Sunday, January 11, 2009

Would you help some great children and teachers in Sumner County? All we need: used computers

I was talking a minute ago with the single person who has made the most difference in my life over the past 72 days.

And this former Metro school teacher -- whom I helped with donated computers and other resources during my column-writing days at The Tennessean -- mentioned her twin granddaughters at Bethpage Elementary School in Sumner County on old Highway 31.

Mammy was at the school that serves the middle class and working poor families. And she spoke to one of the teachers of the twins. And the classroom needed computers. It was the same in the other classroom.

So when Mammy told me this story, I immediately jumped to help out my friend and the children including Megan and Makayla and to begin to repay the mighty amount I owe this great woman.

So that's why I am bringing this appeal to you. I'm going to secure a good, used computer or just buy a new one. But Mammy does not want me to do it all.

However, I'm good at raising resources for schools because of good people such as you. We all know about Johnny Appleseed and how he planted all those trees across the country. Well, I'm the Johnny Appleseed of computers. I was able to build three computer labs in Metro Schools and one at St. Edward Catholic Church because of you. I mailed out more than 500 CDs of classroom education and games to teachers across the state. I wrote a national article on how to connect classrooms to the Internet with community donations and volunteer sweat.

Ben Blumberg of Grassland, a former GE employee and WWII flying ace, became my hero and my friend's as well for all his volunteerism day after day after day. It was our honor to later help him die from cancer in his home with our visits, telling him he was not forgotten. We still miss him greatly. We'll one day name a computer lab after him.

Then I got leukemia.

It gives me great joy -- and with praise to God -- to again be in the computer-gathering business, particularly since our schools are beset by budget problems. I'll do now as I did back then. I'll come by and pick up the computer you want to donate. Then I'll take it the school and make sure you get the credit.

And then the children and their world will widen, along with our hearts.

I can be contacted at timchavez787@yahoo.com or (615) 512-8209.

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