Committed to three fundraising campaigns
By LOU GREENHAW
Contributing writer
If you have extra piles of money, call me. I can help you decide what to do with it! Oh, it's not the obvious Christmas shopping or paying my bills that you might think.
Currently, I am helping with three fund raising campaigns. The one that I have been with the longest is the Kansas Pharmacy Foundation. They built a new 3/4 million dollar building in Topeka about two years ago and are down to the last $75,000 to pay it off. I am a member of the executive committee, and we are trying to get that paid off so we can burn the mortgage at our annual meeting next fall. Then we can begin our million dollar endowment campaign to have money for maintenance and to promote pharmacy in Kansas.
Then there is the Parkview Church campaign to pay off the rest of their building to free up more money for ministry. I am on the budget committee, and it is more fun to be on that committee when there is more money to give to worthy causes. That campaign collects gifts until the annual meeting the end of January. But there is still the plain ole garden variety budget to give to if you have extra money after January.
Now I am on the local committee to help with the Tabor College capital campaign called a Legacy of Distinction. It is to provide money for a new residence hall — that's a dorm for you people my age — provide an endowment to maintain that building and provide for the usual annual campaign. It is spread over three years, so I can help you direct your money now and for the next three years.
I was at my son's dorm room at Tabor over the weekend and let's just say I'm not sure I could survive there. The idea of sharing one toilet and one shower among seven people who have to be at class at about the same time I'm sure creates some problems.
With Carson on crutches following the knee surgery, I have become his pack mule. I haul his icing device for his knee, his laundry, his book bag and anything else he needs to his dorm room. This weekend I strung water from the car to the room because I was holding the wrong end of the icing device too high and water was flowing backwards. I felt a little like Hansel and Gretel returning to the car along the pathway I had marked.
Speaking of Tabor, last Saturday's game was perfect football weather on a beautiful field and with the right outcome. We are so excited about the playoffs and regardless of what happens there, we think this team is awesome, both the players and the coaches.
Actually, I know that most of the people funding these campaigns won't be getting it from piles of money in the mattress. Instead, they will choose to spend money for the future of their profession or their faith from money that would have been spent elsewhere. What a statement of character! It's great to live in a town surrounded by this kind of people.
It will be great to see how the town embraces the holidays with emphasis on real Thanksgiving and real Christmas joy. I always look forward to the holidays. Ours will be different this year because we are not having extended family celebrations for either. That has opened up some opportunities to try something different, and I'm excited. I will, however, make a few holiday type meals for a crowd, I'm sure. Here is a recipe for a sweet potato dish that uses gingersnap cookies. It's yummy.
Remember if you are losing sleep because of too much money making your mattress lumpy, call me. Have I got a deal or deals for you!
GINGERSNAP SWEET POTATOES
6 sweet potatoes (About 4 pounds)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup half and half
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup cold butter or margarine
32 gingersnaps, crushed
Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water 30 minutes or until tender. Cool. Peel and mash. Combine with 1/2 cup brown sugar, melted butter, half and half, eggs and vanilla. Mix until smooth with a mixer or potato masher. Turn into a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish. You can do this the night before, cover and refrigerate at this point if you want. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and flour. Cut in cold butter until crumbly. Stir in gingersnaps. Sprinkle over top of sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until topping is lightly browned. If you prepare the night before, let casserole come to room temperature before continuing.
