Angels (2 legs on earth; 4 legs in heaven)

Following is part of an e-mail I received from a friend. He is (understandably) very proud of the eldest of his four daughters.

b: Here's a little story from the summer I know you will get a kick out of.
Our pup of 11 years, the indestructible Hudson, died over the summer. It was very sad for the family, my girls have never known a day of their life without him, but it was a great life lesson for us all. When we found out Hudson had cancer, Maggie, my 8 year old, decided that she wanted to raise money for canine cancer research. She just came home from school one day and started writing a letter to her principal asking if she could get permission to sell friendship bracelets after school for a $1. She went in and explained it all to the principal and he said it sounded like a great idea, but he needed to get permission from the district. Well, all the red tape and blah, blah, blah, it was taking too long, so Maggie started selling to friends and family. My wife set her up with a table just outside the school grounds in our neighborhood. She also brought her bracelet making gear to the firm meeting and just sat with her quiet determination making bracelets until someone asked her what she was doing. She sold a bunch that weekend. She was getting checks for bracelets from people she didn't even know. Maggie (and her mom) worked her little tail off. She even was contacted by the Dean of UC Davis Veterinary School who thanked her for her hard work and invited her to tour the campus. (We'll be doing that this fall.)

In any event, when all was said and done, she raised about $1,600 for animal cancer research, and has decided that she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. I was and am simply amazed by this little girl and her commitment and ingenuity. It is amazing to me that at 8 years old, she knows that she can do anything she puts her mind to. Even more important, she knows that she can make a difference. Now all I have to do as her parent is to help preserve and foster her volunteerism and confidence.
Keep well, my friend,
d

This is not a request for money, but . . . if you can't help but support Maggie's cause, checks payable to UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine may be sent to:
DDP
c/o Keesal, Young & Logan
P.O. Box 1730
Long Beach, California 90801-1730

Thank you!

Link added 17 April 2010:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/hudson-243652-piper-maggie.html?pic=0