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I guess you could say I’ve seen the Wikipedia community’s commitment and love of knowledge firsthand.

As a volunteer at the Wikimedia Foundation in San Francisco, I’ve had the task of receiving and registering the checks people send to keep Wikipedia alive. That might sound like a routine task.

But, far from it, it is one of the more special things I have done in my life.

The people sending checks aren’t just giving their money, they’re sending their love. Almost every arriving check comes with a message: A child happily sending one dollar from his small weekly allowance. Another check with a simple post-it message saying I LOVE WIKIPEDIAAAAA!!! Sometimes, the messages are hard to read.

I’ll never forget the note from a father and mother whose son had died after a rare illness. They gave out of gratitude that Wikipedia has an article to inform others about the existence of the disease that took their son’s life.

When I add and edit articles, I always remember stories like that. Contributing knowledge to Wikipedia makes each of my days a special day. I hope you’ll make this a special day by sending your love to Wikipedia.

Sincerely,

Mayo Fuster

Wikipedia volunteer and contributor