Toilet Mafia

This weekend the teens of our church are participating in World Vision's 30 Hour Famine. Raising money to fight world hunger, serving in their communities, having a fun time together and not eating the entire time - sounds like a bunch of Good News in my book. To help raise money this year, Jess started the fundraiser at church simply titled "The Golden Toilet." The premise is simple: if a giant golden toilet is in your yard, you can donate $10 to have it removed and placed in the yard of your choice. Afraid of gaudy golden toilets? Perhaps you'd like to purchase "Toilet Insurance" from a teen-aged insurance salesperson for $15. All money goes to fight hunger, people get their pictures taken with said toilet in front of their house - its a win-win!

Spray painting the toilet wasn't too bad - I even used some primer as a base coat. It looked nice sitting in the church lobby : ) The week before we started this though, the whole idea sounded rather shady. I felt like a mobster back in the '30s asking people if they'd like to pay for insurance for a problem I was willing to create.

"Yo! Maybe you'd be int'rested in buyin' some toilet insurance?"
"Why?"
"Well, let's just say it'd be a shame to have a giant golden toilet in your front yard, knowwhatimsayin?"
"Does that happen around here?"
"I can be arranged. Stranger tings have been known to happen."
"Would you do that?"
"I's not sayin' I would, I's not saying I wouldn't. You gonna pay up or what?"
"Fine, here's your donation."
"Forgeddaboutit."

Thankfully we go to a church where the youth group coercing donations for good causes is not frowned upon. It is almost expected! Over 90% of toilet recipients called up with a smile, and I'm assuming a grin after they chose the next destination. Nothing like the look on a fellow parishioner's face when a gold toilet appears in their yard : )

Hopefully the toilet will survive its tour de Church and we'll see more of it in the future. The tank cracked during a delivery on Sunday afternoon, but nothing that can't be fixed. The thing is so stinking heavy that carrying it around has been the one drawback to the whole experience. Golden non-heavy things will be a good idea for next time. Only a few more days of toilet worries for our church though, the real fun starts on Friday!