Fund-raising basics

I just finished reading your story on preschool fund-raising (“Toys for Tots,” by Mary McNamara, Dec. 28): Your intent was to frighten the parents of children approaching that age, right?

It probably would have been too boring--and realistic--to point out the schools you spoke with are not the norm: You don’t have to be bidding on designer dresses or calling your celebrity friends for donations to put your child in preschool.

There are in fact really good preschools where you can send your child for $3,000 or $4,000 a year, not the “bargain-basement” price of $9,500 that you mentioned.

At the private Sherman Oaks preschool where both my sons have gone, we have two to three fund-raising events a year--including bake sales--organized by mostly working parents, raising a few thousand dollars each time. And by the way, we had a celebrity participant at our last event: me. I was one of three fathers to volunteer as Santa Claus. And on the kids’ social calendar, you can’t book a bigger celebrity.

Mike Brennan

Sherman Oaks