THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408120242
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
When 4-year-old Tommy Schaeffler found a $100 bill lying on the floor of a supermarket, he could have kept it to spend on toys and candy.
But he decided instead to donate it to a worthy cause.
Young Schaeffler, the son of Kari and Mark Schaeffler of Chesapeake, donated his $100 windfall to CANDII, a children AIDS network.
Tommy was standing in the check-out line at the Great Bridge Farm Fresh with his grandfather, Retired Adm. Tom Paulsen of Annapolis, Md., when he stepped on something. He picked it up thinking he'd found a dollar bill. But Paulsen saw that his grandson was mistaken. It was actually a $100 bill.
Paulsen and his grandson turned the cash over to the store's manager, who told them that if it wasn't claimed within a week Tommy could keep it. A week went by and no one claimed the missing money. When Tommy and his mom returned to claim the money, she asked what he wanted to do.
Tommy told his mother he wanted to give the cash to ``sick kids or kids without daddies.'' His mother called United Way to find out where the money would be most useful. She discussed options with Tommy and he chose to give it to CANDII (Children's AIDS Network Designed for Interface Involvement), which cares for children with AIDS and support families dealing with the disease.
``We were thrilled to be the recipients,'' a CANDII spokesman said. ``It was wonderfully generous of him, yet it was his choice. His family should be proud of him.'' JUNK BECOMES ART
Nathaniel ``Nat'' Brown, a recreation specialist at the Great Bridge Community Center and retired elementary school teacher, is chock full of ideas to keep children challenged and busy.
In fact, one resulted in an unusual art show held a few weeks ago at the Holt Drive recreation center.
Not only did Brown challenge the creativity and imagination of young participants of the Great Bridge Summer Play Time program but he even engaged in a bit of recycling.
On July 29, Brown and his Summer Play Time counselors set up a grand art show as part of a celebration of July as Parks and Recreation Month. The art works were exhibited in the community center's large meeting room.
The displays were sculptures made out of scrap wood pieces.
``I was a teacher for many years and when you do that you have to come up with ideas to keep these kids occupied,'' said Brown, who also organized a Fourth of July Parade and nature programs featuring Northwest River Park rangers.
Brown, who taught at Southeastern Elementary School and at what was then called Great Bridge Intermediate School, said his budding young artists, ages 6-11, used pieces of junk scrap wood thrown away by the Great Bridge Middle School North's wood shop and the Chesapeake Parks, Recreation and Building Maintenance Department's carpenter's shop.
``I told the kids to grab two or three pieces of wood and create an art object,'' said Brown, who retired from teaching three years ago.
At first many of the campers were daunted by the assignment, Brown said.
``They would look puzzled and ask me, `What can I make, Mr. Brown?' and `What can I do, Mr. Brown?,' '' he said.
Rather than offer specific suggestions, Brown showed his students the possibilities by creating his own bit of abstract wood art. Inspired by Brown's actions, the campers' creative juices began to flow.
Included in the more than 70 pieces were spaceships, crucifixes, battleships, whales, fish, pure abstract designs, buildings, castles and stylized human figures. The scraps were held together by wood glue and colored by spray paint.
All of the pieces were displayed in three different age groups led by counselors Diane Dennis (ages 6-7), Melissa Mangini (8-9) and Cliff Johnson (10-11). All the artists received certificates.
``They really enjoyed the project and were proud to display their art,'' Brown said. ``They told me they'll now give them to their parents. They were so enthusiastic, though, many wanted to take them home the day they were made.''
- Eric Feber ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Tommy Schaeffler
Donated $100 to CANDII
by CNB