• Name: Raegan
• Age: 9
• Activity: Started her own organization to provide needy children with school supplies
• Finalist award: A Nicki Fleming doll
• Nominated by: Her mother, Leigh

When I received my daughter Raegan’s extensive first-grade classroom supply list for the upcoming year, I muttered “What do the kids that have no money do?” Not knowing Raegan was nearby, I heard a small voice answer, “Yeah, Mommy, what do those kids do?” With a shrug, I left it at that.

I muttered “What do the kids that have no money do for school supplies?” Raegan answered, “Yeah, Mommy, what do those kids do?”

The next day Raegan approached me and asked if we could make a flier and ask our neighbors to donate pencils. I thought this was a great idea, so we began the collection process. From there, she wondered if we might be able to collect backpacks, as one of the girls in her class brought her things in a plastic grocery store bag and that made Raegan feel sad.

I am proud to say that in 2004 Raegan and I started a not-for-profit called “Pencil Pals” which helps needy children in our immediate area get school supplies. In 2005 and 2006, we were able to donate 250 backpacks filled with supplies for the entire school year to our surrounding elementary schools.

Raegan is involved in every aspect of the non-profit’s operations. She picked the name, came up with the idea to have a children’s art contest, created the logo, chose the items to be placed in each backpack, chose the schools to be involved, came up with fundraising ideas and participated in them all, stuffed each backpack for hours in the dark of our garage, helped pack and deliver them, and acted as the cheerleader to keep this cause at the front of a very long list for one busy mom.

When her preschool teacher described Raegan as being “kind”, I thought, what a nice thing to say. As I watch her grow into this remarkable young woman, I am truly amazed sometimes at her generosity, which really is her own doing.