Final update...

The past two days have been pretty amazing.

When this project started, there was no way to know how it would end, who would win or where the prize would go.

Throughout the last few weeks, we all hoped that the prize would grow, someone with a great cause would win and that the world would be a slightly better place because of it.

Well folks, I believe that we accomplished all of those things.

For my last post, I want to share some words from the executive director of the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation.

Lanie Rose is Marnie's mother and the founder of the foundation.

Lanie Rose

From a comment on the blog -

"I am Lanie Rose, Marnie's Mom. I am speechless and in tears. What a lovely, most generous gesture you all have made!! M. D. Anderson will be able to multiply your donation 5 to 10 times through matching funds and grants. Think of how many patients you will help. You could not have chosen a kinder, more beautiful woman than Kimberly to support. Thank you so much!!!"

From an email -

"I was just speechless in amazement at the wonderful story behind this most generous donation. Myles sent me the link. I just couldn’t take it all in. You are all so wonderful. Kimberly is a beautiful and most special lady and most deserving of this honor.

We are honoring our survivors and those we remember this year because Kimberly let us know how important and meaningful it would be to everyone"

I am so proud of everyone that contributed their time and money to the project.

You should all be very proud of what you did and the difference that you made.

PQ

Thanks!

A huge thank you goes out to everyone who encouraged me to create this project and then participated with their time, effort and money.

Together, we were able to donate over $7,000 to a wonderful cause and a great organization.

Just being a part of this was a huge blessing.

Your participation allowed me to be touched by so many stories and to witness so much generosity.

Thank you all again and keep an eye out for an email the next time The Kingdom Assignment rolls around.

PQ

What this whole thing was about...

When I started this project, I worried a little bit about asking the participants (and me) to trust in people they didn't know and to have their money go to a cause that they probably wouldn't get to choose.

I wasn't sure how people would respond, but I was amazed at how quickly and generously people got behind what we were doing. The faith in God and the faith in other people that was shown was very encouraging and something that I was thankful to be able to see up close.

The Williams Clan

After the drawing last night, I spent some time talking to Ed and Sarah Williams. They live in Houston, attend Grace Presbyterian Church and are the parents of four beautiful children.

When I learned what they wanted to do with the prize and why it was important to them, I knew that everyone who had contributed had made a good decision.

Ed and Sarah wanted to support the Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation.

This foundation, based in Houston, supports brain cancer research at M. D. Anderson Hospital. The support given to this foundation goes to fund individual clinical trials and other related research.

Please take a look at the great work this foundation is doing at http://www.runfortherose.com .

Ed and Sarah also let me know that the Run for the Rose (benefiting the foundation) was coming up this weekend, and that they were participating to support a particular person, Kimberly Richter. They asked me to make their donation to her team.

I asked Ed and Sarah to put into words why they supported the foundation and specifically Kimberly.

Kimberly Richter

Here it is in Sarah's own words -

"I first heard Kimberly Richter speak to our Women In the Word group last year. She spoke about her battle with brain cancer and having participated in the Marnie Rose Foundation's Run For the Rose. I was touched by her strength and her committed faith in Jesus Christ. She is a living testimony to the power of God's healing hand and his abundant blessings. Kimberly spoke of a disease that had taken my grandfather just a couple of years earlier and for this reason I felt a deep connection to her story. Kimberly probably doesn't know who I am, but I've had her and her family on my heart ever since I heard her speak. When I saw a notice about sign-ups for this year's Run For the Rose, I was nudged to participate. Our family will be walking in honor of Kimberly and in memory of my grandfather, Herschel Kilpatrick."

This morning, I made a donation for $1,746.42 in support of Kimberly.

And now, for the thing that I didn't tell anybody...

Throughout the project, I had a little surprise up my sleeve.

It turns out that my company will match this contribution 3:1. That means that The Dr. Marnie Rose Foundation will receive an additional $5,329.26 in honor of Kimberly Richter.

This makes a total contribution of...

$7,075.68!

Before making these donations, I was able to speak with Terry Richter (Kimberly's husband) to let him know what Ed and Sarah had asked me to do.

Here is Terry's reply to the news -

"Ed, Sarah and Paul,

Kimberly and I are simply in awe… This is the single largest contribution we have had in 3 years (since we began). I want you guys to know that what you are involved in is REAL.

Kimberly was diagnosed 3 ½ years ago. She had some real success with treatments and went for almost 2 years treatment free. When she was re-diagnosed last November, MDA began treating her with protocols that were not available 3 years ago…. All because of research funding…. AND… brain cancer is not like “breast”/other cancers where it is high profile. RFTR (Run for the Rose) began a short time ago and has made a significant difference in the lives of the growing population affected by this terrible disease.

All that to say.. Thank you… and “God is Good”… I’ll let you know when I write about this on Kimberly’s Caringbridge site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/kimberlyrichter

See you guys soon."

