The Gee Whiz Kids™ Award is given to children aged 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America.
Jessica Carscadden, 10 years old - Grade 5, from San Diego, CA wins First Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Jessica Carscadden from San Diego, CA was awarded First Place for the 2013 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. She will receive a certificate, letter, and $250.
While cleaning her room, Jessica decided to donate her stuffed animals to a local fire department to keep in their trucks for children they meet on calls. This small personal donation inspired Jessica to start We Care Bears, a stuffed animal drive for emergency services in her area.
We Care Bears has placed bags of stuffed animals in over 400 local emergency response vehicles for scared or injured children. Jessica continues to seek out opportunities to expand her efforts. While in Nevada for a school cheerleading competition, Jessica took time to donate hundreds of bears to local fire stations as well as the Ronald McDonald House of Las Vegas.
Jessica is an inspiration to her peers, encouraging students to serve their community and providing opportunity for them to get involved with her project. Recently, We Care Bears held a large volunteer event for local youth that created over 500 bags of bears, that is enough bears for every single police car in San Diego.
To learn more about Jessica’s service activities visit
wecarebears.webs.com/apps/blog
www.facebook.com/WeCareBearsProject
July/August issue of America Girl Magazine
Hannah and Alexander Laman 10 years old - Grade 5, from Loveland, OH win Second Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Hannah and Alexander Laman from Loveland, OH were awarded Second Place for the 2013 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. They will receive a certificate, letter, and $150. Hannah and Alexander founded Adopt a Book in 2011, a non-profit that collects and distributes new and gently used books for children in need. To date their organization has collected over 21,000 books and distributed them to 29 local organizations that work with at-risk youth. Hannah and Alexander have inspired hundreds of volunteers to partner with their organization including many of their peers.
Passionate about reading and the availability of resources, Hannah and Alexander petitioned the city to place a Little Free Library along a historic bike trail, encouraging people to share and recycle reading materials. This library has been a huge success with its take-a-book, leave-a-book approach.
Read more about Hannah and Alexander at:
www.adoptabookohio.org
www.facebook.com/Adoptabookohio
Connelly Cowan, 9 years old, from Mount Pleasant, TX wins Third Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Connelly Cowan from Mount Pleasant, TX was awarded Third Place for the 2013 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. She will receive a certificate, letter, and $100.
In 2012, Connelly learned about struggling schools in Guatemala from fellow church members who had recently returned from a mission trip She felt inspired to help and began collecting school supplies. This launched into Connelly's Classroom project. Connelly inspired her classmates and members of her community to volunteer their time and resources. To date, Connelly has collected thousands of school supplies and is currently collecting donations to purchase desks.
Read more about Connelly at:
www.refugeinternational.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIkIsZ-z_Ks
Heroes of the Heart™ Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
More information about the Gee Whiz Kids™ Award or the Heart of America Foundation® can be found on the Foundation’s website at www.heartofamerica.org or by contacting Colleen Noland at [email protected].
Founded in 1997, the Heart of America’s focus is to provide children in need everywhere with the tools to read, succeed, and make a difference. A national nonprofit headquartered in Washington, DC, its programs uniquely combine volunteerism and literacy. Since 1997, it has provided children living in poverty with over 1.8 million books and has helped volunteers serve more than 1,020,000 hours giving back to the community.
Previous Award Winners
The Gee Whiz Kids™ Award is given to children age 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America.
Brooke Mackenzie Hinson, Grade 7, from Mount Olive, NC wins First Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Brooke Mackenzie Hinson, Mount Olive, NC—was awarded First Place for the 2015 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
The Heart of America Foundation® announces Mackenzie H., from Mt. Olive, NC, as the first place winner of the 2015 Gee Whiz Kids® Service Award. The Gee Whiz Kids® Award is designed to honor exemplary children age 12 and under who represent the best of their schools and communities via service activities
Mackenzie, after volunteering at several food banks, decided at age 10 to open her own food bank to better serve her local community. She persuaded a nearby church to allow her to use their facility; met with an accountant and applied for her 501(c) nonprofit status; invited local business leaders to join her board of directors; and scheduled fundraisers to raise money to purchase food.
