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Deliver Da' Letter! Da' Sooner Da' Better

September 12, 2024
By Anonymous

What's even better than getting an autograph from a famous person? How about giving one?

Fifth graders recently practiced the lost art of letter writing. They started by thinking of somebody they admire. After disappointingly finding out that they were not allowed to write to Principal Arnold, they switched to their backup choices. A myriad of notable personalities picked included recently retired tennis pro Serena Williams, YouTuber Mr. Beast, female education activist Malala Yousafzai, former football quarterback Peyton Manning, Wonder author R.J. Palacio, and former President Obama.

Once recipients were picked, student writers researched fanmail addresses. Their letters included introducing themselves, sharing multiple compliments, and asking several questions. Students enjoyed writing their names at the bottom, in effect signing their autographs as if they were the more notable person.

Now, for the hard part . . . waiting for a response. The average letter reply takes about three months, while the longest once took a patient fifth-turned-sixth grader an entire year. Although the fastest responses tend to come from authors (they like to write) and politicians (they want you to vote for them), the quickest reply occurred a few years ago when Brazilian-American skateboarder Bob Burnquist responded with a letter and autographed picture in only three weeks.

Who sent the most letters, you ask? Fifth grader Parker Houck, with an impressive 15 letters (and self-addressed signed envelopes, to boot)

Riddle me this: Which prominent figure is going to receive the most number of fifth grade letters from RAA? Let's just say that these students are hoping to get their letters back "Swift-ly."

 

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