Bardzo dziękuję – takk fyrir – danke schoen – thanks.

On Sunday, a few hours after I first posted about Paralyzed Veterans of America, I went to the grocery store and found myself in line behind a wheelchair athlete. That auspicious coincidence made me hopeful that this fundraiser was going to turn out well.

Fourteen donations came from California, D.C., Florida, New York, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kansas, Utah, and Australia. Ten people claimed books; three more kind souls donated just for the heck of it.

Three people donated $10 each.
One person donated $12.
One person donated $15.
One person donated $20.
Five people donated $25 each.
One person donated $50.
One person donated $100.
As promised, I donated $75.

The total amount donated by you to PVA: $427.

What can I say? For a three-day fund drive run by a small-time author with a tiny blog, that result is outstanding. I am amazed—and very, very grateful.

I also need to extend a special thanks to several blogs for helping spread the word: Books, Inq., Steven Hart, Unlocked Wordhoard, What’s the Rumpus, and World of Royalty. Encouraging their readers to come over here was a vital contribution all its own.

If PVA holds events in your area, then go, watch, and cheer. You’ll be impressed by the athletes and inspired by their accomplishments. More generally, as people tighten their budgets, donations to groups like PVA are sure to decrease, so in the coming months, keep in mind that your favorite organizations still need you.

Thanks for making this impromptu campaign a success! In a day or two, as the heady rush of philanthropy subsides, this blog will return to its usual preoccupations: medievalism, books, and indispensable Roger Miller chicken medleys.