Today was the Penny Harvest Field Day for my school, and I, along with the principal, assistant principal, and 14 Penny Harvesters from my school, went to go check out the Penny Field in Rockerfeller Center. When I tell you that the sight was amazing, I’d truly be understating the experience. From my own understanding, this might be the first time students and coaches alike could visualize the impact that our collective monies could have in helping the less fortunate.

Though Mother Nature made the weather consciously frigid, and coincidentally the pennies we touched, it didn’t prevent us from enjoying the experience. We were able to post our Philanthropy Flag up in the pennies and actually hold them, too (some children took a few of the pennies while others flung them, but fortunately, it wasn’t any of our children). We also took tons of awesome pictures and found our school’s name field-side after a little trepidation about that. And while it only took a few minutes to take pictures, see the field, and check out the other colors of the other flags (which is part of another activity), I’m sure it will last a lifetime for all of them.

I also had to laugh because one of the helpers, whose name I recall, but won’t put on here, says, “Are you Jose Vilson?“

yeeeesss …

“Oh just checking. I’m (name here) and I just wanted to let you know I read your blog.”

Laughter ensues. Random, random, random, but I love it nonetheless.

But of course, it only got better. After lunch, the assistant principal had a surprise for the students: The Top of the Rock! Yes, we went to the top of Rockerfeller Center. Of course, the kids’ emotions ranged anywhere from complete euphoria to queasy apprehension, but overall, it was positive, and the experience was even more positive for them. We learned about the History of Rockerfeller Center, went up 63 flights in 42 seconds on an elevator, and landed on the upper ridges of the building. Glass borders protected us from doing anything dumb (or the kids for that matter). After I informed them that, at that point, they were actually in a cloud, their eyes just grew so wide.

Of course, the most fun of the day came from the Target Interactive Breezeway. Essentially, it’s a room that lights up, and senses humans inside it, to the point where different color lights follow you around. It’s a little eerie but awesome nonetheless.

Can you believe some of these kids have never been out of a 10-block radius from their houses? Some of them have never seen the Rockerfeller Christmas Tree, Rockerfeller Center for that matter, have never been that far downtown, have never been in a cloud, and (just like the rest of us) have NEVER seen a Penny Harvest Field.

Then again, if you don’t shower the people, they might never know what water is …

jose, who went awry from what he wanted to write about today, but d’ah well …