In April 2015, Mackenzie’s “Make A Difference Food Pantry” became a reality with the mission of “stopping hunger one meal; one family at a time, while providing nutritious food to those in need with compassion and love.” By July, Mackenzie had served over 600 people and outgrown the church space, relocating to a local strip mall.
She now fundraises to pay her rent and utilities, as well as purchase food to give away. Recently, a local car dealership donated a van to Make A Difference Food Pantry to transport food. Make A Difference Food Pantry is an official partnering agency with the Central North Carolina Food Bank. Thanks to Mackenzie’s efforts, over 3,000 people have been served. Mackenzie is also the sponsor of the “Back Pack BUDDY” children’s weekend meal program at three local schools, supplying weekend meals for 56 children. This amazing seventh grader is living her dream of serving those in most need.
Adelaide Epler, Grade K, from Ketchikan, AK wins Second Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Adelaide Epler from Ketchikan, AK, was awarded Second Place for the 2015 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
The Heart of America Foundation® announces, Adelaide E., as the second place winner of the 2015 Gee Whiz Kids® Service Award. The Gee Whiz Kids® Award is designed to honor exemplary children age 12 and under, who represent the best of their schools and communities through service activities.
Adelaide and her father spent the month of July 2015 shoeless to raise awareness and funds for ‘The Shoe That Grows’, a nonprofit that produces adjustable shoes designed for growing children in developing countries. To encourage others to participate, Adelaide laid out “Addie’s Barefoot Challenge”, which encouraged other kids and adults to experience the woes of going shoeless for 24 hours and then donate to the cause. The local community raised over $3,500 in total.
Adelaide has also championed a nearby playground that had fallen into disrepair. She wrote letters to public officials, published a letter-to-the-editor, and even spoke at a borough Assembly meeting. Adelaide maintained that adults had forgotten about parks and playgrounds, and someone needed to remind them that kids need a safe place to have fun. Her YouTube video “An Important Message about the Monroe Street Tot Lot” reached enough people that the local newspaper ran a story, and within a few weeks, much of the equipment had been replaced. There is now a plan for a full renovation in the future. On a more personal level, Adelaide looks to demonstrate practical compassion in the small, everyday things, such as volunteering alongside her parents with an organization that packs and delivers groceries to under-resourced families.
Wesley S., Grade 4, from Hanover, NH wins Third Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Wesley S. from Hanover, NH was awarded Third Place for the 2015 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
The Heart of America Foundation® announces Wesley from Hanover as the third-place winner of the 2015 Gee Whiz Kids® Service Award. The Gee Whiz Kids® Service Award is designed to honor exemplary children age 12 and under who represent the best of their schools and communities, the true heart of America.
Nominated by a Food Shelf Coordinator at the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction, Vermont, Wesley has been volunteering alongside his family since age three, when they began making peppermint ice cream to help soothe cancer patients’ stomachs. At age 10, Wesley took the lead on the project and transitioned to making ice cream for Upper Valley Haven after a visit. During that initial visit, he noticed that there was no ice cream in the freezers – a treat that he took for granted that was not readily available for those in need. On a weekly basis over the summer and on school holidays, Wesley makes ice cream, loads it into a cooler box, and delivers it to the food shelf. Over 100 pints of the treats help feed some 200 people at The Haven each summer.
Wesley has volunteered hundreds of hours to participate in or lead service activities, ranging from picking up trash to teaching child safety to kindergarteners. He has been involved in numerous fundraisers (including selling lemonade to raise $2,000 for the American Wildlife Foundation) as well as environmental and community outreach projects. However, his favorite activity is making homemade ice cream, because he knows that he is providing a little joy and comfort to children and adults.
The Gee Whiz Kids™ Award is given to children age 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America.
