The expo was held outdoors, and it was unbelievably HOT this year. I was sitting behind the merchandise table, being my usual socially awkward self. Honestly, I am much too prissy to be outside in that kind of heat. I fanned myself and watched in awe as my daughter worked the crowd. She looked so cute in her yellow tee shirt with the word VOLUNTEER on the back (and the rescue's logo on the front). I was wearing one, too, but let me just say that yellow is not my color. I don't know what my color is, but I have confirmed that it is not yellow.
Anyway, she stood towards the front of our tent, next to the table with the game on it. The game is pretty simple. We have a stand (shaped like a Boxer) with lollipops stuck through it. Each player pays a buck, grabs a sucker, and then checks the color on the bottom of the stick. Depending on the color, they get to dig around in a prize bin and walk away with a fine item, like a miniature beach ball or a strand of mardi gras beads.
My daughter started out by simply handing a flyer to an unsuspecting passerby. When he/she paused for a moment to see what they had been given, she went in for the kill. She gestured at the lollipop game and explained how they could play for JUST ONE DOLLAR and that a prize was guaranteed. People who had no intention or interest in the game (or in Boxers, or possibly in dogs at all) found themselves handing my child a buck and plucking a lollipop out of the stand. One lady was digging around in the prize bin and I heard my daughter urging her to "pick the whoopie cushion!" Another lady looked at me and said, "You sure have a good salesperson here!" I smiled, feeling every bit like a proud mama.
I know I have a certain bias as her mom, but people really do find her irresistible. One woman chose the pina colada flavored lollipop and started singing "The Pina Colada Song" to my daughter (who does not know what a pina colada is). When I set up the game initially, I felt certain that we had enough lollipops to last the whole day. However, within an hour my daughter had sold at least 20 and I had to refill them pretty quickly. Honestly, I was in awe. I don't think I could manage to sell water to a man dying of thirst, so I was duly impressed with her skills. Every few seconds, she had another buck for the cash box.
After a couple of hours, we took a break and visited the other booths, where she played lots of games and won lots of crap. By 1:00 or so, we were half melted, so we headed out and drove home. Despite the oppressive heat, she continued to talk to every soul she encountered until we got to the car. Once again, I find myself marveling at Miss Social Butterfly. It makes me feel kind of guilty about the times I have asked her to, just for a moment, stop talking.
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| Getting a French kiss at the French Bulldog booth |
