Save Our Children Awards

Just before service was to start, a table was set up on the platform and medals were laid out on the tables then trophies were set out. Immediately Caleb turns to me and says; "Trophies! Oh, grandma, I hope one of those are mine. I ain't never had a trophy before." From that moment on he sat staring at the trophies in great anticipation until it was time to announce the winners of the fund raisers for the "Save Our Children". He did ask his mom if she would go up with him to receive his trophy if he was a winner. Caleb does not like to stand in front of a crowd. When he graduated from kindergarten, he did so with his eyes closed through the entire ceremony. His teacher had to lead him on and off stage. This is due to his dyspraxia which causes him not to deal with being in large crowds to well.

Caleb really wanted a trophy but he didn't want to go up alone to receive one. So he had asked his mother to go up with him if he won a trophy. I began to talk to him and explain to him that he needed to go up alone and receive the trophy if he was a winner. Wrong move!!! He immediately began to freak out and said, they can keep that trophy because he was not going up there by himself but he sure did keep his eyes upon the trophies until it was time to announce the winners.

The girls went first. I'm sorry but I don't remember exactly the order of the winners for the girls. So I will leave that for Sis. Allard to post when she gets home from Sr. Camp and finds the time to post all the winners and the correct order they are in.

When the girls were finished there were only 2 medals and 3 trophies left. As each trophy was passed out Caleb's eyes would get bigger and bigger. I had told him that if he did not win a trophy and if he received a medal that he needed to receive it with a smile and say thank you. He said OK but I hope I get a trophy. So as they started passing out the medals he really started fidgeting. Then when they started passing out the trophies there were only 3 left on the table. By this time Caleb was really antsy. He would look from me to the trophies then to his mother and to the trophies and that is how it went on and on. The first trophy was given to Johnathon. Caleb almost lost his breath. He didn't really know what to think. He didn't understand that Johnathon just received 3rd place. Then Sis. Allard says; "When I call the next name then you will know who the winner is. Second place is Blake Allard." Well, that leaves one trophy and one child. Caleb turns to his mom and says in a panicky voice; "Am I the winner Mom, am I?" She no more than got, "Yes Caleb, you're the winner" out of her mouth and he had jump over her lap and into the isle. Kerrie had to grab him to keep him from running up to the platform to get that last trophy before his name was even called. Forget taking mom with him. He was so excited and wanted that trophy so bad that when they called his name and Kerrie let loose of him, off he went to receive his prize. He was so excited that he was shaking.

Caleb raised $600.00 in getting sponsors for the Jump-A-Thon. Then he raised $205.00 selling fresh baked cookies and rice crispy treats. Then he received a $60.00 donation. That gave him a total of $865.00 grand total for his fund raising for Save Our Children making him the grand prize winner.

This was Caleb's first year being involved in the Save Our Children Fund Raiser and I am so proud of him. He is the one who asked his sponsors for pledges. I took him and encouraged him to do the talking and he did it. I took him to places like the Police department and he came away with a hunk of money there and even got to go on a tour of the department and received a bag of goodies. The same with the fire department. This was a good experience for him. I believe it also helped him overcome some areas of his disabilities as well. It taught him to communicate with others. GOD IS GOOD!

When he was presented his trophy Sis Allard had all the children sitting on the platform and Caleb was caressing his trophy from top to bottom. He must have touched every inch of that thing. He was a sight to watch that's for sure. I thought to myself, that's how excited we will be to receive our "Crown of Life". Such enthusiasm!

When church was over and we were on our way home, Caleb informed me that his mom was going to have to get a new home because they needed a special place for his "trophies". I asked what do you mean "trophies" You only have one? His reply was, "Oh grandma this is only my first one. I'll be getting more of these. Just you wait and see. I gotta help save our children again next year." Now I like that spirit. You go Caleb. You do me proud.