Isabella Griffin, Grade 6, from Alamosa, CO, wins the First Place Gee Whiz KidsTM Award
Washington, DC - Isabella Griffin, Alamosa, CO—was awarded first place for the 2014 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
Isabella started to Be A buddy, not a bully, because she was being bullied in the 3rd grade for how she dressed and a few other things. She went to some of her teachers and administration and was told that she was being a tattle tale and that she needed to learn the difference between being bullied and girl drama. Isabella felt alone, like she had no one she could turn to. She went home to her parents and told them she was scared and didn’t know what else to do because nobody would help her. Isabella's parents talked to her and told her the best thing she could do was stand up for herself. If she stood up for herself and let them know she was not going to put up with their bullying, they would stop. Isabella did just that, and after a little while, the bullying did stop.
The following year, when Isabella was in 4th grade, there was a kid in her class who had Autism. He was being bullied and picked on because he was different. This made Isabella mad. Why pick on him because he was different? She began asking, “Why do we do this to people? Why is it so cool to be so mean to other people?” Again, she would go home and tell her parents how it made her feel, and they told her that she needed to remember how she felt when she was being bullied and understand that maybe he doesn’t understand what is happening, or maybe he doesn’t know what to do to stop it. Isabella decided she was going to stand up for him and tell everyone to leave him alone. It didn’t happen overnight, but eventually, after everyone realized Isabella was going to be there to stop them, their bullying turned into genuine approval of him. He was being included in things like lunch, and people were talking to him and not making fun of him.
It seemed simple, she saw the change she made and thought that if she can do it, then everybody can do it. Isabella spent hours on the computer, reading some books about building self-esteem. She went to her parents with an armful of information about bullying, positive things you can say to people who are being bullied, and lots of statistics. All she really wanted to do was start a club in school, but she didn’t know how to because her elementary school didn’t have clubs. Her parents told her if it meant that much to her, they would all go talk to the principal. Which is exactly what they did. The principal was very supportive of the idea, and Isabella presented it to the 3rd–5th graders at her school. Isabella's idea is that if the 85% of students who are “bystanders” stand STAND-UP and STEP-IN, then they can stop bullying. She came up with the “Three C's,” which are Compassion, Confidence and 20 seconds of Courage…with these, kids are un-stoppable, and they have the power to put an end to other people being bullied or even stop being bullied themselves. She wants kids to stop turning their heads and start stepping in. Isabella understands that kids have more of an effect on each other than adults do. Kids tend to follow the leader and do what is “cool”. “I think being nice, standing up for what you believe in, and doing what is right is “cool” and I think if enough people stand up for who they really are, and aren’t afraid to be who they really are then we can change our environments completely. Don’t let people know that you are afraid of them or what they think. Don’t let someone who wants control over you have it! Find your 20 seconds of courage, your confidence and your compassion for others, and you will be amazed at the change you can make. It just takes one!”
Isabella has every student take a pledge to Be A Buddy – Not A Bully. She asks them to make a commitment that they are no longer going to be bystanders; they are going to Stand Up and Step in. Isabella makes posters for every school, which every student signs. Along with the pledge and the poster, every child is given a bracelet that says “Buddies, Not Bullies.” It serves as a visual reminder to the students that they have made a commitment to STAND UP AND STEP IN. Isabella is trying to start a movement across the nation to empower kids to make change in their schools and their communities.
