2020 has been a year like none that I can remember. Instead of working from my office in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, my office has now been relocated to the sewing room in my home among my quilting fabrics, scissors, rulers and my beloved sewing machine. These days, I spend more time talking to my computer screen than talking to people in person.
Our country has seen many changes as well. There is more division and unrest today than I have seen since growing up in the 1960s. During times like this, I am reminded of the words of one of the greatest advocates for children, Fred Rogers. If you haven’t heard of Mr. Rogers, he was the host of one of the longest-running television shows for children on PBS, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. For over 30 years, children and grown-up children looked to Mr. Rogers to understand the world around them. Mr. Rogers recalled in an interview that when he was a boy and would see scary things in the news, his mother would say to him, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
This made me think about Destination Imagination. DI has a wonderful community of helpers. Helpers who are passionate about DI and who donate their time and money to this organization. This year, when we asked you to help DI, you answered the call. Some of you gave through our giving campaigns or when registering your teams, through participating in our Virtual 5K and even hosting your own birthday fundraisers on social media – all to benefit DI.
This outpouring of support has touched me and the entire team at DIHQ. The generosity shown by our community has helped to ensure that even during an ongoing global pandemic, DI can continue supporting kids, families and communities to persevere through these challenging times with creative flair. For that, I am forever grateful for you.
So, during this time of thanks, I would like to take MY hat off to you, our supporters, who have made so many contributions to ensuring DI’s future. Thank you for all your continued generosity, loyalty and friendship.
Stay healthy. Stay creative.
Michele Tuck-Ponder
