Valour-IT Fundraising Competition: Five More Days

I haven't written a lot about the the astonishing totals the Valour-IT fundraising competition has racked up. Mostly, that's because I don't have the words to express my feelings on the subject. I'm in absolute awe of you--your creativity, generosity, inspiration, and effectiveness.

Considering that we raised $15,000 in the first three weeks of Valour-IT's existence, I had figured that $21,000 in only 10 days was an appropriately optomistic goal for this fundraising drive. I was stunned when we blew through that mark on the afternoon of our third day. And then I figured it would slow down over the weekend. Instead, our totals in donors and donations on Saturday exceeded two of the previous three days. And as I write this on Sunday afternoon after expecting a very slow day, we have received over 40 donations so far.

Several people have expressed a concern that we might be distracting people from donating to the Christmas projects that Soldiers' Angels is also heading up. Until I spoke to Patti Bader on Friday, I shared that concern. She firmly and repeatedly told me everything was fine and that SA now had enough funding for the planned Christmas projects (donations to SA in general have been up since the call for Christmas funds went out about two weeks ago). Patti pretty much ordered me (in her inimitable way) to continue the fundraising competition and push to make it as successful as possible.

So, let's follow her orders. Milbloggers, I'll put it in language you can understand... ;)

FUNDRAISING TEAM OPORD: CHARLIE MIKE
OBJECTIVE: $21,000 PER FUNDRAISING TEAM
All phases, sites, and materiel are fully operational. Methods have been refined, sights adjusted, targets acquired. This one's for your brothers...

FIRE FOR EFFECT!

May the best team win.

Update: As Michael rightly points out in comments, it might be better phrased, "May the servicemembers win." For the beneficiaries of Valour-IT are the real winners here, of course.