Ive Jones, Grade 7, from Apex, NC win Second Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Ivy Jones from Apex, NC was awarded Second Place for the 2014 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
A 12-year-old girl from Apex [North Carolina] is working to help West African kids left orphaned by the Ebola virus in West Africa. Ive Jones gave up her 12th birthday (Nov 5th) to raise over 4000.00 for the orphans. Ive Jones also decided to make purses out of Liberian fabric in an effort to raise money for the orphaned children through www.morethanme.org. As it is Ive's birthday wish is to collect more than $4,000. She donated the money to www.morethanme.org. The amount commemorates Ive's 12th Birthday, and it's a dedication to the children who have died and become orphaned. She is also collecting hand sanitizer and teddy bears." Ive is also the Founder of GrantAWishLiberia. She aims to continue providing food and education for the children of Liberia through her fund-raising and awareness campaigns. You can find out about her work on Twitter @iamivejones and instagram @iamivejones Ive has also started an Ebola Bleach Pail Challenge, a petition ·to encourage Americans to help orphaned West children and joined Amnesty International in an effort to break the cycle of silence and ignorance towards the virus.· Ive is also passionate about God, dance, acting, design, technology, and spreading kindness. She states, “We must empower girls through innovative digital content that promotes love.” Ive is a passionate explorer in pursuit of excellence (specifically becoming a principal ballerina). Ive believes, we all have our own individual strengths to empower each other, celebrate and BE KIND."
NEWS VIDEO: Apex 11-year-old raising funds for children orphaned by Ebola
Marko Zirdum, Grade 4, from Hillsboro, OR wins Third Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Marko Zirdum from Hillsboro, OR was awarded Third Place for the 2014 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
This summer Marko wanted to do something to help homeless people. After thinking about it a lot and researching what they might need, he decided to create hygiene bags. With his mother's help, he let friends and family know he was collecting unused personal hygiene items - travel or hotel sized soaps, shampoos and lotions; toothbrushes, toothpaste, deodorant, and so forth. During summer vacation, Marko collected and sorted the donated items. He used the money that was donated to purchase recloseable storage bags and additional personal products to assemble the maximum number of hygiene bags possible. On November 10, he personally distributed the hygiene bags to individuals in Portland, Oregon. He engaged each person in conversation and offered them a bag. It was a truly a gift of the heart, a one-to-one connection made by a nine-year-old with many strangers in need.
The Gee Whiz Kids™ Award is given to children age 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America.
Jessica Carscadden, 10 years old - Grade 5, from San Diego, CA wins First Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Jessica Carscadden from San Diego, CA was awarded First Place for the 2013 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. She will receive a certificate, letter, and $250.
While cleaning her room, Jessica decided to donate her stuffed animals to a local fire department to keep in their trucks for children they meet on calls. This small personal donation inspired Jessica to start We Care Bears, a stuffed animal drive for emergency services in her area.
We Care Bears has placed bags of stuffed animals in over 400 local emergency response vehicles for scared or injured children. Jessica continues to seek out opportunities to expand her efforts. While in Nevada for a school cheerleading competition, Jessica took time to donate hundreds of bears to local fire stations as well as the Ronald McDonald House of Las Vegas.
Jessica is an inspiration to her peers, encouraging students to serve their community and providing opportunity for them to get involved with her project. Recently, We Care Bears held a large volunteer event for local youth that created over 500 bags of bears, that is enough bears for every single police car in San Diego.
To learn more about Jessica’s service activities visit
wecarebears.webs.com/apps/blog
www.facebook.com/WeCareBearsProject
July/August issue of America Girl Magazine
Hannah and Alexander Laman 10 years old - Grade 5, from Loveland, OH win Second Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Hannah and Alexander Laman from Loveland, OH were awarded Second Place for the 2013 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. They will receive a certificate, letter, and $150.
Hannah and Alexander founded Adopt a Book in 2011, a non-profit that collects and distributes new and gently used books for children in need. To date their organization has collected over 21,000 books and distributed them to 29 local organizations that work with at-risk youth. Hannah and Alexander have inspired hundreds of volunteers to partner with their organization including many of their peers.
Passionate about reading and the availability of resources, Hannah and Alexander petitioned the city to place a Little Free Library along a historic bike trail, encouraging people to share and recycle reading materials. This library has been a huge success with its take-a-book, leave-a-book approach.
Read more about Hannah and Alexander at:
www.adoptabookohio.org
www.facebook.com/Adoptabookohio
Connelly Cowan, 9 years old, from Mount Pleasant, TX wins Third Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Connelly Cowan from Mount Pleasant, TX was awarded Third Place for the 2013 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. She will receive a certificate, letter, and $100.
