I wrote last December of a dinner I attended where the theme was "Helping yourself while helping others." In answering the question, "why do you serve," this week, Tessa Vinson at The College of William and Mary writes of "service as a two way street," of her experience raising money for a cause close to the heart while working to become "more fit than [she] had been in years."Tessa graduates in two weeks. I suspect, though, that just as her academic career continues (she returns to The College in the fall for law school), so too will the devotion to service displayed so well by all the member's of "Team Aidan." Tessa tells their story below.
"If someone had told me a year ago, or five years ago that I would have completed a half-marathon, I would have thought they were crazy. I had grown up hating running, and had not been to the gym in months. When one of my sorority sisters sent an email out asking sisters to join her in a half-marathon as part of a fundraiser, I briefly went to the website link and read about Reaching Potentials and all of the work they do for autistic children and their families. Having read all of the success stories, I thought this seemed like a worthy cause and promptly responded that I would be thrilled to run. After all, the race was in February and it was June. I had plenty of time to train, or back out, which was more likely. In the back of my mind, I knew I would help raise money, but in all likelihood I would barely train and pull out a few weeks before the race.
"However, once the first few emails were sent out and I saw how many of my sisters would be running with me, I became even more encouraged. Over the coming weeks, we learned more about Aidan, the little boy who had inspired this whole chain of events. I began to take training more seriously and was running or at the gym almost four days a week. I started eating better and sleeping more. By the time race day came around I was more fit than I had been in years. Throughout the weeks leading up to the race, my sisters and I emailed family and friends asking for donations to Team Aidan. Starting out with a goal of raising $3,000, by the time the fundraising campaign had ended, we had raised almost $8,300.
"Having completed the race I had come to learn that a group of eleven people could really make a difference. As Albert Schweitzer once said, “I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I do know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.” While I had fully expected to give something to Team Aidan, participating in such an event gave something back to me. It reminded me of the power of ordinary people. It reminded me that “service” is a two way street. Donations of time and money contribute far more than material and concrete results. Service provides hope, and in the end, can serve as a reminder of the power of giving."I am struck by the re-appearance of the Schweitzer quote. Steve Pegram cited the same in a post a while back. The spirit pervades.
Thank you, Tessa and the rest of Team Aidan, for your service. Happy Graduation ;).