Spreading the Giving Spirit through Candygrams! on Cascade Hall

Laila Kennedy, SC, and FC

December 01, 2016 4:56 PM

Spreading the Giving Spirit through Candygrams! by Laila Kennedy, SC, and FC

Over the past week, Laila and the Spirit Club had been working tirelessly with the Fundraising Committee to put together a Christmas event. Laila thought her Halloween party had gone down rather well and she had thought about creating a Christmas party, too but while she was sitting in mass one day she decided not to. Christmas time was the season of giving. There were so many people out there who were struggling to make ends meet and she was planning a Christmas party? Somehow it didn’t seem fair. Her brainchild solution was to host a candy-cane delivering service (candy-canes donated by a generous candy company eager to make a donation to group of school children trying to do something charitable) which students could send to each other to spread Christmas cheer but also include a small donation if they were able. Laila wanted to use the money to donate to a charity that she and Emmy-Lou would decide on together, and she would advertise this on the shoebox set up for the candygrams, but she didn’t want to shame those who couldn’t donate but still might want to spread cheer.

The posters that the two clubs had made up were spread around the school varied in colors and information but all stated the same basic thing: Donate money, send a candy-cane, or both! All proceeds will be donated to a food bank in Pheonix! Spread Christmas cheer to everyone!

The booth that was now sitting at the front of Cascade Hall had a shoebox (charmed by Professor Perrault so that no one could steal it or break into it), a stack of papers, pens, and envelopes and poster explaining the project in detail. Students could write down names on the slips of paper including a small message if they so desired and slip these into the slot at the top of the shoebox. These names would be used by the Spirit Club to mail out candy-canes just before the school broke for the holidays via owls (this was important, Laila thought, so that no one received candy-canes in class causing others to feel felt left out—to fix this, Laila had even decided that Spirit Club would send a candy-cane to each student in the school). Student could also put some money into their envelopes in an anonymous donation sort of way. Now, no one watching would know if a student was donating or not. This part was especially important to Laila because she knew that some students might not have enough money to donate and she didn’t want them feeling bad about it.

The sign on the booth read “Spreading the Giving Spirit through Candygrams!”

OOC: I’ve included my email at the top, you can email me with your character’s candygram lists and I’ll make a massive list to put on the OOC board. Please include if your candy-cane was sent anonymously or any other details you would want included (like a message) so that I can include that for the recipient to see (or not see if it’s anonymous) thanks!
Ex:
To: John Doe. Message: Your face is smelly. From: Jane Deer.
To: Jane Deer. Message: I like cheese whip. From: Anonymous

Subthreads:

Joining in! by Louis Valois

A long list of repetitious messages. by John and Joe Umland

'Happy Holidays!' by Natalie Varth

10 Laila Kennedy, SC, and FC Spreading the Giving Spirit through Candygrams! 318 Laila Kennedy, SC, and FC 1 5

Louis Valois

December 02, 2016 5:38 AM

Joining in! by Louis Valois

Louis was, needless to say, very excited by the whole candy-cane idea. He loved Christmas, and he loved candy-canes, and also he loved his friends, so what could be better than all three together? Stopping the shoebox after breakfast one morning, he took a piece of paper and started to write his list.

The first few names on his list came easily enough. Emmy was of course receiving a candy cane from him, as was Arianna, and also Gwen, his favourite little piano protégé. However, three names didn’t make a very long list. Louis knew he was lucky to be rich, and he wanted to use his wealth to help others. This event was meant to raise money for charity, so Louis fully intended to give lots of candy-canes and therefore donate lots of money. Emmy had also given him strict instructions to do so. His best friend loved the fact that she was able to help those less fortunate than her, and was always encouraging Louis to help where he could.

Racking his brain for more names, Louis decided that Arne and Dustin should receive candy-canes too. They were good friends of his, and it wasn’t as if this had to be a romantic thing (as some of the names already on his list showed).

Looking at said list, he decided it contained enough names to justify a large donation. His parents and grandmother always made sure he had plenty of loose change in case the opportunity to spend it at Sonora ever arose (not that it often did), and what could be better than spending it on helping others?

