One of the most remarkable things about Bermuda is the never-ending generosity of its residents.

Bermuda's generosity to the less fortunate, both at home and abroad, is well chronicled.

But even within this continuous outpouring of kindness, you occasionally hear a story that seems to stand out.

One such story on yesterday's front page told of how a relatively modest effort to raise some money for the Dame Marjorie Bean Hope Academy ballooned into an effort that raised more than $100,000 for the children of the school.

It is worth remembering that the students at the school and their families have the most challenging conditions and special needs around. Some have cerebral palsy, others will spend their lives in wheelchairs while others still have tremendous learning difficulties.

If there was ever a case of people needing help due to situations that were out of their control, then this is it. And for families with so-called "normal" children, it is almost impossible to fathom the challenges these children and their families face every day.

Perhaps it is not surprising then that Bermuda responded so generously to Team Hope and its fundraising run on May 24.

What was even more encouraging was that this was not simply a matter of "able-bodied" people raising money for the children, but that the children themselves took part in a Move-A-Thon in which the children walked the 13.3 length of the race over a period of weeks.

That made this a truly collaborative effort in which the children and staff did their part and did not simply wait for a handout.

In addition, parents, friends of the school, other charities and international companies XL Capital and Tokio Millennium Re got involved as well, making this a true community effort.

Now the children will have the chance to go to special camps next summer, special music and art training and a tracking system will be installed at the school to allow the children who use wheelchairs to move around the school more freely.

Perhaps most importantly, the children and parents will get respite care, giving the parents a true break. That may be the greatest gift of all.

At a time when we all despair about alienated youth, violence, the seemingly intractable problems of housing, drugs and education, the story of Team Hope is an inspiration and a refreshing reminder of the true goodness of the Bermuda community.

And the next time we feel angered by some of life's petty frustrations, we should all remember that there are people in this community who must shoulder burdens that are greater than we can even conceive.