Dick Rathgeber

Dick and Sara Rathgeber (Austin AmericanStatesman)

“I’ll give you an opportunity to be significant,” exclaimed Dick Rathgeber. That’s what he says to people to convince them to give money to people under the influence of poverty. My grandfather, Dick Rathgeber, is not only an awesome grandfather, but a philanthropist and a great role model. Allow me to elaborate.

Dick Rathgeber is a philanthropist because he gives his time and his money. One of the charities he volunteers for is the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army is currently working to provide food, water, and even homes for the poor! They are also still trying to help Katrina victims and not just forget about them. Dick Rathgeber is a big part of that. Just $100 dollars can provide food for a family of four for two days, two cases of drinking water, and one house cleanup kit. If you put together how much time and money he has given to help others, I think that makes him a philanthropist and a hero.

He also helps at the Settlement Home for Children. They help abused and neglected children and their families. He gives money to that cause and more time through the annual charity garage sale. They get a lot of donated items and sell them and the money they make goes to the Settlement Home.

He also helps at Habitat for Humanity. They build houses for people who can’t afford them. My grandfather finds the land to build the houses on and buys some of the supplies for the building. He also helps at the American Heart Association. He starts the bidding for the auction and all the money they make from the auction goes to the American Heart Association for heart research. There is one more charity that he helps at and that is Junior Helping Hand. Dick Rathgeber bought an apartment house for Katrina victims.

My grandfather is a great role model, not just for me, but for everybody. He has to be because people have to look up to him if he hopes to convince them to give money and time to people who really need it. So he doesn’t just give his time and his money, but he also convinces other people to give their time and their money to people who need it by simply saying, “I’ll give you an opportunity to be significant.” In my eyes he is a pretty big role model.

Dick Rathgeber is also an awesome grandfather who takes me to the beach with my brother, my sister, and my cousins. I remember one time we went to the beach. My grandfather, my brother, my sister, and one of my cousins went deep sea fishing and caught some fish and right when we got to the condo he started cooking them. They were so good. That same trip I was little so I could not swim very well. I asked him if he would take me out to the deep end so I could boogie board, and he did. That’s just two of the ways he helps me. He also comes to my sport games and my piano competitions.

As you can see, Dick Rathgeber, my grandfather, is my hero. I think a hero is somebody who helps others. I bet somebody younger would say a hero flies and saves the day from an evil villain, but that’s not my idea of a hero. I think my grandfather fits into the first category.