NewsUpper SchoolStudent LifeFaculty/StaffPre-K to 8Service
A heartfelt thank you from Dr. Laurie Johnson
Nov 18, 2005 9:34 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Dear students, families, faculty and friends of Darlington:
It was a joy and a privilege to serve as the coordinator of the 2005 “Darlington Cares” fundraiser for the Star 94/Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon, benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The support that was shown by all of you for the patients, families and tireless doctors, nurses, auxiliary service professionals, techs, and staff of Egleston Hospital and Scottish Rite Hospital was incredibly generous. Thanks to the generosity of Bowen Homebuilders in Atlanta, the $3,300 in donations collected between the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools were matched, to total a gift of $6,600 from Darlington.
None of us will forget the life-altering chapel program we shared at the Upper School, led by Randy Smith. We are phenomenally blessed to have Randy within our faculty. As a science teacher, it is evident that he is committed to teaching his students the critical thinking skills of scientific research. But, as a mentor who teaches about life, his skills as a spokesperson and motivator cannot be paralled. I dearly hope that the message he speaks and lives, of seizing every opportunity to approach life with gratitude, passion, devotion to our loved ones, and service to those in need, will resound in all of our hearts. I readily credit him with inspiring the spectacular donation from the Middle School of over $1,700 to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. I hope some of you got to hear him tell “Lila’s Story” on air during the radiothon. As he did during the chapel program, Randy bared his soul and allowed listeners to feel the raw pain and shared triumph of Lila’s transplant. Having a teacher so willing to be authentic, vulnerable, challenging and bold is an incredible asset to Darlington School. I thank him for his leadership and sacrifices.
I was also deeply moved by the spontaneous generosity of the Upper School students who gave over $330 after the chapel program, to support Children’s Healthcare. Equally admirable, was the fact that over 60 high school students signed up to help out with the “Darlington Cares Challenge” that we issued to 50 Atlanta area schools in the Georgia Independent Schools Association. For unspecified, but regrettable reasons, none of these schools elected to join us in pledging financial support of CHOA. All I can say is that I am relieved to be part of a school that takes so seriously the conviction that we are responsible to share our resources of time, finances and capacities, with those who are suffering. As for the 60+ of you who signed up to help, I hope to follow-up with you to explore ways that your compassion can still be put into action to benefit CHOA.
I am so indebted to the entire faculty of the Lower School, who graciously enabled me to speak to each of the grades about CHOA and about the joy of reaching out to help others. The students were so attentive, caring and resonsive. You parents are doing a great job of cultivating empathy in your children. That was deeply evident in their gifts of money, “good will” notes and laboriously colored pictures for the patients at CHOA. Awesome! Thank you, all, for the sacrifices involved in giving over $1,200. in donations from the Lower School. Principal Mark Tayloe, thanks for always having a hunger to cultivate compassion in our students at every opportunity! Leah Duncan, thanks so much for helping with the 50 original coloring books we developed, published and presented to the patients of Egleston and Scottish Rite Hospitals. Suzanne Davidson, thank you for hours of help and support!
Please know that every dollar given during the fundraiser, is a dollar that I personally honor. These are tough times, and I know your checkbooks, like mine, have been lightened by rising expenses and Katrina relief, etc. That we could raise $3,300 for CHOA on the heels of Katrina and the cusp of the holidays, is commendable. Thank you, for the visible aid and the unheralded efforts that went into making this a success. I’m convinced that no one truly knows the sacrifices involved in a gift, but the giver. So, again, thank you for what given in money, time, and open-heartedness.
Mostly, I want to thank our headmaster, Tom Whitworth. Can any of us imagine what it was like for him, to have barely stepped into his new office as the new chief, and being asked to authorize a campaign to challenge 50 GISA schools to collaborate on a fundraiser? Without hesitation, Tom’s commitment to “nobles oblige” and to service-learning prompted his approval of this ground-breaking interschool initiative. With those values, and that kind of gumption, I think his leadership will wonderfully expand the range of “Service Beyond Self” at Darlington. Tom and Margo, thank you so much for the vitality you have brought us. I especially celebrate the way I see the two of you so eager to really connect with our students!
I hope that the remaining year is a safe and blessed one for all of you. I know you’ll be warmed through this season, to know you and your children embraced the children and families struggling at Egleston and Scottish Rite hospitals, and reached out to meet their financial and emotional needs. What a privilege!
Last, incase any of you heard me wrongly credited with the $3,300 donation on the radio Friday, Nov. 11 around 5:30 p.m., it was immediately corrected as a donation from “Darlington School, in Rome, Ga., who are always so generous to us. And if they can give, how about some of you other schools?” That on-air challenge alone was worth my personal mortification!