In 2012, Connelly learned about struggling schools in Guatemala from fellow church members who had recently returned from a mission trip She felt inspired to help and began collecting school supplies. This launched into Connelly's Classroom project. Connelly inspired her classmates and members of her community to volunteer their time and resources. To date, Connelly has collected thousands of school supplies and is currently collecting donations to purchase desks.
Read more about Connelly at:
www.refugeinternational.com
www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIkIsZ-z_Ks
The Gee Whiz Kids™ Award is given to children age 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America.
Connor Grossman, 7 years old, from Rochester, NY wins First Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Connor Grossman from Rochester, NY was awarded First Place for the 2012 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. He will receive a certificate, letter, and $250.
When Connor was in first grade he had a very creative idea. Noticing his marbles, stored in an old cigar box, he wondered what would happen if he dipped them in paint and then shook them in the box. With his mother’s help, he tested his idea. His mother commented that the painting created was beautiful and that someday, when he’s a famous artist, it would be worth a lot of money.
Connor suggested trying to sell the painting immediately. His mother suffers from Multiple Sclerosis, and he wanted to raise money for the National MS Society. With the help of his father, Connor put together a website in March 2011 and put his first painting up for sale. Within an hour the painting was sold to a buyer in Virginia, and Marbles4MS was born.
Since that first sale, Connor and his brother, Jackson, have gone on to sell thousands of paintings across the U.S. and in eight countries, raising over $50,000 for the National MS Society. Marbles4MS has increased its product line to include t-shirts, biking jerseys, greeting and holiday cards, bookmarks, and Christmas ornaments. All of the money raised through sales goes directly to the National MS Society, and helps to fund programs and research for people affected by MS.
Once Connor and Jackson saw how much they were able to support people with MS, they wanted to engage other children in community service and so started Marbles4Mankind, a school-based fundraiser that supports five charities. In 2012, Marbles4Mankind provided support to the National MS Society, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Verona Street Animal Society, the Sierra Club, and Golisano Children’s Hospital.
In recognition of his commitment to service, Connor has also been awarded a proclamation from the County Legislature, and in November 2011 he and his brother were honored by the National MS Society at their convention in Dallas.
To learn more about Connor’s service activities visit his websites at
www.marbles4ms.org and www.marbles4mankind.org
N’Jhari Jackson 10 years old, from Tampa, FL wins Second Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - N’Jhari Jackson from Tampa, FL was awarded Second Place for the 2012 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. He will receive a certificate, letter, and $150.
N’Jhari, currently ten years old and in the fifth grade, created his first service project after taking an unexpected trip to the hospital for a surgical procedure. On his way into the operating room he became frightened when his mother couldn’t join him. To help calm his fears, one of the nurses gave him a stuffed animal. When he departed the hospital, he passed many children who could not visit the hospital play room, or play with children in neighboring rooms, because they were too sick. Remembering how scared he was when he went into the operating room, and how much better holding the stuffed animal made him feel, N’Jhari decided to provide hospitalized children with stuffed animal “buddies” to keep them company.
Calling his project Pajama Buddy Voyage, he asked people to donate new stuffed animals. Each stuffed animal is named by the donor, and given to a hospitalized child. Pajama Buddy Voyage has provided stuffed animals to Shriners Hospital for Children, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, and Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital in Orlando. He has also shipped Pajama Buddies to ill children as far away as Macau, China.
In addition to stuffed animals he collected money, raising over $2,000, which he gave to Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa.
As he continued to visit children in the hospitals, he realized that many hospitalized children do not always have books and games available, and so he started his second service project, Pajama Drab Bags. Pajama Drab Bags donates backpacks filled with books, games, puzzles, and stuffed animals to hospitalized children. To date N’Jhari has delivered more than 500 Pajama Drab Bags to children across the Tampa area.
Bailey Ford, 8 years old, from Tompkinsville, KY wins Third Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Bailey Ford from Tompkinsville, KY was awarded Third Place for the 2012 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. She will receive a certificate, letter, and $100.