To: Emilia-Louise Scott. From: Louis Valois
To: Arianna Valenti. From: Louis Valois
To: Gwen Fintoc. From: Louis Valois
To: Dustin Newell. From: Louis Valois
To: Arne Reinhardt. From: Louis Valois

Job done, he turned to leave, and then turned back. There was one name that he’d been considering ever since Emmy first told him about the candy-cane scheme, and that name hadn’t been on his list. Should he do it, or shouldn’t he? After a moment of indecision, Louis reached for another piece of paper.

To: Ingrid Wolseithcrafte. From: Anonymous

OOC: any potential god-modding of Emmy approved by her author

9 Louis Valois Joining in! 314 Louis Valois 0 5

John and Joe Umland

December 06, 2016 7:04 PM

A long list of repetitious messages. by John and Joe Umland

Joe had liked the idea of the candygram service from the time he had seen it, but he had immediately seen one problem with participating. This problem was that he didn’t have a knut to his name which was also at Sonora. He would not have his first summer job until the coming summer, if he could find one, and what money he’d been given as gifts and the like over the past year had been spent over the past summer. Fortunately, however, this was a problem easily solved by hitting up the person he knew who did have some money. Putting this solution into practice involved tolerating a certain amount of scowling and muttering and complaining, but in the end, John gave him a sickle and five knuts.

“That way it looks like that's all you had,” explained John as Joe raised an eyebrow at the odd amount.

“You do realize this is for charity, right?” asked Joe, hoping he could indirectly appeal to his brother’s legalism. Contributing to a charity and letting it look like Joe had done it was just the kind of thing John approved of.

Apparently, however, there were either more severe limits to his brother’s funds than Joe had imagined or John didn’t approve quite enough of Laila after the yummy werewolf incident. This appeal earned Joe a sixth knut.

* * * * * * * *

It had not, John thought grumpily, been enough that Joe had wheedled money for peppermint sticks out of him – he then took it upon himself to suggest that John should spend even more money on candy in the name of being a good club host.

“It shows people you value them and you care,” said Joe.

“Joe, there are approximately three people in this entire school who think I experience emotion,” said John. “And not over ten on the planet,” he added just to be thorough.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Everyone in Science Club and Book Club knows better,” said Joe cheerily. John indulged a brief fantasy of shoving a peppermint stick down his brother’s throat. The Teppenpaw cheeriness could grow a bit…wearying, sometimes, particularly when he could tell Joe was using it to manipulate him. “We’ve all seen you talk about Plato and birds.”

“There are people who think that affection for ideas and animals are the marks of a sociopath,” said John. “Ask Obie the prairie elf sometime, or read a gnome’s mind. They’ll tell you I’m a complete monster.”

“Charity, John. Shut up and fill in the damn cards.”

John shut up and filled in the damn cards.

To: Clark. Message: I told Joe this was weird, but he said I had to send everyone in Book Club candy, so here is candy. I’ll give you a proper Christmas present in January. From: John

To: Gia Donovan. Message: I hope you have a merry Christmas. Thank you again for the cookies. From: John Umland

To: Aislinn Nicolls. Message: I hope you have a merry Christmas. Hope to see you in book club after New Year. From: John Umland

To: Laila Kennedy. Message: I hope you have a merry Christmas and edifying reading material. From: John Umland.

To: Kellen Mormont. Message: I hope you have a merry Christmas and that you have enjoyed Book Club this year and will rejoin us at New Year’s. From: John Umland.

To: Farrah Welsh. Message: I hope you have a merry Christmas and that you have enjoyed Book Club this year and will rejoin us at New Year’s. From: John Umland.

To: Kit Reid. Message: I hope you have a merry Christmas and that you have enjoyed Book Club and Quidditch so far this year. From: John Umland.

Joe, for his part, put a bit more thought into who to send messages to than in what to say. His teammates and the other third year Teppenpaws were easy choices; the trouble lay with others. He wanted to add Arianna Valenti and Tess Whittaker, both of whom he had worked with in class before and thought were really pretty and cool, and harbored idle, wistful thoughts about Jemima Wolseithcrafte from time to time, though he knew he couldn’t send her a candy cane. She probably had no idea that Joe even existed. Finally, though, he realized a way around the issue with the others, made his selections, and began to write.

To: Nat Varth. Message: Merry Christmas, Nat! See you in January. That Quidditch cup is ours! From: Joe

To: Gabe Valenti. Message: Merry Christmas, Gabe! You’re a great roommate and teammate. See you in January. From: Joe

To: Liac Reinhardt. Message: Merry Christmas, Liac! You’re a great captain. See you in January. From: Joe Umland.

To: Tobi Reinhardt. Message: Merry Christmas, Tobi! You’re a great Beater. See you in January. From: Joe Umland.

To: Ginger Pierce. Message: Merry Christmas, Ginger! You’re a great Keeper. See you in January. From: Joe Umland.

To: Jake Manger. Message: Merry Christmas, Jake! You’re a great Seeker. We’ll miss you next autumn. See you in January! From: Joe Umland.

To: Jozua Sparks. Message: Merry Christmas, Jozua! Glad to know you’ve always got our team’s back. See you in January! From: Joe Umland.

To: Arthur Leithan. Message: Merry Christmas, Arthur! You’re a great roommate. See you in January! From: Joe.

To: Raine Collindale. Message: Merry Christmas, Raine! I’m looking forward to working with you on the Ethiopia project. See you in January! From: Joe Umland.

To: Tess Whittaker: Message: Merry Christmas, Tess! I’m looking forward to working with you on the Ethiopia project. See you in January! From: Joe Umland.

To: Nevaeh Reed. Message: Merry Christmas, Nevaeh! I’m looking forward to working with you on the Ethiopia project. See you in January! From: Joe Umland.

To: Tasha DuBois. Message: Merry Christmas, Tasha! I’m looking forward to working with you on the Ethiopia project. See you in January! From: Joe Umland.

To: Arianna Valenti. Message: In case my brother’s been too difficult. Merry Christmas! From: Joe Umland.

Joe had still hesitated over all the girls besides Nat, especially Tasha DuBois – what if she was the kind who expected him to call her ‘Miss DuBois’ and not speak until he was spoken to? That could lead to unpleasantness when they began the Ethiopia project, and that was exactly what Joe was trying to avoid in sending the group preemptive candy. It would be worse, though, to send everyone else something and not her, kind of like it would have also felt mean to leave out Nevaeh even though she would probably have to have someone help her read the message – and hesitated just as much over the other guys on the Quidditch team besides Gabe, but he felt pretty comfortable with his messages in the end. Now just to hope none of them blew up in his face.

OOC: If you are in Book Club but didn’t get to posting there, you may assume you had a message like Kellen’s or Farrah’s from John, too. Merry Christmas and Happy Midterm, everyone!

16 John and Joe Umland A long list of repetitious messages. 285 John and Joe Umland 0 5

Natalie Varth

December 09, 2016 4:43 PM

'Happy Holidays!' by Natalie Varth

Since seeing the posters Nat latched onto the idea of sending candygrams to all her friends. This included all of her Teppenpaw Quidditch teammates, Tess, Nevaeh, her lovely roommate Raine, Arthur, and though they hadn’t had a chance to interact much during the school year, Ari. That was a rather long list, admittedly, but she had a small little stash of savings. Gifts this year for her family had all been transfigured items- scarves and mittens made out of little trinkets, some quills, and garments that no longer fit her. She was tempted by the idea of making some of the cloth things by hand but she was nowhere as proficient as Raine at that kind of handiwork and thought it best to transfigure them. Plus her siblings would be able to celebrate amongst themselves that they were the recipients of something created with magic!

So with her savings freed up she prepared a list and filled an envelope with all her pocket change. It would have been thriftier to spend just as much as she was sending but she was the generous sort, and knew what it had been like to barely scrape by and toys would have cut some of the edge off. She added the message “Happy Holidays!” to every person, and sealed the envelope, filled with the list and the money to be spent on toys.

7 Natalie Varth 'Happy Holidays!' 331 Natalie Varth 0 5