything you 'don't want' so that we can sell it in Will's honor!

Update Dec 21, 2009

Will is still selling his origami ornaments! At the YFC last weekend, he auctioned off 3 favorites and also sold some others, and made almost $300! Thank you!
He also got a donation from Kiwanis for $200.
At the beginning of the new year we are going to really get proactive and start contacting businesses for donations/sponsorships.
Will is well on his way now!! He is very excited.

Will's Origami Ornaments

Will is now taking orders for Will's Origami Ornaments. He can make either a bird, a fish, or a chinese star. They are $3 each, and if you want them mailed it will be $1 more. He can make these pretty quickly, and he's really good at it.
Let us know if you would like to purchase any. And please spread the word!

November 20, 2009

We're almost done with the first fundraiser, so it will be interesting to see how much we've earned!
I am also selling little things here and there to earn money for him. Wish us luck!

Art wanted to add a song to the blog so that is what we are doing now.

November 17, 2009

We are almost done with fundraiser #1, selling our enjoy the city books. We didn't do as well as I thought we would, but that's okay! I haven't totalled it up yet, as my friend Suzanne is still selling them at her work. But I'm pretty sure we raised enough to at least get Will a passport, and possibly his dad as well. That's definitely a help! Thank you to all of you who have ordered one. And if you still want to, just let me know. We'll be selling them until Sunday.

Just got the call...

And Will IS going!!!!!! Wow, I am still in shock a little bit. There is so much to do between now and then. WOW.
Please send Will some congratulations!!

November 9, 2009

Will had his interview on Saturday.  It went very well.  We were there for over 3 hours!  He met some other kids who were also interviewing, and became friends quickly with one of the boys.  They told us we will find out by Tuesday *at the latest* what his 'status' is.  So, we're waiting on a call!

Fundraiser #1!

Will is selling Enjoy the City books now. They are $20 each, and Will keeps $8 of that. Plus, every 6th book is 'free', meaning Will keeps the whole $20. He is quite the salesman so we're hoping he does well with this one! Our goal to start is 50 books, but we're hoping to exceed that!

October 25, 2009

We got the confirmation email today for Will's interview on Nov. 7 at 3 PM. Please wish him good luck!! He has to bring with him 2 teacher recommendation forms, and also one from a coach. He has one teacher form already and is working on the other 2.
Will is having a fun time looking up Australian customs, the food, and other info.
We also have put in for some 'Explore the City' books for Will to sell as a fundraiser. We will put the word out when they are for sale!

October 19, 2009

About a month ago we received a letter saying that Will had been nominated for People to People to go on a trip.  The letter said that the trip would be to China.  We didn't know what to think.  There was a website listed, so I logged on, and I signed us up to go to an informational meeting.  That meeting was yesterday.

It was about an hour long.  Will's dad and I went.  We didn't know what to exect.  We didn't bring Will because we thought it was for parents only.  In fact, we weren't even going to tell Will about the letter, but they also sent a postcard, addressed to him, and that's how he found out.  So he stayed home. But there were quite a few kids there.  

We were given a brochure and an application.  Then we sat down and listened to some speakers.  They told us all about the trip...which isn't to China, it's to AUSTRALIA.  They showed some videos, about where they would go, what they would do.  They talked about People to People and the different trips they do.  It was a very interesting meeting, and the videos were neat to watch.

We set up a date and time for Will to go to an interview (November 7, 2009), talked to some people about fundraising, and looked at photos taken on past trips to Australia.

We talked about it on the way home, and decided to go for it.  It's going to cost about $6,000, so we need to do some fundraising.  Will is a pretty good salesman so we're hoping he can pull it off!  He was very excited when we told him we would let him go.  He said he wants to go 'very very much'.

Today we put in an application online.  Tomorrow Will will bring some teacher recommendations into school to be filled out.  There is no guarantee that he will be chosen to go on this trip, so we are keeping our fingers crossed and hoping for the best.

I decided to start this blog to show Will's journey.  Not only IN Australia, but getting there also.  I hope to put all of our fundraising ideas here, all of Will's thoughts, any info we have, and any updates of the situation.  I hope people are just as excited to read about it as we are to live it.

Wish Will luck in his travel journey- or as they say in Australia, his walkabout!