As I lay in my bed on an early morning a few days after Thanksgiving, I was startled by the sound of my phone ringing. It was my friend and peer Achla Gandhi calling me. She told me that she wasn’t feeling the spirit of Christmas this year and that we should do something about it. She proposed that we start a fundraiser in the form of a talent show for the children in town. The money we raised would go to Save the Children, a charity focused on helping kids worldwide. 

We spent weeks emailing and calling Lincoln’s elementary and middle schools, local newspapers like the Lincoln Squirrel, and local businesses like Downlands, Twisted Tree Cafe, and Something Special, asking each of them to support us and spread the word. It was hard, but our shared motivation, boosted by intervals of humor and philosophical discussions, kept our spirits up. A few weeks later, our efforts paid off; we were getting emails every day from parents and kids wanting to participate. We had kids ages 3 to 19, doing everything from jumping off the couch to playing the guitar. In just one month, we put together 25 performances, brought together 50 families, and raised over 2,500 dollars.

With our shared enthusiasm and the performers’ help, we managed to bring together the entire community and give back to those who had done so much for us. The success of our first show inspired us to make this a bi-monthly event. Our next show is Valentine’s Day-themed on February 12th, and we will be fundraising for St. Jude’s Hospital. Here is a link to our website, and here is a link to our new fundraiser. You can email us if you want to sign up to perform. The support of our community is what allows us to continue this effort; please help us keep it going and bring joy to those around us.