And the winner is...

Today is the big day! The day we find out who the winner is!

First, I printed out all of the names and began cutting out almost 350 tickets...


...and then I kept cutting...


...and cutting...


...and then I took a break for dinner (my wife is out of town)...

...and then I finally finished cutting up those tickets.



Second, it was time to do the actual drawing.

I had hoped to make this pretty cool and dramatic, but the family is out of town, and I was on my own.



And finally...

The winner is...

Congratulations!

A huge thank you to everyone that participated.

Keep an eye on the blog, and I will post as soon as I get in touch with Edward.

PQ

FINAL PRIZE - $1,746.42!

Final Prize

$1,746.42

Nice work, folks! Thank you so much for making this little idea into a big success!

I will have a drawing this afternoon after work and will post the results here and then contact the winner.

As soon as I find out where they want the money to go, I will post that, too.

Start thinking about where you would make your donations and keep an eye on the blog.

Good luck, everyone!

PQ


Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

Just Broke $1700!

Current Prize

$1,713.04

THIS IS THE LAST DAY TO PARTICIPATE!!!

I will have a drawing tomorrow and announce the winner.

If you haven't donated, please do! Time is running out.

If you know someone who might be interested, please tell them about the project!

Good luck, everyone!

Remember -

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

The prize is over $1500 and it is the last day!!!

Current Prize

$1,524.06

THIS IS THE LAST DAY TO PARTICIPATE!!!

I will do a drawing tomorrow and announce the winner.

If you haven't donated or know someone who might be interested, please let them know about the project!

Good luck, everyone!

Remember -

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

Why Andy partcipated in the project...

Andy Luccasen is a professor at Mississippi State and is the father of three children.

I asked Andy why he was participating and this is was his reply -

"There's a long answer to your question, but I will give you the short version if you have not heard. When Zach was 6 weeks old, we learned that he had a type of muscular dystrophy known as SMA. He had the most serious type, which is terminal. We lost Zach a few days before his 3 month birthday, but our time with him was a gift.

Again, long story short, Kathleen and I have since had two healthy children. Alex (a boy) was born (just over 1 year ago now). Alex's big sister is Caroline, who will turn 3 this summer.

So...I would probably choose one of the MDA organizations, MDA itself or Families of SMA, should I win the prize."

This is one of the reasons why that no matter who wins, it is worth playing the game.

Please participate if you haven't yet and spread the word if you have.

The last day to get in is April 5th.

PQ

Just like that...$1500!

Current Prize

$1,519.51

Let's keep this up, folks!

Only six days left, and we need to keep growing this thing!

The April 5th cut-off date is right around the corner.

In just a few days, all of the work will pay off, and we will all find out how the experiment ends!

Good luck, everyone!

Remember -

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

Just Seven Days Left!!!

In seven days we will finally find out how the experiment ends.

While working on the project, I have heard about so many great causes and lives that could be changed by what we are doing. I have spoken to many of the participants and am so proud of of the ways they will use the money if they win.

Remember that the last day to donate is April 5th.

I will have a drawing in April 6th, and if I can figure out this whole blog thing, I will put a video of the drawing up and announce the winner that evening.

I can't explain how much fun this has been and how impressed I have been with the trust and faith that all of you have put into God and each other. It has been a real pleasure helping to make this happen.

Now get out there and start letting everyone know that it is almost over and that they need to get involved!!!

PQ

$1300 plus and growing...

Current Prize

$1,325.61

Thanks, Danielle! You just got us over $1,300 this weekend!

The April 5th cut-off date is right around the corner.

In just a few days, all of the work will pay off, and we will all find out how the experiment ends!

Good luck, everyone!

Remember -

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

For those new to the project...

It has been a while since I did a recap for people new to the blog and the project.

Here goes -

The "Have a Little Faith" Project was started on February 18th and will end on April 5th.

The project is a raffle with a little twist. The prize in the raffle grows as more "tickets" are sold for $5 each. Each ticket gives the contributor one chance to win the entire prize.

The twist is that the winner of the raffle gets to do something wonderful with ALL of the money collected. They can choose any charity and just tell me where the money goes.

I will then donate it in their name and share the story with everyone involved.

This is a way to multiply your generosity and show some faith and trust in the people around you.

For a little more background on how this this whole thing started, please check out the first two blog entries.

I would love to hear your stories, your plans and to get any other feedback that you might have.

Good luck!

PQ

We are now over $1,250.00!

Current Prize

$1,261.64

Thanks, Jerry! You just got us over $1,200 (and then some)!

Folks, we are getting close to the April 5th cutoff date.

Please help grow the prize by participating if you haven't already (and even if you have) and keep letting other people know about the project.

Good luck, everyone!

Remember -

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

Another great reason to play...

