• Name: Eliana
• Age: 10
• Activity: Started her own organization to offer comfort to hospitalized kids
• Finalist award: A Nicki Fleming doll
• Nominated by: Her mother, Carole

My daughter Ellie inspires me to be a better person. She started her own private charity called “Kare for Kids” in 2006. Many lemonade stands and donations later, Kare for Kids donated 50 holiday gift bags to Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Many lemonade stands and donations later, Ellie’s charity, “Kare for Kids,” donated 50 holiday gift bags to a children’s hospital.

Ellie made sure the bags were filled with items that kids could use from a hospital bed. There were craft kits so that the kids could decorate their own mini trees. Each bag had a stuffed bear to hug and a cheerful jingle-bells bracelet to wear.

After visiting the hospital, Ellie saw that each room had a VHS/DVD player, but that the video library was lacking. She knew what to do. She put fliers and boxes around town, and collected new and used movies. Thus far, she has donated more than 350 movies to the hospital. Her next endeavor is raising enough money to hire artists to decorate more of the rooms at Children’s Hospital with themes that make the patients feel like they’re in their own bedrooms.

Ellie plans to make care boxes for local children whose parents are serving in the military and away from home. She said that she wants them to know that other kids care about them when they’re missing their parents. Ellie also donated items to our local Women’s Shelter during the holidays. There are many children at the shelter, and she was able to provide 25 gift bags containing stuffed animals, paint kits, crayons, and activity books.

My daughter makes me proud every day. She is compassionate, smart, funny, and talented. She is constantly thinking of others and ways that she might ease their burden. She is an amazing example of what one person can accomplish.