Late Friday afternoon....sitting at a table at the base of the down escalator at Nordstrom's trying to get people to buy a Men of the Market calendar to benefit the Pike Place Market Foundation...not an easy thing to do I find. Most people are rushing to get somewhere...we are invisible.
"Calendar to benefit the Market Foundation"...."Men of the Market calendar"...."Great holiday gift"...
A few people smile...very few stop....even fewer buy....pretty discouraging but my friend and I smile and hope that in the next group of shoppers that pass by, someone will stop.
A man sees us and does stop. We tell him about the calendar....that we are part of a walking group, the Thursday Walkers and wanted to do something to help the Pike Place Market Foundation. We underwrote the project so that the entire $15.00 price of the calendar will go to support the social services that are housed within the Market - a pre-school, senior center, health clinic and food bank. And all of the men who are featured in the calendar work in the Market.
We need to support the Market he tells his daughter and reaches into his pocket. He lays a $100 bill on the table. My first reaction is shock and in my head I am calculating how I can make change for the $15.00 calendar.
"I don't need the calendar but thank you for doing this," he says as he slides the bill toward us.
Whaaat????? He means to donate a $100! Really???? My friend and I stammer our thanks repeatedly and he hurries off to do his shopping.
What a remarkably generous thing to do! This gesture was as genuine as it was unexpected. My hero. He wasn't wearing a cape or mask - he was just a regular guy. And he made a difference ....to the Foundation and to me.
P.S. If you're looking for a fun holiday gift, consider a Men of the Market calendar! They're $15.00 and the total purchase price goes to the Pike Place Market Foundation!
What a great story! It's nice to know many are still out there! Good luck with your calendar sales.
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