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<< Previous   of   Next >> Photo by Sally Wiegand  (click to enlarge) Cole Wiegand, 7, of Marysville sits with some of the pumpkins he grew and sold to raise money for the Providence Children's Center of Everett.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, November 19, 2007 Pumpkin sale teaches a lesson and helps disabled children MARYSVILLE -- Raising funds for a cause and getting a prize for doing it is one thing. Raising funds for a cause for its own sake is another. Mike and Sally Wiegand of Marysville wanted to make sure their son Cole, 7, understood that each has value, and also that there's a difference. The result is $551 for the Providence Children's Center of Everett, and a learning experience for Cole. The second-grader recently told his parents about a school fundraiser that was offering a prize at the end. His parents say they fully support school fundraisers and had no problem with Cole participating, and he did. But they suggested he try another type of charitable endeavor as well. "The end goal is to serve an organization or a function you believe in," Sally Wiegand said. Last year, after Cole's parents helped him raise a crop of variegated, decorative pumpkins, he sold them to the Marysville Rotary Club for its Pumpkins for Literacy program, through the Plant Farm at Smokey Point. This year, his parents figured he could do it one better -- sell the pumpkins to Rotary for 3 cents a pound and donate the proceeds to an organization that helps children. "I wanted to do the kids' thing, and help kids," said Cole, who attends Cougar Creek Elementary School. They considered Children's Hospital in Seattle, but wanted to give to a more local organization. Providence Children's Center in Everett, part of Providence Everett Medical Center, specializes in diagnosing and treating children with physical and developmental problems. The only problem was that 1,068 pounds of pumpkins netted only $32.04. So Cole also called relatives, family friends and neighbors, asking if they would match that amount in a donation to the foundation. Cole went to their living rooms, or they went to his house, and he gave them short presentations. Neighbor Kerry Fairchild and her husband gave $40. "He's an exceptional young man," Fairchild said of Cole. "I think he's very special, he's very caring, he thinks about other people." Neighbors and friends contributed more than $500, bringing the total to $551. Cole presented the check to the Children's Center on Wednesday and got a tour of the facility to meet some of the kids, many of whom are severely disabled and undergoing therapy. "They were so nice to him. It was another learning experience for him to see what they do there," Sally Wiegand said. "We're just tremendously impressed with his initiative and his drive and his big heart," said Lori Kloes, director of development for the Providence General Foundation. "All those donations at any level really accumulate and add up and make a difference." --Bill Sheets

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