Several years ago Bailey, better known to friends and family by her nickname, Maddie, witnessed a homeless man pushing his cart down the street. Worried about how he would stay warm during the winter, she recruited friends and family to help post flyers around her small town asking for people to donate money, blankets and sleeping bags. Within a few days donations started coming in and she eventually collected over 200 blankets for the homeless in Warren County.
In 2011, Bailey furthered her support of the homeless by organizing the Backpacks of Love Campaign, which donated sleeping bags and backpacks filled with personal hygiene items to the homeless in Nashville, TN. During the campaign she coordinated thirty volunteers, fundraised and helped pack backpacks. Through her hard work and commitment she raised over $6,000 and collected thousands of donated items.
She attached a short note to every backpack, sleeping bag and blanket encouraging the recipients to continue the gift of giving by “paying it forward” if they have the opportunity.
In addition to her support of the homeless, she also assisted flood victims in Nashville in the spring of 2010, as well as participates annually in the Monroe County Angel Tree program. This year she also fundraised for Monroe County’s Relay for Life.
The Gee Whiz Kids™ Award is given to children age 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America.
Joshua Williams from Miami Beach, FL wins First Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Joshua Williams from Miami Beach, FL was awarded First Place for the 2011 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
When Joshua was five years old he began to recognize the need for food aid within his own community and across the world, and decided to start an organization focused on feeding the hungry. With the help of family, he founded Joshua’s Heart Foundation, which strives to “Stomp out Hunger” in underprivileged communities and increase awareness of global hunger issues. The organization provides food aid to people in South Florida by hosting regular food distributions, and is looking to expand its reach to other parts of Florida and the nation.
In addition to providing food aid, the Foundation also renovated a local teen center. Joshua raised the money needed for the renovation by asking people to make a donation to his Foundation in lieu of gifts for his eighth birthday. He raised $5,000, which was used to donate computers, desks, and furniture.
Most recently, Joshua launched a program to provide backpacks of food to school children to help ensure children have food available to them over weekends and school vacations. Each backpack is filled with child-friendly, nonperishable food items, and discreetly distributed before a child leaves school.
Five years after his initial idea to help people, Joshua is in 6th grade and his organization provides much needed food relief for over 100 homeless people, and about 450 families, on a monthly basis. In all, Joshua’s Heart Foundation has distributed over 300,000 pounds of food, serving over 7,000 people in need.
Sarah Young from Leesburg, OH wins Second Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Sarah Young from Leesburg, OH was awarded Second Place for the 2011 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
Sarah Young is an active participant in the Highland County 4-H program. In 2010, the program was struggling to raise the necessary $50,000 in annual local funding to support a 2011 season. Recognizing the importance of 4-H, Sarah Young, at the tender age of ten, raised nearly $32,000 to help save the program in Highland County.
Sarah raised much of the funds by donating proceeds from the sale of her market lamb. She spent nearly 150 hours speaking with the news media, clubs, and schools to generate interest in 4-H, and rallied donors to bid over $12,900 for her lamb – which generally would sell for about $450. All proceeds from the sale went toward the County’s 4-H program. Approximately 130 other exhibitors, impressed by her efforts, enthusiasm and vision, also donated all or part of their proceeds, which brought in another $9,000. Finally, her efforts convinced and inspired three local businesses to contribute $10,000 to the 4-H program, bringing her yearend total to just under $32,000, and providing much needed support to continue the program.
After funding was secured for 2011, Sarah turned her attention to raising money for the 2012 season. To kick off her fundraising she implemented the “Yes We Can” campaign with the help of the Marshall Stockmen 4-H Club. An aluminum can collection campaign, “Yes We Can” promotes recycling and environmentalism and all proceeds benefit the 2012 4-H season. When speaking about 4-H, Sarah said, “4H isn’t about pigs and sheep and cows, it’s about kids learning to become self-sufficient, to grow into tomorrow’s leaders. Letting this program fail would be letting yourself down.” So far the campaign has collected over half a million cans, amassing over $16,000.
