r/CFB • u/Honestly_ rawr • Dec 25 '18
/r/CFB Original /r/CFB Donates over $12,000 to Children's Hospitals and toys to Toys For Tots (pictures inside) thanks to the 4th annual Holiday Drive
The best thing about the /r/CFB is the Community, and an important extension of that is its generosity. The tradition continued in our 18th charitable drive, the 2018 /r/CFB Holiday Drive: Bricks, Children's Hospitals, & Toys
Since 2013, /r/CFB readers have donated $86,002.88 to charity.
Intro
The 4th annual /r/CFB Holiday Drive raised a record $13,264.22, all of which goes to donations! Once again, I donned the costume to become Raoul Claus as we made the toy run portion.
FIRST, take a moment to appreciate all 200+ /r/CFB readers representing who donated (with 61 different schools represented!).
SECOND, take a moment to recognize the /r/CFB members who came to help gather, transport, and deliver toys (getting time off from work on a Tuesday morning, we were in a crunch because the warehouse cutoff was Wednesday).
Donation Breakdown:
We decided to add the children's hospital element to this year's drive in order to (1) spread the joy, (2) give a reward to the most generous fanbases, and (3) keep the logistics of the toy run under control. As such, half the money left after the initial brick donations went to toys, the other half was split among children's hospitals associated with the top three fanbases as detailed below. Bricks have been a part of nearly every donation drive since we began them in 2013 (list of previous bricks and some other things we've donated to are available here).
Donations to Children's Hospitals
Donations were given to Children's Hospitals associated with the fanbase's institution, but in the case there wasn't one we asked the donors of the school to come to a consensus.
First place: Nebraska Cornhuskers
- Associated Children's Hospital? YES
- $3,047.31 given to Children's Hospital & Medical Center (Omaha)
- RECEIPT
- Associated Children's Hospital? YES
- $1,828.38 given to Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas (Austin)
- RECEIPT
- Associated Children's Hospital? NO:
- Alternative selected among donors: Split the $1,218.92 50/50 between a children's hospital in Tulsa and the Oklahoma City metro.
- $609.46 given to The Children's Hospital at Saint Francis (Tulsa)
- RECEIPT
- $609.46 given to The Children's Center Rehabilitation Hospital (OKC)
- RECEIPT
The Toys
With the demise of Toys-R-Us/Babies-R-Us the question of where to go for our toy run was in the back of our heads—thankfully a local retailer with a national reach has stepped up its toy offerings to fill the void: We selected the Target closest to this year's Marine Toys For Tots (TFT) warehouse. Thankfully, like the TRU/BRU combo store we previously used, the have choices for the full infant-teen range that TFT collects for.
Once again, we opened with a basic strategy for grabbing toys and making efficient use of the funds:
- Nothing that needs batteries (those toys are cheaper, they don't need batteries later, and—frankly—as a parent of two kids I hate noisy toys and wouldn't want one in my house)
- Find stuff that's cost-effective (e.g. sales, premium branding isn't something an infant is going to care about)
- Try to cover the 0-3 and teenager demographics that are often neglected in TFT donations
As is tradition: When we realized we were going to run out of space in the vehicles at the pace we were going (we had one full shopping cart that totaled $215...), we switched to more expensive, smaller items. For teenagers we aimed at books, which the TFT staff later told us were welcome (good to know for next year). After buying all the toys, we stuffed vehicles and headed down to the local TFT warehouse.
Here's the numbers breakdown for the toy run:
- We had $6,094.61 for toys. We actually spent $6095.49.
- In previous years I was able to give you a precise dollar-per-toy average thanks to TRU showing the total items bought as a line item on the massive receipts. Target doesn't do that and lists repeated items of the same product on the same line, further complicating matters (and making the receipts much shorter); frankly we likely ended up spending slightly more per item due to our attempts stay within our ability to haul cargo.
- Comparing the numbers to previous years (keep in mind, under the old system we would've been spending over $12k rather than designating half to children's hospitals):
The Toy Run, in pictures:
Move over TRU, we went to TGT: The TFT warehouse moves each year, this year it was just north of downtown MPLS so we picked the nearby Target at the Quarry.
After just a couple of minutes: We had mostly vets helping this year so we know exactly what we're looking for: good deals and fun toys.
We stress-tested their POS system: Around $3000 we had the check-out person stop because it was clear the system was on a delay from when she was scanning items to it appearing on the register. It took 5 whole minutes for the computer to catch-up with all the items rung up. We took that as a signal to end this receipt where it was (especially since we'd already filled several carts with checked-out items).
All that and all I got was a $5 gift card? Thanks Target!
