Emily - Learns how to make money for Gymnastics

E m i ly is five y ea rs o l d .

A l l s h e wa nts to b e w h e n s h e g ro ws u p is a G y m n a st.

H e r m o m s a ys s h e n e e ds to s a ve h e r o w n m o n ey to b u y h e r o u tfit to sta rt g y m n a st ics .

E m i ly ’ s m o m to l d h e r s h e ca n re cy c l e ca n s fo r m o n ey .

L ate r th at n ig ht E m i ly se es th at h e r fa m i ly h a s s o da c a n s w ith d i n n e r . J ust th e k i n d of ca n s s h e ca n re cy c l e . S o s h e to l d h e r m o m to save th e m fo r h e r to re cy c l e .

E m i ly ’ s m o m te l ls h e r s h e ca n g et o n e n ic ke l fo r ea c h c a n s h e c o l l e cts . S h e n e e ds tw e nty d o l l a rs fo r h e r g y m n a st ics o utfit.

E m i ly a s ke d h e r m o m to s it d o w n w ith h e r a n d d o th e m ath to fi n d o u t h o w m a ny c a n s s h e w i l l n e e d to c o l l e ct.

H e r m o m s h o ws h e r s h e w i l l n e e d to c o l l e ct fo u r h u n d re d ca n s .

E m i ly sat d o w n a n d c o u nte d th e c a n s s h e g ot fro m d i n n e r th at n ig ht. O n e . . t wo . . th re e . . . fo u r ca n s fro m d i n n e r th at n ig ht.

A t th at rate , s h e w i l l n e e d to h a ve o n e h u n d re d m o re d i n n e rs to g et t w e nty d o l l a rs i n c a n s .

T h e n ext da y wa s th e n e ig h b o r h o o d b l o c k pa rty . A l l th e k i ds a n d pa re nts i n th e n e ig h b o r h o o d c a m e by to p l a y ga m es a n d h ave a ba r b e c u e .

T h e pa re nts w e re c o o k i n g a n d ta l k i n g to ea c h oth e r w h i l e a l l th e k i ds ra n a ro u n d p la y i n g w ith th e i r toys . B ut n ot E m i ly s h e sa w th at th e pa re nts w e re d r i n k i n g fro m th e s a m e c a n s s h e n e e d e d fo r h e r o u tfit.

E m i ly h a d a n i d ea . S h e w e nt i n s i d e a n d ga r b e d a ga r ba g e ba g a n d q u ic kly w e nt ba c k o uts i d e . S h e w e nt u p to eve ry o n e w ith a ca n a n d a s ke d . M a y I p l ea se h a ve y o u r c a n ?

S u re y o u ca n th ey wo u l d re p ly .

W h i l e a l l th e oth e r k i ds w e re p l a y i n g a n d r u n n i n g a ro u n d E m i ly wa s b usy at wo r k . S h e wa s n ot g o i n g to sto p u nt i l s h e h a d th e m o n ey to sta rt g y m n a st ics .

A t th e e n d of th e da y , E m i ly ’ s m o m s a w h e r s itt i n g d o w n c o u nt i n g a l l h e r ca n s fro m th e b l o c k pa rty .

H o w ma ny ca n s d o y o u h ave n o w ? H e r m o m a s ke d .

E m i ly to l d h e r m o m s h e c o u nte d to t w e nty - five , fo u r t i m es . T h at m ea n s y o u h ave o n e h u n d re d c a n s a n d y o u o n ly n e e d th re e h u n d re d m o re . H e r m o m to l d h e r .

T h at n ig ht E m i ly wa s i n h e r ro o m w ith a l l h e r c a n s l a i d o u t. E m i ly wa s I ma g i n i n g h e r i n th e n e w o u tfit g o i n g to th e g y m fo r th e fi rst t i m e .

E m i ly ’ s m o m wa l ke d i nto th e ro o m a n d to l d h e r s h e s h o u l d m a y b e g o a ro u n d a n d a s k th e n e ig h b o rs to s a ve th e c a n s th ey h ave fo r h e r to re cy c l e .

E m i ly th o u g ht th at wa s a g reat i d ea . I f s h e c o u l d g et th e i r ca n s at th e e n d of th e w e e k s h e m a y h a ve e n o u g h by th e w e e ke n d to g et h e r o utfit fo r gy m n a st ics .

T h e n ext da y afte r s c h o o l h e r a n d h e r m o m w e nt d o o r to d o o r .

E m i ly kn o c ke d o n th e d o o r . A n d a s it wo u l d o p e n s h e wo u l d a s k . M a y I p l ea se a s k fo r y o u to s a ve y o u r c a n s fo r th e w e e k s o I c a n re cy c l e th e m ?

