Who knew my child was so well connected?

The Home and School Association at Noah's elementary school is running a fund raiser called "Race for Education." The idea is that each child gets at least ten sponsors and then on a specified day the children will run/walk around a 1/4 mile track as many times as they can in an hour.

As parents we have to provide the names and addresses to the H&SA, who will then send the information out to the people we specified. We are encouraged to send to friends, neighbors, relatives, businesses, doctors, etc. They especially want to see us giving contacts out of state.

There are rewards for the kids that get a certain number of names/addresses. There are class contests as well. For your class to be eligible each child has to have provided ten contacts. If one child doesn't do it, the entire class is out of the running for the party.

Today in an email we were told that it was not acceptable for the parents to donate a lump sum themselves in place of providing contacts.

Then today we were sent a note home requesting that each family donate a book of stamps or send in $10 to assist with postage.

This is really rubbing me the wrong way. I think it is putting too much pressure on parents, and if parents don't think it is appropriate or for some other reason don't do it, the child suffers because it will be known that they didn't do it.

I want to write a letter, include a check for the $75 that they claim is the average amount each child we will earn, and call it a day. Rich doesn't want me to get into it, because he doesn't want Noah to stand out more than he already does, which I completely understand.

I posted this issue on Facebook and one of my aunts suggested I use my creative mind and send to famous people and politicians.
I thought about it for about three seconds and said "brilliant."

Here is my list, in case anyone would like to use it for something similar. You'll note it's an equal opportunity list as I have some from the left and the right. To those I respect and to those I consider idiots. It's all good money for the school if they send it though!

Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Joe Sestak
P.O. Box 1936
 Media, Pennsylvania
19063 (610) 891-8956

President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Pat Toomey
3440 Hamilton Blvd
Allentown, PA 18103

Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515

Governor Edward G. Rendell's Office
225 Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

Judge Marjorie O. Rendell
Office of the First Lady
Governor’s Residence
2035 North Front Street
Harrisburg, PA  17102

Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20201

Secretary Arne Duncan
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20202

Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck Program
1133 Avenue of the Americas
Floor 34
New York, NY 10036

Sarah Palin
Office of Sarah Palin
PO Box 871235
Wasilla, AK 99687

So what do you guys think? In general is a fund raiser like this something you would support? Am I going overboard? Am I turning into my father?

Updated to add: Today's email included this bit:

Completed address labels are to be sent into school by Monday, Sept. 20^th.  We really need a minimum of 10 address labels per student.  The organizers of this event are requesting that address labels be returned for future mailings to sponsors  as opposed to sending in flat donation amounts.  This is the only way your child will be able to access prize categories, etc.

I am really pissed off about this! One of the first emails said the following: 

Please understand that your donors will receive a ONE TIME mailer, with a first class stamp, from Titus. This list will never be used for any other contact outside of the Race for Education.


But now they are talking about "future mailings to sponsors."

I think I will now be adding the school board members and the coordinators of this event to my address list.