Jackson Graves is 9 years old and a 3^rd grade student at St. Joan of Arc Catholic School in South St. Louis. After hearing about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, he wanted to do something to support those in need. So, he decided to organize a family auction. Since his family has dinner at his Grandma and Grandpa’s house every Sunday with all of the aunts, uncles, & cousins (all 19 of them), he decided this would be the perfect opportunity.  

 

Jackson scheduled the auction for Sunday, March 20^th and sent fliers and invitations to all. He spent the better part of the week and a half beforehand getting auction items from family, friends, and any other means he could think of. His grandfather donated 4,000 pennies. His cousins created some “original art,” while his grandmother donated some art found in her attic. There were donations of doll clothes, packs of gum, colored shoe strings and lottery tickets—something for everyone! On the big day, Jackson set-up at Grandma and Grandpa’s with nearly 60 auction items, each with a silent bidding form. He had decorated the basement, prepared seating, made 3 kinds of cookies for snacks and ran the entire auction process with his cousin Jake Fesi, a 4^th grader at St. Katharine Drexel. By the end of the evening, the silent auction and oral auction had brought in nearly $150 for the Red Cross!

 

I went to St. Joan of Arc today and Jackson presented me his donation to the Red Cross for the people in Japan. He didn’t want to have the presentation at an assembly; he preferred the quiet style. So together we stood in front of the picture of St. Joan of Arc, just two heroes and me.

 

Deane