O f c o u rse , I ca n th e n e ig h b o r re p l ie d .

E m i ly a n d h e r m o m th e n w e nt to th e n ext h o use . A n d a s ke d th e sa m e th i n g .

T h e n e ig h b o r wa s a ls o g l a d ly w i l l i n g to save th e i r ca n s fo r h e r .

B y th e e n d of th e b l o c k , E m i ly h a d g o n e to te n h o u ses a n d h a d ea c h of th e m save th e i r c a n s fo r h e r .

W h e n th ey g ot h o m e E m i ly ’ s m o m s h o w e d h e r th e m ath th at if s h e c o l l e cte d th i rty ca n s fro m ea c h h o u se s h e wo u l d rea c h h e r g oa l .

E m i ly sa w th at h e r n e ig h b o rs n e e d e d to d r i n k s ix c a n s a da y i n o rd e r fo r h e r to rea c h h e r g o a l by th e e n d of th e week.

B y Fr i da y E m i ly c o u l d n ’ t wa it to se e h e r n e ig h b o rs to c o l l e ct h e r c a n s .

E m i ly a n d h e r m o m w e nt d o o r to d o o r c o l l e ct i n g th e c a n s fro m h e r n e ig h b o rs . S o m e n e ig h b o rs wo u l d g ive h e r th i rty . O th e rs ga ve h e r l ess .

A b o u t h a lf wa y d o w n two ro ws of n e ig h b o r ’ s h o u ses s h e wa s a d d i n g u p th e c a n s a n d c o u l d se e s h e wa s g o i n g to b e s h o rt of h e r g o a l .

O n th e s ix h o use , s h e kn o c ke d o n th e d o o r .

M r . J o n es a n sw e re d th e d o o r w ith a b ig s m i l e .

I h a ve a l ot of ca n s fo r y o u E m i ly h e s a i d .

H e rea c h e d fro m b e h i n d th e d o o r a n d ga r b e d t wo l a rg e ba gs of c a n s . We h a d a b i rth da y pa rty th is w e e k a n d h e re a re a l l th e ca n s fro m th e pa rty . I h o p e th is h e l ps y o u o u t h e sa i d .

E m i ly wa s h a p p y to se e s o m a n y c a n s .

S h e q u ic kly w e nt to th e l a st fo u r n e ig h b o rs to c o l l e ct h e r c a n s .

O n c e s h e g ot h o m e E m i ly a n d h e r m o m w e nt to th e ga ra g e a n d p o u re d o ut a l l h e r ca n s a n d b e ga n to c o u nt.

E m i ly c o u nte d ea c h o n e two t i m es . S h e c o u l d n ’ t b e l ieve it. S h e h a d c o u nte d to t w e nty - five m o re th a n s ixte e n t i m es a n d th e n c o u nte d a n oth e r t w e nty .

E m i ly ’ s m o m to l d h e r th at s h e h a d ove r fo u r h u n d re d c a n s . Yo u rea c h e d y o u r g oa l , E m i ly y o u w i l l h a ve e n o u g h to b u y y o u r o utfit n o w .

N o w w e ca n g o to th e re cy c l i n g c e nte r a n d ca s h i n th ese c a n s .

E m i ly a n d h e r m o m l o a d e d u p th e c a r a n d h ea d e d to th e re cy c l i n g c e nte r .

O n c e th ey g ot th e re , E m i ly j u m p e d o u t a n d q u ic k ly ra n u p to th e p e rs o n wo r k i n g a n d s a i d . C a n I p l ea se h a ve m y tw e nty d o l la rs n o w ?

L et m e se e w h at y o u h a ve . E m i ly ga r b e d ba g afte r ba g fu l l of ca n s a s th e ma n wa s c o u nt i n g h e r c a n s .

L et u s se e , I c o u nte d fo u r h u n d re d a n d t w e nty c a n s .

T h at is tw e nty - o n e d o l l a rs wo rth of c a n s . E m i ly wa s ve ry h a p p y s h e h a d m o re th a n th e t w e nty d o l l a rs s h e n e e d e d .

T h e ma n h a n d e d h e r th e m o n ey a n d E m i ly a n d h e r m o m w e re n o w h ea d e d to th e sto re fo r h e r n e w o u tfit.

T h at S atu rda y E m i ly h a d h e r d rea m c o m e t r u e .

S h e wa l ke d i nto th e gy m n a st ics c l a ss w ith h e r n e w o utfit a n d a n e w wa y of ma k i n g m o n ey .

I a m ve ry p ro u d of y o u E m i ly .

Yo u h a d a d rea m a n d fo u n d a wa y to m a ke it h a p p e n a l o n g w ith h e l p i n g th e e nv i ro n m e nt.