Gabrielle Pathrose from Mason, OH wins Third Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Gabrielle Pathrose from Mason, OH was awarded Third Place for the 2011 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
Gabrielle Pathrose is passionate about serving people in her community, and helping people in need around the world. She is an active volunteer at Chesterwood Village nursing home in West Chester during Easter and Christmas, as well as a regular at Cedar Village retirement community in Mason, OH throughout the rest of the year.
Since early 2011 she has served as a Junior Volunteer at Cedar Village, contributing more than 70 hours helping residents with physical therapy, guiding them to and from the lunch room, and assisting nurses. She has played the violin since she was seven, and will often play a few pieces while the residents eat lunch, or during special occasions. She continues to serve at Cedar Village throughout the school year for three hours each week after school.
In addition to her work at Cedar Village and Chesterwood, Gabrielle often raises money through hosting concerts outside her local grocery stores. With the help of her older brother, they raised over $1,800 for the American Red Cross to support international disaster relief.
On top of her other volunteer activities, Gabrielle teamed up with her brother to fundraise for the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, and to collect toys for the Shriner’s Hospital for Children. By selling cold water to spectators on hot, summer days at the soccer field, they raised nearly $600 for the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Then, they collected over 200 stuffed animals and toys for children in the burn unit of the Shriner’s Hospital for Children.
An excellent student with a passion for serving others, The Heart of America Foundation® is proud to recognize her commitment to service!
The Gee Whiz Kids™ Award is given to children age 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America.
Lee's Summit, MO Sixth Grader Receives First Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Alexander Wood from Lee's Summit, MO was awarded First Place for the 2010 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
When Alexander was four years old, he learned about a program in Haiti that serves nutritious meals in schools to ensure that children receive at least one healthy meal a day. When he learned that not all children could afford to attend school, he told his mom that he wanted to raise money for the program by selling lemonade. His family pulled together, helped him set up a lemonade stand, and held a garage sale. By the end of the day, the family had raised $200 for Haitian relief.
After that success, Alexander began to hold lemonade stands at every neighborhood function. He gradually branched out into other forms of service, from collecting food and saving his allowance to donate to a local food pantry, to fundraising over $300 to purchase clothing, personal items and medicine for the City Union Mission, a local shelter.
In 2009, Alexander decided to open Clean Hands Bakery. After researching different non-profits, he decided that all proceeds from bake goods sales would support Heifer International, an organization that strives to end world hunger and poverty through providing a sustainable source of food and income. He registered Clean Hands Bakery with the state of Missouri, started a blog and website for people who wanted to order items online, and created a Heifer Team to promote sales. So far, through the sale of loaves and cookies, he has raised over $3,500.
Columbia, SC 12 year-old wins Second Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Anthony Frederick from Columbia, SC was awarded Second Place for the 2010 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
In 2007, Anthony’s mother, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, attended a breast cancer luncheon. At the luncheon she purchased a pink bracelet with the words “Find the Cure”, and gave it to Anthony. Inspired, Anthony told her that he wanted to raise money to help stop breast cancer.
By selling his school pictures to family and friends, passing out a personal letter asking for assistance in “Finding-A-Cure”, and selling family toys and lemonade in his front yard, Anthony raised $3,124 for the Palmetto Health Foundation for the First Lady’s Walk for Life. When asked why it was important to him to raise money, he said, “I wanted to raise money for breast cancer awareness so no one else, including my baby sister, will get sick from this disease.”
Over the past four years Anthony has donated over $12,000 to the Palmetto Health Foundation for the First Lady’s Walk for Life. He continues to sell lemonade and toys, and has started his own organization: Kids Inspired by Cancer Kampaign (KICK). KICK strives to raise awareness of the disease and is now the sponsor of Anthony’s Lemonade Stand and Dodgeball Tournament.
