An important aspect of Vacation Bible School is the fundraising that we do. We've traditionally focused our fundraising not on our own church's needs, but on the needs of the very poor.
This year we raised money to contribute to the ELCA's campaign to eradicate malaria.
We began by explaining what malaria is and who it affects. We then turned our attention to the simple mosquito net.
If we could drape a mosquito net over every bed in Africa, we'd make so much progress toward eradication. And at $4 a net, it's a cheap fix.
Above, so that kids can see how a mosquito net works, we draped a mosquito net over a small bed that we manufactured out of a large ottoman and bedspread.
Below, you see it close up.
Each day, we collected contributions. We made it a competition, because we raise more money that way. The girls collected money in a pink net, the boys in a manly purple net.
It's amazing how much we can raise, when children empty their pockets (and when well-meaning adults help out too).
We kept track of their progress each day on a bulletin board. Below, the boys' chart.
And below, we see the girls' side.
We threw in a special prize. All the VBS kids got their names entered into a drawing for the chance to throw a pie at one of the staff. Happily, the teen helpers competed for the chance to be the pie receiver.
The pie was made of whipped cream, since that tastes better than the shaving cream that we used one year. Everyone seems to have great fun. And we raised over $300 in just one week.
Above you see one of the themes of the week. Our fundraising efforts make me think that even eradicating malaria might be possible with God.
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