Hi ñ folk i got this great personal email from my friend Javier Soto today and asked if i could share it – very touching and worthwhile reading. I think you’ll enjoy it. 🙂 – bill teck
Dear friends,
Growing up, I watched my dad pay the bills every Saturday morning. In addition to writing checks for the rent, light bill, etc., he wrote checks to every charitable organization that had sent a solicitation during that week. The checks to charity were always for $3 each (unless it was a catholic organization or they included a trinket with the solicitation…these folks got $5 checks). At the time, my dad worked in a factory in Opa Locka, my mom worked at a medical lab on Coral Way and they both worked nights cleaning an office building (and I tagged along when my aunt couldn’t watch me). As such, these $3 and $5 “small” gifts were significant amounts for our family.
I know that this spirit of generosity that I grew up around is shared by you and by all Miamians. That is why I’m asking you to join the over 740 Miamians as of this email that have given to non-profit organizations in Miami during our Give Miami Day that kicked off at midnight last night. By going to www.givemiamiday.org and donating to any of the over 300 organizations registered on the site, you will be helping to build a greater Miami and once again demonstrating the generosity that is in the 305’s DNA. Thanks to the incredible support of the Knight Foundation which contributed $100,000 towards a match pool, a percentage of your gift will be matched on Give Miami Day. In addition, the Marlins Foundation are sponsoring 14 incentive prizes throughout the day that will add $15,000 in contributions to the organizations who, for example, receive the most gifts between noon and 2 today (the “Lunch Time Special” prize).
So I ask you to help create a special “Miami Moment” by helping us generate the most charitable gifts to Miami in our community’s history. Go to www.givemiamiday.org and show Miami some love today.
Thank you,
Javier
Javier Alberto Soto
President & CEO
The Miami Foundation
200 South Biscayne Boulevard | Suite 505
Miami, FL 33131-5330