Dear readers,

May 28 was Memorial Day in the United States. Memorial Day is a national holiday to commemorate soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country. It falls annually on the last Monday of May. Each year, the volunteer club that I serve hosts a Memorial Day flag sale to raise funds. This year was no different.

At about 9:30 a.m. in the morning, I met fellow volunteers at the local park. We put the flags, about 300 of them, into bundles of twelve. For the next few hours, we were to sell American flags to spectators of the Memorial Day parade. The parade consists of various groups of people, including local schools and organizations and marching bands. Spectators waved flags as the parade went by.

Some people asked about our club and what we intended to do with the money raised. Some took a sincere interest, and one person we met had been a member when he was in high school.

Eventually, we sold all of our flags. More importantly, we had a great time.

Fundraising has always been one of my favorite activities. We can organize a fundraiser for our club and hone our business acumen. We once had bake sales, where homemade cookies and brownies were sold, and apparel sales, where we sold T-shirts.

Fundraising requires a lot of preparation. Approval from the school is needed. And the money raised should be treated with great care. Nevertheless, it’s an excellent experience and opportunity.

Sincerely, Bingyin