In addition to his recognition with the Gee Whiz Kids Award, Anthony’s service has been recognized by Congressman Jim Clyburn and the Governor of South Carolina. He was also awarded the Humanitarian Award by the Mayor of Columbia, SC, and spoke on August 7, 2010 about KICK at the National Health Awards Banquet in Atlanta, GA.
Saginaw, MI 12-year-old Wins Third Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Marlee Curnutt from Saginaw, MI was awarded Third Place for the 2010 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®.
Marlee began raising money for St. Jude’s Hospital in 2008, after seeing a video of children and families at St. Jude’s. She held a carnival and invited business and community members to participate. By the end of the day she had raised over $1,200. In 2009 she held an 80’s roller skating event that collected over $600, and this past year she hosted a bowling fundraiser that netted nearly $1,000. In all, she has fundraised over $2,800 for St. Jude’s Hospital.
In addition to raising money for St. Jude’s, Marlee actively volunteers at her school and supports local MS walk events. She excels in Karate, runs cross-country with her middle school, and aspires to be a pediatrician. In addition to her recognition with the Gee Whiz Kids Award, Marlee was awarded the 2008-2009 Nicholas Green Award for Michigan.
The Gee Whiz Kids™ Award is given to children age 12 and under who exemplify the value of service in America.
Sand Springs, OK Fourth Grader Receives First Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Joelie Simmons of Sand Springs, OK was awarded First Place for the 2009 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. Joelie will receive an award certificate and a $250 educational scholarship donated by Marilyn Perlyn, author, and Amanda Perlyn, illustrator, of The Biggest And Brightest Light.
In 2004, at the tender age of five, Joelie Simmons began volunteering at the West Edison Plaza retirement center. At the center she plays games with the residents, helps organize holiday parties, and puts on performances. In addition to her work at West Edison, she has also been involved in the Super Kids marathon, the OKC Aids Walk, and the Partners in Education Adopt-a- School Program, through which she has helped kindergartners attending Anderson Elementary School with art projects, reading and a variety of other activities.
As a result of her love of community service, Joelie teamed up with her sister to establish the Sand Springs Kids Care Club, which encourages children to become involved in service. Through the club, children can learn about and participate in different local community service projects.
Carrollton, TX Sixth Grader wins Second Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Kamish Kabani of Carrollton, TX was awarded Second Place for the 2009 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. Kamish has received an award certificate and a $150 educational scholarship donated by Marilyn Perlyn, author, and Amanda Perlyn, illustrator, of The Biggest And Brightest Light.
Kamish Kabani has been involved in a variety of community service projects, including acting as a weekly Jr. Volunteer with the Northern Texas Volunteer Corps and as an Arrow of Light Cub Scout. With the Volunteer Corps he performs numerous assignments, including assisting senior level volunteers in service. His activities with the Cub Scouts include helping with “Scouting for Food”, which provides support for low-income families, and participating in the Aga Khan Foundation’s partnership to alleviate poverty. Each year Kamish dedicates over 50 hours to each of these organizations.
In addition to his service through the Volunteer Corps and Cub Scouts, each year Kamish creates 1,000 “Get Well Soon” cards for local hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital in Dallas. His motivation behind this initiative is the idea that every child deserves to smile.
Wayne, NJ Sixth Grader Wins Third Place Gee Whiz Kids™ Award
Washington, DC - Coree Betron of Wayne, NJ was awarded Third Place for the 2009 Gee Whiz Kids™ Award given by the Heart of America Foundation®. Coree has received an award certificate and a $100 educational scholarship donated by Marilyn Perlyn, author, and Amanda Perlyn, illustrator, of The Biggest and Brightest Light.
Coree’s volunteer service began as a third grader when she donated 12 inches of her hair to a friend who had been diagnosed with leukemia. Her friend was diagnosed while in kindergarten, and after seeing her go through treatment for two years Coree wanted to do something to help. She decided to donate her hair to her friend through Locks of Love, a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces for children.
Currently, Coree has extended her volunteer activities by painting the diabetes education room at her local hospital.
