Random Acts of Zhu (RAZ) 2010

There is nothing 'random' about giving. For reasons beyond our control, people are chosen to be angels and spread the gift of kindness each and everyday. We hear words like "luck" and "miracles", but rarely do we step back to look at the bigger picture — everything happens for a reason.

For the 2010 holiday season, I was chosen as 1 of 100 bloggers to spread the gift of giving. If you do the math (I prefer you do it because I'll come up with a bogus number), that comes out to be...A LOT of giving and A LOT of happy children. I enlisted the help of 104 furry friends known as Zhu Zhu Pets to complete this mission. The program is known as RANDOM ACTS of ZHU and the goal was to donate all of the popular toys to local charities who demonstrated a need. Here's an article from PRNewswire titled "ZhuZhu Pets® and Digital Moms Team Up to Give Back to Charities Across the Country During the Holidays" with further details on the program.

It was harder than you think to choose a charity. Immediately, I began searching for the places that would benefit the greatest from this charitable donation. I knew I wanted the place to be local (less than 30 miles from home) so that I had a chance to directly help children I may or may not know.

One day, I came across a tweet in my timeline on Twitter (try saying that really fast) from a local magazine in the Maryland area called Chesapeake Family magazine. The link from that tweet sent me to this ----->

After reading all the details, I knew that this was the perfect fit for Random Acts of Zhu. I called the number right away to speak with the coordinator of the program. After several e-mails and phone conversations, we set up a date for me to arrive with the donations. I felt great when I hung up the phone with her. Giving has a way of doing this.

I opened the 13 boxes of Zhu Zhu Pets, stacked them, then placed them in a few bags. I underestimated the amount of space they occupied. You should have seen me strolling through the streets of Downtown Annapolis with my huge duffel bag and sign. If only I had the proper attire, I could have passed for Santa Claus.

It was bittersweet saying "good-bye" to my little friends. I wanted to make sure they were sent to the perfect home and would be well-loved. Over several months, our family has come to love Zhu Zhu Pets. We own several of them including habitats, outfits, and other accessories. We even attended the Zhu-niverse tour at the Maryland Zoo. Let's just say we're super fans!!

Here is a picture of the coordinator for the Anne Arundel County Department of Social Services Holiday Sharing program and me. I made a horrific sign and only included a few of the pets. There were way too many to put in the picture.

The program was excited to receive this donation and I was excited to be a part of it.

I received an e-mail the other day thanking me (and the Zeno Group and Cephia, LLC. of course) for being a part of the Holiday Sharing program. As a result of everyone's efforts, mine included, they were able to assist families this year. Simply amazing.

Some of the actions I take in life are random. I don't always have a purpose for doing them and they are not always planned. Still, I find it rather convincing that I was picked for a reason to share with other families in need for the 2010 holiday season. This experience taught me a lesson, one of great value. I learned that my struggles are only as difficult as I make them and there will always be someone who is going through more than I am. I know that life is filled with highs and lows, but somewhere in between there is always hope. 

I am glad I was chosen to be a part of Random Acts of Zhu 2010. The act of giving GIVES back to the person doing it as well.

FTC Disclosure: Product provided: (Zhu Zhu Pets for donation). Opportunity given thanks to: (Zeno Group and Cephia, LLC). Opinions and views expressed are my own and do not reflect those of the sponsor(s).