Carrie Birthday Contest Winner Announced!
UltimateCarrieFan’s story will be published in the News section of CarrieUnderwood.fm for all to read and will receive a teddy bear autographed by Carrie!
Carrie was greatly touched by the many stories of volunteer and humanitarian work that were submitted by members in honor of her 26th birthday. Your stories have given her new resolve to positively influence people through her music and volunteering, and she hopes that others will follow the example set by these heart-warming stories. Thanks to all who participated in making this such a special birthday!
UltimateCarrieFan’s winning story:
“Sometimes that mountain you’ve been climbin’ is just a grain of sand” –Carrie Underwood. This particular line in the song So Small is one I try to live by daily. There are times when I can get tangled up in the little things that do not matter and when I realize how minor these problems are I remember how blessed I am to live the life I do. Attending a private school that focuses on community service, I have always been interested in being involved in the community. Like many others, Carrie has inspired me to do more, and that one can never do too much to serve society.
Likewise to Carrie, I am an extreme animal lover! I was enrolled in horse 4-h for eight years and through this organization I did a lot of community service. Not only did I pick up trash along the highway roads, I helped put together a strictly horse only arena at the local fairgrounds. Interested in spreading the love of horses around, I also did labor work for the incapable and I gave free riding opportunities on my horses for those that had a passion for horses but not the capabilities of owning their own. Included in my horse charity work, I continue to donate as much as my budget allows to the Wild Horse Foundation. It is an organization that saves wild horses and burros from slaughter, protects them on public lands, and provides homes for them at a ranch called Black Beauty Ranch.
Going back to my school charity work, in third grade as a class, we donated money to an organization called Save the Manatee. In doing this we adopted our own class manatee. Ten years later and I am still contributing to this club annually, having my own adoptee, a cute momma manatee named Lily. Now in my last year of high school, I continue to volunteer at a mentally and physically handicapped program. Working with these people has shown me a whole new side of life. All the handicapped want is to be loved…and the love they have to share just radiates off of them. These people are so kind and grateful one cannot help but smile when they see them. They are living proof that “when you figure out love is all that matters after all; it sure makes everything else seem so small”.
Every little thing that Carrie contributes to gives me aspirations to do more. This summer I hope to volunteer at the Humane Society with my friend, and over the next few years I plan to flood myself with community service. As an extra bonus, the college I plan to attend also focuses strongly on community service. A soon to be graduate of a Jesuit school, I have committed myself to being a “person for others”. I believe giving back to others what they have given to you is the greatest good a person can do.
