8/26 Day Write-a-thon raises over $7,900
The scribbling started promptly at noon and continued until 8:26 PM. The writing lab at 826 Valencia quickly filled with diligent writers, cranking out pages using pens, pencils, and laptops. Fueled by coffee generously donated by our friends at Ritual Coffee, as well as scones and muffins from Arizmendi, writers of all ages came to spend five minutes or five hours to write and write and then write some more. Rotating typists (including the incredibly talented Silvi Alcivar of the poetry store, who generously donated her proceeds) were stationed out in front of the Pirate Store throughout the day, creating poems and stories on demand in exchange for donations from the passersby. A huge thank-you to Viracocha for the loan of the two beautiful, antique typewriters, as well as to The Apartment for the loan of the desk.
We were so thrilled that the over one-hundred participants yesterday included both long-time volunteers and folks completely new to 826 Valencia. Ms. Rodriguez’s class of third graders walked over from Edison Charter Academy and joined us for an hour to write stories about friendship.
Our writers were also fortified by Vitamin Water, Clif Bars, and other healthy, energizing snacks brought to us by our longtime friends at The Sports Basement.
As the evening brought us to the final stretch, committed writers scrambled to meet their page goals for the day. Members of our Youth Advisory Board joined us after school, as did still more fresh new writers, all of whom were treated to delicious meat-and-cheese and Mediterranean trays created for us by Noe Valley Whole Foods, followed by delicious cookies from Anthony’s Cookies and scrumptious walnut tartletts from Mission Pie.
In addition to being a lot of fun, the Write-a-thon was also a fundraiser. Many participants had been collecting sponsors for weeks. Between their pledges and the cash donations received throughout the day, we’re delighted to announce that we’ve raised over $7,900 to date, and donations and pledges are still rolling in.