Jonathan Farrar, age 12, Donates $1,000 in Savings to School

The Old Testament Prophet Isaiah could have written this headline, Chapter 11, Verse 6 “ . . . and a little child shall lead them.” When he heard about some financial trouble his school district in Arkansas was suffering, Jonathan Farrar got out $1,000 he had saved up to go see the New York Yankees play in the Bronx and gave it to the district. It was part of $400,000 the community raised to cover the projected budget shortfall. George Steinbrenner, the Yankees owner, is bringing Mr. Farrar to New York soon.

It’s rare that this journal has anything nice to say about the New York Yankees or Mr. Steinbrenner, but this story puts one in a forgiving frame of mind. When the owner found out about Mr. Farrar’s selflessness, he wrote the kid a letter and sent him $1,000. In the letter, Mr. Steinbrenner said:

Jonathan, I couldn't be more proud of you. I agree with you when you said, ‘The New York Yankees are important to me, but my school is more important.’ You're absolutely right and it takes quite a man to give up his personal dream for a higher purpose.

Because of the tight finances at the school district, the Arkansas Board of Education was going to merge the Midland School District into surrounding districts, and Mr. Farrar faced being part of a new and unfamiliar school district and perhaps going to a new and unfamiliar school before he graduates. His mother, Lea Ramsey, led the fundraising efforts that eventually convinced the Board of Ed to relent, and she told her son when he approached her about his donation, “he really needed to think about this and pray about it. He told me that he just thought this was the right thing to do.” Many people know what the right thing to do is; Mr. Farrar distinguished himself by actually doing it.

When he gets to New York, Mr. Farrar will get a personal tour of the House that Ruth Built from Mr. Steinbrenner. He also gets to look forward to some time on the field during players’ batting practice, which probably means more to a 12-year-old than anything else. The Prophet Isaiah was a tough old bird, but this story could put a lump in his throat.

The Danish flag appears here as a protest against the violence being done to the free press of that country and elsewhere by those offended by some cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed, peace be unto him. A perceived insult is not an excuse for intimidation and violence, even in the name of the Creator. One cannot insult God, only small-minded men who falsely claim to speak for Him. © Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.