I’m giving in … a raccoon is nothing if not flexible …

Okay, so last year, I begged you … begged you … not to support CEED. That’s because I used to live in the Washington Lodge and my raccoon buddies and I had such a deal going on.

I was hoping that if you didn’t support CEED on Giving Tuesday, CEED would fail, and me and my buddies would get the Lodge back and it would be Party Time again!

Sadly, my plan didn’t work. CEED friends like you supported CEED … and they repaired some of the holes in the ceiling, installed a fire safety system, and returned the Washington Lodge to the community.

At first, I was sooo grouchy about that. You might have heard my screeching and wailing in the night. But I’ve come around. Looking in the windows, I can see that actually, what they’re doing to the Washington Lodge is pretty darn nice.  There are no more leaks in the roof for example. I mean, what’s the point of being indoors if you still get rained on? But now that the Lodge is starting to look pretty good, and it’s nice and dry, I’m thinking, maybe it’s time for me to join this whole CEED thing.

I noticed they have three new native animals at CEED:  an opossum named Edward, a quail named Robert, and a bullfrog named … well, I can’t remember, but who names a bullfrog anyway?

I hear that the new guys are going to be leading the charge on Giving Tuesday. And now that I’m kind of hoping I get added to the ranks of CEED Animal Ambassadors someday, I’m changing my tune. I want that place to be so nice when I move in.

So when the new guys write to you next week on Giving Tuesday, please follow their lead and support CEED.  You heard me say “please” right?  I don’t do that often.

Joey Raccoon

P.S.  I heard there’s going to be another Matching Gift Challenge, where a CEED Board member will match any gift you make up to $2,500. I hope you make them cover the whole thing. I don’t think you even have to wait till Giving Tuesday.  The Giving Tuesday Matching Gift Challenge has already begun!