This is a comment sent to me by Carla Snell. She is a long-time scout leader, a very involved mother and an overall wonderful person.

This is what Carla will do with the prize if she wins -

"I had to think long and hard about who I would donate the money to if I win. There's so many charities and so many areas in need. Some get more attention than others too! I want the money to help someone right now; I'm very impatient. I've been a Girl Scout leader for 6 years now and have seen how it helps girls grow strong. My daughter, Lydia, is full of confidence and always having fun with the events we go to. She's also been able to go to resident camp 3 years in a row. She's been able to enjoy archery, hiking, canoes, and horseback riding all these years when so many girls have not ever been at all. In fact, many of them cannot even afford the vests or books and have to ask for financial aid.
San Jacinto Council has a scholarship program to send girls to camp that, otherwise, would never get to experience it. If I win I will donate the money to this program. The amount that's already been raised is enough to cover the cost to send 3 girls to Girl Scout camp for a week!"

When you consider participating, please remember that there a lots of great stories and great causes out there.

We are getting close to the April 5th cutoff, so please keep spreading the word and get this prize higher.

Together we can do amazing things.

PQ

Over $1,100!

Current Prize

$1,117.20

I was just getting used to the idea of us being at $1,000, and then I had a great surprise waiting in my email when I got to my desk this morning.

Thanks, Dave! You got us to the next milestone.

Good luck, everyone!

Remember -

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

In her own words...

I was going to re-post the first entry in the blog so that new people to the project could figure out what the heck was going on, but I decided to do something even better.

This is an excerpt from an email that one of our friends is using to spread the word about the project.

Jamie is a great writer and a great friend, and I couldn't have said this better myself!

"To put it mildly, I have lost faith many times in my life. I’ve questioned how bad things could happen to good people. I’ve thrown my hands up and I’ve been tested and defeated. But somehow my faith is always restored and I am reminded of what it all really means -- believing in something that you can’t see; remembering that everything happens for a reason; putting your trust into someone you’ve never met; and just simply having a little faith.

The “Have a Little Faith” Project is just a small reminder that generosity and trust are simple characteristics that everybody should live by. It has proven that $100 dollars can go a long way and that just $5 can have the same impact. You can’t even get two gallons of gas for $5, but you could potentially donate more than a thousand dollars to someone that really needs it.

Its five bucks – what do you have to lose – have a little faith."

Thanks for all of your help and encouragement, Jamie!

PQ

Amazing! We just broke $1,000!

Current Prize

$1,020.40

We broke $1,000 tonight!

Unbelievable! I can't tell tell you how proud I am of everyone who has participated in the project.

Thank you, good luck and keep spreading the word!

Remember -

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

A Story...

A few days ago, I asked some of the people participating in the project to share what they would do with the prize if they won. I have had several responses and want to share one with you now.

This is from Leslie Clawson in Frisco, Tx -

"Hi Paul, well I already mentioned that if I win, I would like the money to go to the March of Dimes. I am walking for them in mid-April and it would be awesome to give a large lump sum, more than I could ever imagine personally donating to this charity. March of Dimes supports research to help keep preemie infants alive and to fund research on birth defects. Having had a child with a fatal birth defect, this is near and dear to my heart! I might consider splitting the money too. I am also very fond of the National Brain Tumor Society. My father passed away 9 years ago from a brain tumor and there are not many successful treatments out there as of yet... The NBTS did soooo much to support my family during my father's struggle with Brain Cancer and it's an organization that almost 100% of donations go toward research and patient support!"

Please remember that there are lots of other stories like this out there.

"Have a Little Faith" in the people around you and keep spreading the word!

PQ

What will you do with the prize?

I would love to see what you have in mind and share some of these plans on the blog to inspire more people to get involved.

Let me know by an email or just leave a comment on the blog.

Also, remember that the more people you share this with, the bigger the prize grows. You will have a chance to donate more, and we all have a chance to do more good through each other.

Keep an eye on the blog and keep spreading the word.

Just broke $800!!!

Current Prize

$806.85

We broke $800 over the weekend.

We've got great momentum and about 4 weeks left.

Remember -

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

Over $700 and Growing!

Current Prize

$720.08

We broke $700 this morning.

That means that a $5 contribution can give you the chance to donate over $700 to your favorite charity. The project ends on April 5th, so keep spreading the word.

I will keep updating this every few days to let everyone know what is happening with the project.

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

If you are wondering what is going on here, check out the first two blog entries or leave a comment with your contact info. I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

Just got to $650!

Current Prize

$653.01

We broke $650 last night.

That means that a $5 contribution can give you the chance to donate over $650 to your favorite charity.

I will keep updating this every few days to let everyone know what is happening with the project.

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

If you are wondering what is going on here, check out the first two blog entries or leave a comment with your contact info. I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

$500 is History!

Current Prize

$507.68

We broke $400 yesterday and reached another milestone late last night. Thanks, Anastasia!

