I made a promise to be there and kept it

Pitbull attack could not get her off her game today

She was playing with the family dog, a pitbull, and was bitten in the face. She said to me, “It was all my own fault for scaring the dog,” as she arrived late for the start of our weekly session at Lamberts Point Community Center tonight.

It was NICE chess night and I have been giving children the used chess sets donated by those who read Susan Polgar’s Blog. Children who make good grades get a set and board to keep, sometimes other donated items like books as well.

This young lady was desperate to have her very own set. when they boards began arriving she tended to them like some girls play with a baby doll – lovingly.

It was a week ago and report cards were not due out until this week, but when she told me her grades were stellar, I took it on faith and gave her the board and set she held and rocked so lovingly a week in advance.

But she was worried that I might think she was not being truthful. She was bound by honor deep in her own upbringing and soul to make certain I knew she was deserving of what she considered to be the greatest gift she could receive, the chess set of her choice and a log book for her scores.

Her report card came in today and she would not let a little thing like a bite in the face and a trip to the hospital stop her from showing the hard evidence of her success in school.

I made a promise to be there and kept it.

Susan Polgar made the promise to get the word out and kept it.

The volunteers from Old Dominion and Norfolk State Universities and the neighborhood, promised to be there to mentor her and they kept their promises each and every week.

So she made a promise and kept it.

No matter what.

Turns out she made straight As this semester. Every single class.

She’s tougher than a pitbull and she plays chess. Keep your eye on this one folks. she’s already a winner.

Posted by Lisa Suhay

http://nicechess.wordpress.com