Charity Begins When You’re Young

Tuesday, June 22, 2004

When Michael Brown’s Bar Mitzvah was drawing near, he knew that his family, friends and other guests would shower him with well wishes, gifts, and probably a fair amount of funds to spend as he pleased.

It’s the tradition. And, after all, he was an excellent student at Berkshire Middle School, and a talented budding actor who recently completed his run in the lead role of ‘The Princess and The Pea.”

But he also knew that he wasn’t really in need of all that he would probably receive at his special celebration and quickly decided that it would give him just as much pleasure to give some of what was given to him, to other children who needed it more than he did.

So upon their arrival, Michael asked his Bar Mitzvah guests to take any money they’d planned to give him, to Borders Bookstore instead. The result was a credit of $500 with Borders’ which Michael then used to buy books for the library at the Heilmann Learning Community (middle school).

Because of his most generous act, and spirit, Michael Brown has a special place of honor in the school library, and has made his father, Robert Brown, Executive Director of Special Projects for the District, very proud.