I will keep updating this every few days to let everyone know what is happening with the project.

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

If you are wondering what is going on here, check out the first two blog entries or leave a comment with your contact info. I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is there because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

A Recap

The "Have a Little Faith" Project was started on February 18th and will end on April 5th.

It is a raffle with a little twist. The prize amount grows as more "tickets" are sold for $5 each. Each ticket gives the contributor one chance to win the entire prize.

The twist is that the winner of the raffle gets to do something wonderful with ALL of the money collected. They can choose any charity and just tell me where the money goes.

I then donate it in their name and share the story with everyone involved.

This is a way to multiply your generosity and show some faith and trust in the people around you.

For a little more background on how this this whole thing started, please check out the first two blog entries.

I would love to hear your stories, your plans and to get any other feedback that you might have.

Good luck!

Just broke $400...

Current Prize

$411.18

I will update this every few days to let everyone know what is happening with the project.

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

If you are wondering what is going on here, check out the first two blog entries or leave a comment with your contact info. I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

Update - Friday, February 19th

Current Prize

$330.46

I will update this every few days to let everyone know what is happening with the project.

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

If you are wondering what is going on here, check out the first two blog entries or leave a comment with your contact info. I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

Note: The chump change on the end of the total is because PayPal takes a small fee on each transaction.

Let's get the ball rolling!

Current Prize

$200.00

I will update this every few days to let everyone know what is happening with the project.

Donations for a chance to win the prize can be made with the Donate Button at the top of the blog. You can use PayPal or any major credit card. Checks can also be mailed to me at the address in my profile, or you can give it to me when you see me. If you send a check, I will email you to let you know I got it.

If you are wondering what is going on here, check out the first two blog entries or leave a comment with your contact info. I will get back to you as quickly as possible.

An Experiment

This is the plan...

My bright idea is basically a raffle with a little twist.

First, I will take the $100 seed money that was given to me and match it with $100 of my own money.

We are now at $200. This is the starting prize.

Anyone who participates in this experiment will have the chance to choose the charity that receives all of the prize money. No strings attached. Just tell me who you want it to go to, and I will donate it in your name. It's that easy.

To have a chance to win and add to the prize, just contribute at least $5. For every $5 donated, you will get a "ticket" and a chance to win the whole thing and help out your favorite charity.

Donate $10, you get two tickets. Donate $100, you get 20 tickets. You get the idea.

On April 5th, I will have a random drawing using the tickets that everyone "bought."

Donations can be made through the Donate Button at the top of the blog. PayPal will accept all major credit cards and direct PayPal payments of course. You can also mail a check to me directly (see profile for address) or give it to me when you see me.

I don't know exactly where this is going to end up, but I can't wait to find out!

How I Got Into This...

Get ready for a little rambling.

It's going to start out slowly, but I promise there is a point.

First, a little background info -

My name is Paul Quin, and I am a husband and father of a 5 year old daughter and a 6 month old baby boy. I live and work in the Houston area and am a member of Grace Presbyterian Church.

For over 40 years, Grace Presbyterian has been reaching out to the community and challenging people to step outside of their comfort zones and give a little help to those in need.

This outreach takes many forms and occurs every day in the Houston area, throughout the United States and all over the world.

If you are interested in more information about Grace Presbyterian Church and the great work they are doing, visit http://www.houstonsgrace.org/.

Okay.

Now that the background info is out of the way, we can get to the good part.

The Kingdom Assignment

On January 24th, 2010, Grace continued its history of outreach by offering a special challenge to its members.

During the middle of last Sunday's service, our pastor challenged everyone in the pews to take $100 and simply do something with it that helps someone else. They called it "The Kingdom Assignment."

The church would just give the $100 to anyone who accepted the challenge. No strings attached and no real rules. Just use it in some way to make life better for someone else and then share your story by April 11th.

It could simply be given directly to someone who needed it or multiplied in any way that could be imagined by the person accepting the challenge.

Here is a short video that describes "The Kingdom Assignment" and gives a few examples of what some amazing people have accomplished.



Here we go...

Well, as you probably guessed, I accepted that challenge.

Before I had too much time to think about what I was getting into, I stood up, kept my eyes forward and met my fate.

I can barely remember being handed the $100 bill, and I was a complete mess for the rest of the service as I tried to think of what I could do that was worthy of the trust put in me.

I thought about all of the absolutely amazing things that had been done before. I thought about the message of generosity, trust and faith that were part of the sermon that day and how "The Kingdom Assignment" embodied all of those things...

...and then it hit me...

...there might be a way to put generosity, faith and trust in motion.

A way for people to be generous and have that generosity multiplied.

A way to show not only my faith in God, but in the people around me.

A way to give and receive the trust of my friends, my coworkers and maybe even people that I'll never see face-to-face.