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2011 Swimsuit and Towel Drive Summary
For the first time we expanded our annual swimsuit and towel drive to include not only children and teens in foster care in Lee County, but across the entire state of Alabama. This was a huge undertaking which would not have been successful without the generous support of donors and volunteers from all parts of the globe. We received about $10,000 in monetary donations from people as far away as California and even Germany! We embroidered 3,421 towels and gave out 2,200 new swimsuits to kids in 61 out of the 67 counties in Alabama, filling all the requests we received. The total estimated cost of this project was greater than $94,000! Here is some feedback we got from the families whose children received this gift:
"Thank you all for the beautiful towels and swimtrunks!!!!! All four boys loved them,they feel very special to know that a complete stranger thought so much of them to get them something special. May you be blessed in every way possible!!!! Not many people relize how something so small means so much to these little guys!!!!! We are beach bound in the a.m. So you can only imagine what was first to be packed.LOL."
-Foster mom in Chilton County
"We, too, got our towels and suits today! All 4 of 'my babies' were THRILLED! They put them on right away and even took their naps STILL wearing them and used the towel as their covers. Took the towels to bed with them tonight too!! They kept saying, "Is that 'my' name on there? Show me where it says my name." I assured them that it WAS their name! :) So Thank-You, Thank You to EVERYone involved. They were definitely a 'hit' at "Our Big House". :) Now we gotta go swimming!! :)"
- Foster mom in Shelby County
"What a beautiful gift you sent for our little girl! She is autistic and carries her new suit and towel every where with her to show people. "Look, look!" is a phrase I hear from her all day. She repeatedly traces her name on the towel with her fingers and says her name. I wish you could see her twirling, trying to get the ruffles on her suit to sway.You couldn't have blessed her more and in doing so, you have blessed me. Thank you so much! "
- Foster mom in Calhoun County
"The children were so excited to have a towel with their name monogrammed. For many of them, these towels are the only thing that they have ever had which was personalized just for them. Even the older teenagers wanted me to let you know how much your gift meant to them."
- Dallas County Service Supervisor
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