DIANE MAKAR MURPHY This story of giving should inspire us all this season

Need a wonderful story for the holidays? Well, here it is.
Doreen Miner is an English teacher at Boardman Glenwood Middle School. For the past two years, she has taught her pupils persuasive writing in a very interesting way. Write a letter to a business and ask for the most outrageous thing you can, within the bounds of reason, she tells them.
Pupils have requested free dinners, pizza parties and jelly beans. They've written to candy shops and pizza parlors, restaurants and coffee shops. Under Miner's scrutiny, letters include good reasoning and are in the proper format. If no reply comes after the initial letter, pupils write a follow-up; if a reply is received, they send a thank-you.
"We've done persuasive essays before," said Miner, who has been a teacher for 18 years. "But I thought the kids would really connect with this." And she was right. What's more, the merchants connected, too, responding sometimes to the most selfless of requests -- but more on that later.
Sweet reward
Fifty-three initial letters went out from Miner's two sixth-grade classes in September, and responses trickled in. One day, the custodian walked into the classroom with a large box, Miner recalled with a laugh. She leaned over it to read the label. "Oh my, it's from Gorants," she told the pupils, and the room erupted with applause. Lauren Deluca, Gina Palagano and Carly Boulos had each written Gorants. The company sent three boxes of 30 to 40 candy bars to Miner's writers.
"I can't tell you the motivation," she said.
Rodney Biliter was hero for a day when his letter prompted a Wedgewood Pizza party. Olive Garden sent Megan Howell a $25 gift certificate. Matt Pregi got a $10 Dick's Sporting Goods certificate. Caballo Bayo gave a gift certificate to Robbie Nagle. Christy Linker got five tokens for Handel's Ice Cream.
When Angela Martin got one bag of jelly beans from Jelly Belly, she asked to write again. "I want to thank them, but I think they misunderstood it was for the whole class," she told Miner.
"Right now, we're at 50-percent response," Miner said late in November. "Last year, we got about a 40-percent response."
Request for another
Although Miner is pleased with all her pupils, one letter this year made her especially proud. The president of the school's PTA, JoEllen Kieffer, summed it up: "The majority of students who write, write for something for themselves. The young lady I'm about to tell you about did the opposite. She made a request for her neighbor."
Gianna Beconder wrote to Casal's de Spa and Salon. Gianna wrote, "I am writing to you because my teacher... is having us write a persuasive letter with an outrageous request. ...
"My older sister has a baby-sitting job. She baby sits for two boys named Eoghan (8 years of age) and Hughey (7 years of age). Hughey has cerebral palsy. ... Many nights his mom Lorraine [Bees] gets up with him because he has seizures, a fever, or he can't sleep. It is hard for her to lift him (he is 60 pounds), feed him all his meals, bathe him, and diaper him. Even though she has many sleepless nights and extremely hard days caring for her boys, she always finds time to do many extras. She volunteers at school, has an art and craft room for her boys, and has her kids involved in many sports.
"She is very kind-hearted and always thinking of others. She always gets thoughtful gifts for my sisters and me to let us know we are special.
"I would like to let her know how special she is to me. She never takes time for herself. I would love to see her get a makeover and get pampered for the day. And once everyone sees her they would want to come to your salon. I hope you can help me show her how much I appreciate all that she does. ...
Sincerely, Gianna Beconder."
Inspiring act
One day, Miner found an envelope addressed to Gianna. There was no letter inside. Instead, Gianna discovered a Casal's $100 gift certificate.
"How wise for a sixth-grader to do that. Gianna, you give me so much hope for the future," Miner said.
And so do our area's merchants! And that, friends, is a wonderful story for the Christmas season!
murphy@vindy.com