Hi there, Clanmates!
Thank you so much for visiting the Brightspirit Relief Fund website. Hopefully you’ve had a look at all the fabulous plans for Warriors Day, and realized just how special Emmy must have been to inspire a whole state to join together to raise funds for her favourite causes and promote her love of reading.
Obviously it would be great to see as many of you as possible in Russellville on September 20th, but I know how huuuuge the US is (my tours have taught me that!) which means lots of you won’t be able to make it. L Sadly we can’t open the Warrior Day competitions to people outside Russellville and the schools involved in the literacy events (can you imagine how many entries we’d get?!). But you can still be involved! We are all part of the same Clan, WarriorClan, and Emmy would want the benefits of Warriors Day to stretch right across the world.
First off, if you’d like to make a donation to the Brightspirit Relief Fund, you can do so safely through this site. You’ll need an adult to help with this.
Just as welcome as donations to the fund (maybe even more so, for bookworms like us!) are used books for the Warriors Day Book Giveaway. We’d like to give a FREE book to every single student who attends the literacy events on September 19th. And I’d really like to have lots of books left over to send to other students in Arkansas. Naturally we need a LOT of books to make this happen! Why not have a look at your bookshelves and see if there’s a book that you really enjoyed, but could spare to someone who might not have had a chance to read it yet? You could write a little note on the title page, saying what you loved about the book, and hi to your book’s new owner! If you have any books you’d be willing to donate to the fund, please mail them to Vintage Books. The address is on the homepage of this site. I promise your book will be cherished forever by whoever receives it. And who knows? You could make one of your favourite stories even more popular!
But WarriorClan doesn’t begin and end in Arkansas. It is everywhere, wherever someone has picked up a Warriors book and dipped their toe into the world of the cats. You aren’t just part of our gigantic Clan, though. You are a member of lots of other Clans: friends, family, school, sports team, scouts, summer camp… That’s a lot of warrior duties! Even if you can’t take part in Warriors Day, you can still do a lot of things to help your Clans. They don’t have to involve raising money; helping people out is just as welcome, often more so if you’re a busy mom or an elderly person who doesn’t get many visitors. I would be so proud if you could do just one thing for your Clan on Warriors Day. There just couldn’t be a better tribute to Emmy Grace Cherry, and one little good turn can make a huge difference to someone.
Here are a few ideas to get you started!
1. Elders are always well-respected by their Clanmates. Why not see if you can visit a local residential home for older people, and talk to some elders who don’t get as many visitors as the others? They’ve lived for so many moons, they’ll have great stories to tell! If they don’t see so well anymore, you could read to them – maybe not the whole of the Warriors series, but a newspaper or magazine. And so many elders love surfing the Internet, why not show them www.warriorcats.com?!
2. All warriors love to read! If you have several books you’d be willing to share with other bookworms, why not take them to your local children’s hospital or school? As long as they have all their pages and a tidy cover, they’ll make a great addition to a library.
3. Busy queens need help in the nursery! You don’t have to go out in the evenings to baby-sit: Many moms would love to have someone play with their kits for an hour or two during the afternoon so they can catch up with chores, or sit down with a cup of tea and a magazine. Perhaps you and a friend could take your stuffed cats and beanie babies to have a feline version of a Teddy Bears’ Picnic with some playful kits? Don’t forget, all kits have loads of energy so make sure you give them a chance to run around the camp! Preferably outdoors…
4. Emmy loved animals and had a lot of pets. You’ve heard about Shasta, her beautiful cat who survived the storm but lost one of her hind legs. Shasta is now being cared for by Emmy’s best friend Harley, who has made Shasta feel safe and loved after losing her owner. You might not have a pet of your own, but I’m sure lots of your Clanmates do. Why not offer to help out by walking a dog, grooming a cat, or even feeding a rabbit while its owner goes on vacation? Pets love being petted! I’m sure they’d appreciate a little extra fuss – and pet-owners LOVE talking about their favourite animals!
5. Grown-up warriors always appreciate some help with their duties. Sweep that yard! Tidy your room! Do some gardening! Fetch mouse bile to remove those ticks! Er, maybe not the last one. But however much apprentices grumble about doing the less glamorous chores around camp, they still have to get done. And there might be a tasty piece of fresh-kill waiting at the end…
6. Every apprentice has to learn hunting skills as soon as they start their training. I can’t imagine many of you crawling through the undergrowth in search of a tasty vole, but there are much easier ways to feed your Clan! Help the warriors in your home with gathering fresh-kill – going to the superstore, in Twoleg-speak. Our fresh-kill takes a little more preparation than a plump, still-warm mouse, so why not learn to cook a few simple dishes for your family? Or even better, invite some friends over for a baking-themed sleepover! You’ll find several of Emmy’s favourite recipes on this website, so you could make the Ultimate Warriors Midnight Feast and devour it all by the light of the full moon.
***VERY IMPORTANT***
Warriors live by a code that keeps them and their Clanmates safe, healthy and respectful of others. Make sure you follow these simple rules to keep YOU safe and healthy as you help your Clan.
Always, always ask permission from your parents, guardian or teachers before setting out on a warrior task. They need to know WHERE you’re going, WHO you’ll be with, WHAT you’re going to do and WHEN you will come home or need to be collected.
If you have a cellphone, take it with you (and make sure it’s fully charged!). If you don’t have a cellphone, always carry a list of the most important numbers with you.
Tasks are a lot more fun if you share them! Involve your friends – they don’t have to be Warriors fans but maybe they’ll try the books after you’ve finished helping your Clan!
DON’T EVER GO INTO THE HOUSE, CAR OR BACKYARD OF SOMEONE YOU DON’T KNOW. Steer well clear of strange territory, it’s as simple as that.
Busy queens, worried warriors and achey elders can all be grumpy at times. Just think of Mousefur! They might not want you to do something for them right now, but wait a while and ask again. They might be really glad of some help another time.
LOVE BEING A WARRIOR. It’s all about helping your Clan while having fun. If you’re not having a good time, try another task! There’s a whole world of ideas out there.
And of course I’d love to hear all about your own plans for Warriors Day, so please write and tell me!
May StarClan walk your path, always.
With love
Vicky x
