Fundraising Is Not Fun!

Someone sent out invites to participate in her children's fundraising. That I have no problem with. I guess it's fundraising in general. So I told her that we don't do it. Which I lied about. I forgot we did do one where someone could do a donation instead of buying 2 ounces of chocolate for $8.00. This one you could also use at some normal stores online. I don't know how much of a percentage the school got from the online shopping part. But in general we try to avoid them. She brought up the very valid argument that the money helps in the art and P.E. and other departments and for field trips. And I'm sure part of it does. I just don't think we need to have the kids sell 12 square feet of wrapping paper. Don't get me wrong, ClaireBeth's school sent the packet home the second or third week of school. I looked through it in case there was anything great and fantastic, almost wanting to find something to buy. But alas, nothing new, fantastic or wonderful. And a donation for $10 is even better than buying something and less than half actually going to the schools. I'm also rather selfish. I know we won't be here in two years, so I'd rather help get something for ClaireBeth's classroom that the teacher can use in the years to come than do a fundraiser for something she'll never see.

Our school does do a jog-a-thon and a cake walk to also help with some of the art and P.E. and field trip stuff. We have sucker and flower sales around the appropriate holidays and other odds and ends here and there (have you ever tried to carry three things of cotton candy and push a double stroller?). I think those are good ideas and often will actually do some of the sales or supporting or physical part as well as financial. They get the parents more involved than taking a paper to work with stuff that people only buy to help out. But this makes more clutter in our houses. I still have lotions that don't smell good from when Eric was at Camp Pendleton. Most of the families we know all go to the same school and so we're all trying to get each other to buy stuff out of the same magazine or our families don't need the stuff. So if you'd like to donate to ClaireBeth's school or are just waiting on the edge of your seat for the next fundraiser to come along, let me know (don't worry, I'm kidding:)). Otherwise I just wish they'd stop wasting all the paper for the catalogues. And if you disagree, please, feel free to leave a comment as well.