Shakespeare's Comes Through in the Clutch

So we have our first official restaurant!!!!! Shakespeare's is going to participate and we still have lots of restaurants to follow up with. I am hoping that we can still get a few more but I'm happy that a restaurants is on board.

We went downtown last Thursday and luck was just not with us. We visited about nine restaurants and out of the nine only two owners/managers were available to talk with us. I will take another group tomorrow to go back where we left information and see if anyone has given thought to joining the cause.

In addition to heavy restaurant recruitment, we also presented to the faculty last week and the response was great. Teachers were impressed and supportive of the students' goals to help the global water crisis. We invited them to walk with us on the 19th to raise money and awareness about the cause. We also sent letters and registration forms to the Mayor Hindman, Governor Nixon and all district superintendents. We figured we might as well aim high. Also, our local news station has confirmed that they'll come and cover the event as part of the longer story they plan to run in March.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed and wish I hadn't taken on this huge project, but when I step back and reflect on the opportunity this has become for my students, I know it's been worth it. If anything, I just want them to know, they can make change in this world. Our motto continues to be: "Be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi. It's a quote that has provided motivation and inspiration for our protagonist in our class read aloud book, A Summer of Kings.

TAP update

We've begun the restaurant recruitment process. I trained students last week after school and Thursday and Friday I took my first two groups out to ask restaurants to partner with us on the Tap Project. While no one has signed up yet, we have several leads. It's incredibly difficult to actually get someone in charge, even though we're going during restaurants' off time. We have left materials with the following restaurants and will make follow up calls this week as well as hit up restaurants in the District, Columbia's downtown.



- Macaroni Grill

- Shakespeare's West

- Jazz a Louisiana Kitchen

- D'Rowes

- Murry's

- El Maguey

- Flatbranch



G & D's Steakhouse did write us a check for $100 and agreed to put out a donation collection canister since their restaurant does not do table service.



I am proud of the students who are going out and doing the recruiting. All in all, there's about 20 different students who will make a trip with me one afternoon this month. They prepared a restaurant pitch and will come dressed and ready to make a "sale."



I did not realize that it would be SO hard to actually get a manager when we stopped by restaurants.



I'll keep you posted on our status. If we can get three restaurants to join the cause, I think that would be a huge victory!

Crazy Hair Day meets Mullet

Crazy hair day at school. This is me with my daughter, "Ruby Wednesday." What can I say, great minds think alike!