The Things We Do for Our Children

Will is in his high school's marching band. In order to pay for all of the trips they take during the season, it costs almost $800 per year. Since the recession has hit us so hard, I have been volunteering at one of the food booths at the RBC Center during Carolina Hurricane Hockey games. We earn anywhere between 30 and 60 dollars a night for our efforts. The money goes into Will's account. Hopefully, there will be enough money in his account by the time it is due that we won't have to write a check for any of it. (Keep your fingers crossed for us!)

Last night, we arrived at the booth an hour before the doors opened for $1 hot dog night. They are usually $3.50 each, so $1 is a big deal! Once all of our routine work was done, the volunteers helped the kitchen folks wrap hot dogs.

Usually, we have bursts of busy-ness between periods, but with Dollar Dog Night, we never got a break! Between orders for 5 to 10 hot dogs, we also passed out nachos and cheese, popcorn, M&M's and cotton candy. Of course, $8 cups of beer and $4 bottles of Pepsi get tossed into most orders, too.

After the third period started and our doors closed down, I looked at my co-worker/volunteers and saw the exhaustion and thrill in their eyes. We hadn't slowed down enough all night to look at each other. Instead, we bumped butts, yelled orders, and slung hot dogs throughout the night! We won't know how much we earned for another week or so, but it felt like a good night!

The only other fundraiser that earns money for Will's account is the selling of oranges in October and November. Come Fall, if you live nearby, be expecting a call from my boy! It's time for him to do a little huffing and puffing to earn himself some money! It's a good thing I love that boy!

Unfortunately, the Hurricanes didn't win! Looks like the play-offs are not in our future!