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My Piggy Bank The Oval Inbox
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Date: 10/16/2001
From: Heather
To: President George W. Bush
Subject: My Piggy Bank

Dear Mr. President, Photo of young boy holding an American flag. White House photo by Eric Draper.

My name is Heather and I am the very proud mother of a five-year-old boy named Christopher. About a year ago, Christopher decided that he wanted to go on a Disney Cruise. He saw the commercial and begged me for months.

Finally, my husband and I told him that if he could raise enough allowance to pay for his share (roughly $500) that we would take him. Since then, Christopher has done everything he could think of to raise money. He has helped wash the car, load and unload the dishwasher, make his bed, fold the clothes, feed his baby sister, and much more. Next week Christopher will have exactly $500 in his piggy bank.

The night you made your speech about sending a dollar to help Afgan children, Christopher just happened to be up late. When he heard you ask for a dollar, he looked at me and said, " Mom I want to send my allowance to the President." I replied by saying, "Ok, we will send him a dollar of your allowance." He then turned to me and said, " No mom, I want to send all of my allowance."

When I asked him if he still wanted to go on the "Disney boat, he said, " Yes, but those children will never get to go on the Disney boat and I can always save again." As I asked him if he was sure, he was already on his way to his room to get his piggy bank. He handed it to me and said, "Here, send it to the President."

Until that moment, I didn't think that he really understood what was going on in the world. My husband and I had sat down with him and tried to explain it the best we could, but I wasn't sure that he got it. Now I know that he did. I have never been so proud of him, and even though I'm sure that there will be many more proud moments in my life, this one will be hard to beat.

Sincerely,
Heather

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