There Ya Go
It’s a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I’m sitting in my Jeep at the end of my long driveway. My phone rings, and it’s Ron McDaniel calling me back. So I put it in park because I knew the conversation would be a long one.
If you know Ron, you know why I predicted a lengthy give-and-take.
The reason I called Ron earlier in the day was to ask him if he would support the Tracy Kiwanis Club’s holiday raffle fundraiser, which kicks off this week.
After we caught up with each other, I got down to business and asked Ron — a proud 1968 graduate of Tracy High School — if he would be so kind as to support the Kiwanis’ cause.
The sell was an easy one, as it was for each of the businesses I visited last week. He asked a couple questions, but it wasn’t long before he agreed to be a part of the fundraiser with a sizable donation.
After I hung up, I was so thrilled — not just for the financial support that was a major step in reaching a goal I set, but for the reminder that there are many people out there who care enough about Tracy, the schools and our students to open up the checkbook to help them.
I was pretty confident Ron would be on board, because I know full well that this man has given so much to Tracy, through scholarships to high school students and his support of Wheels Across the Prairie Heritage Center, among other things.
Ron’s gift is more than about money. His benevolence is something that everyone should take note of. We all need to support each other and the kids who go through our school system. We need to give back, be it with money or volunteering.
And while you’re at it, give some thought to joining a service club like Kiwanis, or the Tracy Lions. These groups need more members — not just people to sit at a meeting every now and then, but to get your hands dirty once in a while. Being a Kiwanian is easy. We meet every Thursday at Subway, have lunch, sing a couple songs, and share some laughs and stories as we catch up with everyone’s busy lives. Every now and then, you’ll be asked to give of your time. Maybe you’ll sign up serve food at a fundraiser. Perhaps you’ll attend a TMB basketball or volleyball game to oversee and split-the-pot fundraiser.
How easy is that? Sure, you have to pay a bit in dues, but the reward you will get for giving back to your small town — well, you can’t put a price on that.
I want to publicly thank each and every one of the local businesses that donated to our holiday raffle fundraisier. Fellow Kiwanian Burke Gardner and I went from business to business over the last week, asking for their support, and truth be told, it was the easiest thing I’ve ever done.
Not a single business owner or worker scoffed at the idea of donating or even had to take time to think about it. Kind of restores my faith in our small towns.
Supporting our youth — our future — is a pretty easy sell, and it’s clear people in this town really do care.
