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December, 2020 Dear Friends: The date above says it all. 2020 has been a year like no other in our lives. Yet the human spirit shines through. It’s seen in so many ways as we adapt to what our world is today and has been nearly all year. When we gather the Exceeding Expectations family together, masked and socially distanced, I don’t think about the pandemic and how it’s changed so much, but rather my mind goes back to the early days when Exceeding Expectations was pretty much an experiment. The program was not started with a business plan and yearly goals. Rather it began when I met a group of kids at a San Bernardino elementary school and it became clear to me that, without some outside intervention, they had no chance to break out and make their lives better. In fact, a more positive life was not even on their radar. They were simply trying to survive day-to-day. I took a first step, going to my friends and asking for help. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and many others have come on board over the years. Every one of you has made a huge difference in our ability to help the kids. While we’re very proud of our stats, most importantly, we have witnessed a change in attitude. Today, even our youngest kids understand that they will be graduating from high school and attending college. And the families know that their kids will have the opportunity and financial help to do something that will truly better all their lives.
When a kid becomes a member of EE, I make a personal promise: Your job is to do well in school, graduate from high school and get accepted into the school or next step that is best for you. EE’s job is to help you get there and to make sure that money is never an issue for you in getting a good education. Our experiment is working, one kid at a time: - 100% high school graduation rate - 12 kids currently in college - 5 college graduates - 2 currently in graduate programs - 3 distinguished U.S. armed services careers - 1 college and 2 high school graduations coming up in 2021 - 2 kids starting college in 2021 - 1 high school graduate entering U.S. Marines in 2021 You Exceeding Expectations supporters have been very generous over the years. This has made it possible for us to use training and racing to develop the attitudes and skills the kids need while still making certain we have the financial means to assure that each EE kid has the opportunity to get a good education that will become his/her ticket to a better life. We are very grateful to each of you for the role you play in this.
We are fully aware that 2020 has been a tough year on everyone. Some of you have struggled with illness, some have lost loved ones and many are facing new financial realities due to the COVID-related economic downturn. Exceeding Expectations has taken on new financial responsibilities itself: helping some of our families keep a roof over their heads and food on the table when jobs were suddenly lost. Although this was an unplanned financial hit, taking care of our families-in-need is a vital part of our program because kids who are insecure in their living situation cannot possibly focus on their future. Protecting our kids by helping their families through these difficult times is truly a critical part of our overall goal of providing opportunities for these kids to live successful, productive lives, which includes getting an education. I never want to overburden you, and at this time am simply asking for EE to be on your list of potential recipients if you are in a position to do any giving this year. Our foundation is a non-profit 501(3)c, which means that your donation is fully tax deductible (Tax ID 20-4227809). If you chose to contribute, you can do it by check, made out to “Exceeding Expectations” and sent to:
Exceeding Expectations 31855 Date Palm Dr., #3-505 Cathedral City, CA 92234-3100
Or, you can donate securely using PayPal through our website, even if you don’t have a PayPal account. http://www.eefoundation.org/donate/
Our Awards and Scholarships party this year will be done 2020-style: outdoors, with masks and social distancing. But, as in past years, it will be a celebration of the kids’ accomplishments and that’s what Exceeding Expectations is all about. Stay tuned for pictures of this December 13th event which will follow a team 5K race that morning.
Thank you for your support - Happy Holidays – Stay well
-Cherie
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