We have collected 762.78 by paypal (780 before their collection charge) and I have deposited or have in hand $400 in checks, $10 in cash from a fellow next to me in Office Max while I was buying the colorful copier paper. He also took one of the papers and wrote a note to a soldier, starting off with "Hey, Bud,..."
Mountaingirl also plunked down her credit card for over $80 worth of brown silk. So that is $1172.78 I collected, plus over $80 worth of silk donated by her.
The number of pledges yet to be collected is about 104x15 is $1060, meaning about $2232 seems to be total funds raised so far if everyone honors their pledges.
That was less than I thought, but I made the mistake of counting some people twice due to having their real name in one case and their FReepname in another.
Late now. I post a bit more tomorrow.
EXCEPT to say that 4TheFlag and 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub, Snow Bunny and 4TheUSA did quite a Freeping job and brought in over $1400 more in pledges than I had when they starting bumping the thread and rallying the FReepers. GREAT WORK, you all!!!
I found the thread I was looking for yesterday, Jim. I kept going to an older one I had posted about the scarves, instead of this one asking for holiday messages for the troops.
Thanks so much for the update. I imagine there must have been some pretty nice letters to the troops and what a boon for you to get to read them!
You know, I originally got in to this for my kids, to teach them to remember our troops. But the lesson has broken my heart and I'm so proud to have been a part of this.