Sincerely,
Dr. Laurie Johnson
It was a joy and a privilege to serve as the coordinator of the 2005 “Darlington Cares” fundraiser for the Star 94/Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon, benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The support that was shown by all of you for the patients, families and tireless doctors, nurses, auxiliary service professionals, techs, and staff of Egleston Hospital and Scottish Rite Hospital was incredibly generous. Thanks to the generosity of Bowen Homebuilders in Atlanta, the $3,300 in donations collected between the Lower, Middle and Upper Schools were matched, to total a gift of $6,600 from Darlington.
None of us will forget the life-altering chapel program we shared at the Upper School, led by Randy Smith. We are phenomenally blessed to have Randy within our faculty. As a science teacher, it is evident that he is committed to teaching his students the critical thinking skills of scientific research. But, as a mentor who teaches about life, his skills as a spokesperson and motivator cannot be paralled. I dearly hope that the message he speaks and lives, of seizing every opportunity to approach life with gratitude, passion, devotion to our loved ones, and service to those in need, will resound in all of our hearts. I readily credit him with inspiring the spectacular donation from the Middle School of over $1,700 to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. I hope some of you got to hear him tell “Lila’s Story” on air during the radiothon. As he did during the chapel program, Randy bared his soul and allowed listeners to feel the raw pain and shared triumph of Lila’s transplant. Having a teacher so willing to be authentic, vulnerable, challenging and bold is an incredible asset to Darlington School. I thank him for his leadership and sacrifices.
I was also deeply moved by the spontaneous generosity of the Upper School students who gave over $330 after the chapel program, to support Children’s Healthcare. Equally admirable, was the fact that over 60 high school students signed up to help out with the “Darlington Cares Challenge” that we issued to 50 Atlanta area schools in the Georgia Independent Schools Association. For unspecified, but regrettable reasons, none of these schools elected to join us in pledging financial support of CHOA. All I can say is that I am relieved to be part of a school that takes so seriously the conviction that we are responsible to share our resources of time, finances and capacities, with those who are suffering. As for the 60+ of you who signed up to help, I hope to follow-up with you to explore ways that your compassion can still be put into action to benefit CHOA.
I am so indebted to the entire faculty of the Lower School, who graciously enabled me to speak to each of the grades about CHOA and about the joy of reaching out to help others. The students were so attentive, caring and resonsive. You parents are doing a great job of cultivating empathy in your children. That was deeply evident in their gifts of money, “good will” notes and laboriously colored pictures for the patients at CHOA. Awesome! Thank you, all, for the sacrifices involved in giving over $1,200. in donations from the Lower School. Principal Mark Tayloe, thanks for always having a hunger to cultivate compassion in our students at every opportunity! Leah Duncan, thanks so much for helping with the 50 original coloring books we developed, published and presented to the patients of Egleston and Scottish Rite Hospitals. Suzanne Davidson, thank you for hours of help and support!
Please know that every dollar given during the fundraiser, is a dollar that I personally honor. These are tough times, and I know your checkbooks, like mine, have been lightened by rising expenses and Katrina relief, etc. That we could raise $3,300 for CHOA on the heels of Katrina and the cusp of the holidays, is commendable. Thank you, for the visible aid and the unheralded efforts that went into making this a success. I’m convinced that no one truly knows the sacrifices involved in a gift, but the giver. So, again, thank you for what given in money, time, and open-heartedness.
Mostly, I want to thank our headmaster, Tom Whitworth. Can any of us imagine what it was like for him, to have barely stepped into his new office as the new chief, and being asked to authorize a campaign to challenge 50 GISA schools to collaborate on a fundraiser? Without hesitation, Tom’s commitment to “nobles oblige” and to service-learning prompted his approval of this ground-breaking interschool initiative. With those values, and that kind of gumption, I think his leadership will wonderfully expand the range of “Service Beyond Self” at Darlington. Tom and Margo, thank you so much for the vitality you have brought us. I especially celebrate the way I see the two of you so eager to really connect with our students!
I hope that the remaining year is a safe and blessed one for all of you. I know you’ll be warmed through this season, to know you and your children embraced the children and families struggling at Egleston and Scottish Rite hospitals, and reached out to meet their financial and emotional needs. What a privilege!
Last, incase any of you heard me wrongly credited with the $3,300 donation on the radio Friday, Nov. 11 around 5:30 p.m., it was immediately corrected as a donation from “Darlington School, in Rome, Ga., who are always so generous to us. And if they can give, how about some of you other schools?” That on-air challenge alone was worth my personal mortification!
Sincerely,
Dr. Laurie Johnson
