“It is more blessed to give than to receive” -Acts 20:35
Whether or not this phrase rings true, giving is always a great way to feel better about yourself. It’s a way we, as people, can connect with each other, transforming monetary gifts and physical things into a more personal and emotional experience. These experiences are what North Texas Giving Day is all about.
“North Texas Giving Day is an online giving event that provides nonprofits the opportunity to gain exposure to – and start relationships with – new donors, and for people in North Texas to come together to raise as much money as possible for local nonprofits.” This is how Jesuit Dallas Museum Director Mrs. Elizabeth Hunt-Blanc described Giving Day, an event that over five years has raised over $60 million dollars for various nonprofit organizations. This event grows each and every year, and last year, according to the website, it grew to more than 75,000 donations that totaled a whopping $25.2 million dollars. All of these donations were passed on to over 1,350 nonprofit organizations.
This Thursday, September 18th, 2014, is Giving Day. Mrs. Hunt-Blanc would like people to save the date. “The Jesuit Dallas Museum is a non-profit,” she explains, “and we want people aware that we have an excellent art collection that provides an educational resource for our students and others.” Something we sometimes take for granted is that we attend a school that doubles as a museum.
Many pieces of artwork often hang in the halls ignored, lost in the hustle and bustle of daily student life. These pieces of creative achievement can end up as visual background noise to our ever more important iPad games and schoolwork. When one looks closer though, they can see that our many art pieces really help add to our school’s diversity of interests.
This will be our museum’s first time participating in North Texas Giving Day, which as stated on the website (northtexasgivingday.org) is sponsored by Communities Foundation of Texas.
If you load up the site and search for Jesuit Dallas Museum, Hunt-Blanc says, “your donations of $25 and more will be amplified by $2 million in bonus funds and prizes.” If you appreciate our school’s commitment to hosting a wonderful art collection, and enjoy the enticement of winning prizes, think about donating the amount that some of us spend on fast food every week.
“Our students get hands-on training by using our art collection. Your donation helps maintain and care for the collection, support educational programs, as well as create support for further acquisitions.” These gifts of money to support our museum, which is unique as one of few across the country that is housed in a high school, can be made from six in the morning until midnight.
So spread the word. No one likes a braggart, but hey, make an exception and post about your donation. Who says pride is bad if it’s for a good cause? Get other people to donate. Tell your parents, tell your friends. Above all, make sure the word gets out that Giving Day is happening and you can help support one of the many things that makes our 28 acres more unique and special than any other place like it.
In the end, Mrs. Hunt-Blanc believes this event is important because “The Jesuit Dallas Museum will gain exposure and acquire new donors and be a part of a group that comes together to support non-profit organizations.” Who can argue against that?
So let’s help keep our school awesome by preserving our unique claim; a school full of generous Men for Others that doubles as a museum. Give to a cause that helps power our art program and continue to make our school the amazingly diverse juggernaut of a high school that it is.
