World Ark Magazine - November/December 2007 - (Page 56)

HEIFER SPIRIT|GIVING RESOURCES, GIVING SELF Bookish Boys Help Heifer By Austin Gelder | WORLD ARK ASSOCIATE EDITOR W hen John McDaniel and Austin Rhynes, two 8-yearolds from Pottsville, Ark., first heard about Heifer International in their third-grade class, they were immediately interested in the organization’s work. Goats and cows are nothing new to these boys, who both live in a rural community where many families have animals. John even owns his own livestock. Just as important, the youngsters had experience helping others. “Both boys go to church, they know mission work and they really felt that they needed to do this,” John’s mother, Mary McDaniel, said. Initially, the boys considered donating money from their savings accounts, but Austin’s aunt, bookstore owner Lynn Wiman, had another idea. She offered to let the boys use her store for a fundraiser. And she offered to donate a few books for a book sale. The boys’ school, getting wind of the plan, also gave some books for the sale. So one day in the middle of June, John and Austin set up a booth outside the bookstore and opened for business. By the end, they had rung up $505 in sales, all for Heifer. Austin Rhynes (left) and John McDaniel raised money for Heifer by selling books. Bat Mitzvah Concert Nets $5,400 By Matthew Cate | WORLD ARK CONTRIBUTOR A liana Turkel’s fundraising concert was so successful, maybe next year they’ll call it Heiferpalooza. When Aliana of Pine Crest, Fla., needed a bat mitzvah project this spring, her mother suggested helping a local charity. But inspired by several Aliana Turkel turned her bat mitzvah into a concert that raised funds and awareness to help end hunger. years of her family’s donations to Heifer International, Aliana had a different idea. “She said, ‘Why don’t we just do something for Heifer? They help families,’” said Aliana’s mother, Gloria Nunez Turkel. Her husband, who plays in a band, proposed a concert as a fundraiser. Before she knew it, she says, the family was hosting a threeband concert at their local temple, drawing more than 100 people to learn about Heifer and donate money for gifts around the world. Aliana arranged the concert and set up an online registry, asking everyone to give what they could. It was the perfect mitzvah project, Turkel said, because so many others involve sending letters merely asking people to donate money to a charity. “We wanted her to work for it,” she said. “We wanted her to get involved in it and not just solicit donations without doing something.” The concert, which drew coverage from the town newspaper and the Miami Herald, surpassed Gloria’s expectations. Aliana hoped to raise $5,000. The show pulled in more than $5,400. It was such a hit that Aliana hopes to make the concert an annual event. “I said, ‘Sure, sure, honey. I’m sure you will.’ But in my heart I thought, There’s no way she’s going to raise $5,000,” Turkel said. “I think the feel-good part of the story, as far as our family is concerned, is that we got the word out that Heifer is a great organization. That encouraged Ali a lot.” www.heifer.org 56 November/December 2007 | WORLD ARK http://www.heifer.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of World Ark Magazine - November/December 2007

World Ark - November/December 2007 Contents Letters For the Record The Good Life Asked & Answered Pursuing Happiness (PRODUCT) RED: Consumer Power Fights AIDS in Africa Rwanda Reconciles End Hunger Now Protecting the Poor from Climate Change Mixed Media Heifer Bulletin Heifer Spirit Heifer Calendar Reflection

World Ark Magazine - November/December 2007

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