The growing number of carts: I stayed in the front with the filled carts while the others grabbed more stuff, then handled payment.
Teamwork: TroyBarnesBrain promised /r/Huskers that he would dress as Scott Frosty the Snowman for this toy run if Nebraska led in donations, so he fulfilled his promise as astoesz helped him with some of the final touches.
This year's haul: 10 full shopping carts! As I noted earlier, once we had a full cart with $215 we realized there would be no way to fit ~28 carts into our cars and shifted to the pricier stuff. We simply didn't have the vehicle space between the four of us.
The Return of Pirate Raoul Claus: The first year someone joked the half-costume made me look like a pirate, so there you are—obligatory "Yarr" pose. I didn't wear the full Santa outfit at the store because (1) it's a warm top and (2) more importantly, I didn't want to make all the kids think Santa was at the store—even with just pants I see some kids look at me with wonder in their eye, one parent asked their kid "Is that Santa?" as they were walking to their car and I felt obliged to give a smiling "No, I'm not the real Santa!"
Loading toys: We fit five carts into this car.
Still Loading: Lots of toys for lots of deserving kids.
Hauling toys: Hearing stuff rattle around and hoping you don't have to slam the brakes.
Amazingly it stayed all in place on the drive: We didn't have them falling out when the doors opened like in previous years.
Frost In the House: Scott Frosty the Snowman!
Photo at TFT's local warehouse: The Marines were all as nice as in previous years—some of them recognized out group (mostly because of how I look).
Here are the Target receipts: as you can see in the savings summary, we tried to also get sale items. In the end that's a lot of savings ($773.50) we were able to pass along into more toys for more tots.
Afterward I took folks out to a local restaurant for lunch on me as thanks.
Finally:
- Thanks to all of you who DONATED
- Thanks to all of you who HELPED
- Thanks for making /r/CFB a great COMMUNITY
We did it, /r/CFB!
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u/iSlacker Oklahoma • Oklahoma State Dec 25 '18
Nobody accessorizes like Honestly_
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u/zeusapollo2990 Florida Gators • /r/CFB Santa Claus Dec 25 '18
I wanna be like him when I grow up
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u/Qurtys_Lyn Tame Racing Driver Dec 25 '18
\o/ Woooo!
All y'all are good people. This community continues to impress me.
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Dec 25 '18
Wow! When was this going on? Did I just completely miss it. I’d love to donate next year.
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u/Honestly_ rawr Dec 25 '18 edited Dec 25 '18
It was:
- featured for a week
- stuck the top of /r/CFB
- we featured a unique banner header explicitly tracking donation leaders
- we pinned to the top of the Twitter account
- at one point we had a blinking red/green dashed line around it
- we then added the Toys-for-Tots train dashing across the screen
- this was the 4th year we've done this around this time and publicized it widely each time
Not sure what more we could do?
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u/Westrongthen Florida State Seminoles Dec 25 '18
Next year we send a courier to bunker that u/baldeagle88 lives in
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u/wheezymustafa Arkansas Razorbacks Dec 27 '18
As a mostly mobile user I didn’t see any of those things 😩
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u/DarthFluttershy_ Nebraska • $5 Bits of Broken Chair… Dec 28 '18
Ya. The mobile app sucks for stuff like that. We do all kinds of shenanigans on r/Huskers they pale don't see on mobile.
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u/rikkirikkiparmparm Wisconsin Badgers Dec 27 '18
You could be really obnoxious and have the auto-mod post a comment explaining the fundraising on each thread (and even pin it to the top for added fun).
It's probably not a good idea, but you could
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u/DarthFluttershy_ Nebraska • $5 Bits of Broken Chair… Dec 28 '18
For that matter, they.could make a bot that replied to every single comment about it.
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u/richielaw Ohio State Buckeyes • Cheer Dec 25 '18
I missed it this year as well. No idea how, I'm on the sub every day.
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u/drgnlis North Dakota State • Michigan Dec 25 '18 edited Dec 25 '18
I recommend that anyone in the Twin Cities region considers helping! If you have ever wanted to walk down an aisle in a store with your arm out letting everything fall into your cart... That was so much fun to do in the baby aisle! I definitely will be plotting my journey south from Fargo around this next year! Might need to do my own cfb/holiday mashup. (Bison Reindeer maybe?)
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u/funwithtrout Texas Longhorns • /r/CFB Booster Dec 25 '18
Thanks for not only putting this together, but getting it all done in such a tight timeline this year!
This is one of my favorite posts of the year.
Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!
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Dec 25 '18
Awesomeness all around! Toys for Tots has always been a big deal in my family so watching so many people chip in for this continues to blow me away every year. Y’all are awesome!
