First Time Around, Earth Stood Still Right Here

Grace Vistica, left, and Chloe Welmond had a joint birthday party recently and asked guests to skip the gifts and to make donations to Children's National Medical Center instead. The girls raised $400. (Courtesy Of Grace Vistica)

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Thank you, Roger.

And thank you Grace Vistica and Chloe Welmond, friends from Julius West Middle School in Rockville. They hosted a joint 13th (Grace) and 14th (Chloe) birthday party over the weekend. In lieu of gifts, they asked their friends to bring something for Children's Hospital. They raised $400.

Our total so far is $148,872.50. Our goal is to raise $500,000 by Jan. 9. Your tax-deductible gift can help us reach it. To donate, write a check or money order payable to "Children's Hospital" and mail it to Washington Post Campaign, P.O. Box 17390, Baltimore, Md. 21297-1390.

To donate online using a credit card, go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/childrenshospital.

To contribute by phone using Visa or MasterCard, call 202-334-5100.

My blog: voices.washingtonpost.com/commons. My e-mail: kellyj@washpost.com.

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