And here is what I bought today with R$590, or US$330:
- 2 Polly sets (those were the most expensive items, but exactly what they girls asked for)
- 8 dolls os various sizes
- 1 remote control car
- 1 set of 5 Hot Wheels miniature cars
- 10 miniature cars
- 1 baby chew
- 11 pieces of clothes
- 1 pair of Spider Man sandals
- 1 pair of Polly sandals
- 1 pair of baby sandals (not in the photo)

These items covered the request of 21 kids (9 boys and 12 girls) from 6 months old to 9 years old.  Kids getting a piece of clothe also got a small toy (miniature cars or mini-skates or Polly pockets - these last two items I had purchased before, with the money collected at work).  

We still have money to spend - some friends contributed on Friday - and on Monday I will go to that post office I started with, as they got more letters in the past days.  Also a friend already purchased two soccer shirts and one soccer uniform kit (shirt, shorts, socks and a ball) that was on sale.

Awesome, Madelaide! Thanks again for including us in this project.

Thanks for posting the pictures!  What a wonderful sight! 

That post office looks just like I imagine Santa's workshop

Did you find any more in your PayPal account? What was the final?

Quote from: madelaide on December 16, 2009, 22:30
So far: US$205 + £11 + €50, with values from US$5 to 75.

I haven't done the conversions yet, but I think it's about US$300.

You guys rock!

Thanks RT, Miklav, sjlocke, lisafx, Shane White, elvistar, Whatalife, Carolina Smith, pichunter, clivia and
patrick1958.

Now if Shane White and Carolina Smith would identify themselves.

I will take a photo of everything I buy with this money, so you will see what you helped me get.  This may be on Monday only, though.

Quote from: RacePhoto on December 25, 2009, 23:39
Did you find any more in your PayPal account? What was the final?

No, nor at MB.  This converted to about R$500, and I had more from my local collections.  Basically, as I said in a previous post, this covered the presents for 21 kids.

In total, I collected R$4080 - about U$2300 - and purchased presents for 75 kids in the "Mail's Santa" Program, plus some (perhaps over 30) to whom I purchased crayons, coloring books and children books - this last part was a collaboration to a Christmas initiative of my company, helping a poor community near our offices (the company sponsors sports and educational activities in this communit along the year).

A lot of friends got involved in the end, as I started showing the results of the collections, and in the end in fact I had to reject more donations people offered me because the Mail had finished the program for the season.  

I am waiting to receive photos of kids receiving gifts in the branch I did most of our contributions.  A lady there took a photo of a kid receiving a bicycle and promised me more. As they don't take part on the official program, they don't deliver the presents, instead they mail or phone the kids to pick them at the branch.  I was there when two of them arrived, none of them however were from the letters I picked.

This is a truly wonderful story and it moved me to tears.
Thank you for helping them, Madelaide and Lisa and Sean and Clivia and Caroline and all the others.
Unfortunately I'm not part of it. My Paypal account - zero, my credit card - red, but if you decide to do this again next year please count me in. It's a promise, I'll be there no matter what.
Thank you for bringing hope and joy to the children and to me, your reader.