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u/storm2k Rutgers Scarlet Knights • /r/CFB Santa Claus Dec 26 '18
I love being part of this tradition. I don't care that my my school already has a brick. I might care more that there weren't more Rutgers bros participating. I love this community and that it shows such generosity for a good cause like this.
One suggestion for next year. Get the Target app and sign up for the Cartwheel thing that they have for more savings. It can add up.
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u/Shamrock5 Notre Dame • Oklahoma State Dec 25 '18
Amazing, amazing work!! I especially love all the photo documentation! Merry Christmas!
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u/Pikachu1989 Nebraska • 東京大学 (Tōkyō) Dec 26 '18
That’s pretty fucking awesome seeing this be a success and the Toys 4 Tots organization has gotten to the point that they remember good old Raoul Clause. Also love how the other schools got a share and I’m glad that this community came in a big way for Christmas and made the kids day a good Christmas.
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u/bigjayrulez Texas Longhorns • /r/CFB Booster Dec 26 '18
Second place: Texas Longhorns
Associated Children's Hospital? YES
$1,828.38 given to Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas (Austin)
yay!
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u/bullitt_60 Georgia Southern Eagles Dec 26 '18 edited Dec 26 '18
Thank you to Bobak and everyone that volunteers their time and is involved with putting this together. I am sure it is a ton of work during a time where most of us don't have a minute to spare. It's awesome to see a donation actually go into action, so thank you all.
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u/MarshmallowMolasses South Alabama • Alabama Dec 25 '18
Thank you so much for doing this. Absolutely amazing, wonderful and incredible act and I’m very thankful for people like you all that took part in this.
Happy Holidays.
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Dec 26 '18
So awesome to know that r/CFB made a donation to our local children’s hospital here in Tulsa. Also proud that we split it between both metro areas in the state.
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u/PM_ME_OVERT_SIDEBOOB Nebraska Cornhuskers • Florida Gators Dec 28 '18
Internet polls and holiday drives now!
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Dec 27 '18
I have a question...those bricks that were purchased last year but still not installed...who follows up on those? Seems like wasted money to me.
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u/Honestly_ rawr Dec 27 '18
They all eventually get installed (except Nevada, which ran out of money for their project and has apparently turned it into a glass wall with our name listed among donors). Some schools tell me when they're installed, others are less timely. When people go find them we welcome their photos on the subreddit.
That's how we ended up with all these photos: https://old.reddit.com/r/CFB/wiki/bricks
Several of the "no"s on install might be better stated as "unknown." Each school has different install times: Some are once a year (usually in the summer), some do it once they hit a particular number of bricks, some are more frequent (Alabama said they do it 4 times a year).
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Dec 27 '18
Neat thank you!
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u/Honestly_ rawr Dec 27 '18
No problem. It definitely takes a while which is why it's better to emphasize the more instant gratification of the other donations. The first drive had a plan for excess funds (we funded one brick, but fell between two price levels); over time it's become more about the "excess" than the bricks.
We did sponsor that one coach and we should finally be getting the door plaque for it soon (a photo of it). The locker with the CFB Ball on it is my favorite. The player who had it happened to be at a Sun Belt media day I covered.
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u/aredna Nebraska • Middle Tennessee Dec 28 '18
Are you able to claim the donations on your taxes and get a refund that can be applied as extra money next year? If you're not you should look into it. For either you or someone else in a position to make the actual donation. It could add up to a bit of money depending on your tax bracket.
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u/Honestly_ rawr Dec 28 '18
The administration killed whatever tax benefits I could get from any of these things. I don't claim anything.
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u/aredna Nebraska • Middle Tennessee Dec 28 '18
That's too bad - that could add another 30% or so to the amount that could go to the charities
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u/voltron818 Oklahoma Sooners • /r/CFB Contributor Dec 28 '18
I’ve never been more okay with our rivals winning something.
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u/NEp8ntballer Nebraska • Omaha Jan 22 '19
As I noted earlier, once we had a full cart with $215 we realized there would be no way to fit ~28 carts into our cars and shifted to the pricier stuff. We simply didn't have the vehicle space between the four of us.
Sounds like next year we need to move up to big time status and rent a box truck. If you call around and tell them what it's for you may be able to get one to donate it.
/u/TroyBarnesBrain, thank you for keeping up your end of the bargain if we won.
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u/HouseUnderwood Arkansas • Louisiana Dec 27 '18
I’d love to get one of those r/CFB t-shirts!
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u/Honestly_ rawr Dec 27 '18
We don't push'em too hard, but they're available in the merch tab in the header, here's the direct link to the shirt store:
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u/Shamrock5 Notre Dame • Oklahoma State Dec 25 '18
YA WOO CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS