Are you ready to be blown away?!? We are excited to share two updates about two past Kids Boosters who used their time and talents to make a difference in the world.
Our first update is about Jack, a 13 year old boy who was inspired by a book to take action. After reading the book ‘A Long Walk To Water’ by Linda Sue Park, Jack was devastated to hear that there are people in the world without access to clean water. He hated to think that there are kids who cannot attend school because they have to spend their days walking miles just to access clean drinking water. Jack came to Kids Boost with the hope of raising enough money to build a well in Africa through the nonprofit organization, Global Samaritans. As you can imagine, this was a huge goal but after meeting with Jack, we knew he could do it!
Jack decided to host a “beanboozled challenge” to raise money and awareness. In exchange for a donation to his project, Jack would send a box of Beanboozled Jelly Belly candy to the donor. The challenge was to eat the jelly beans (most of which taste horrible with flavors like dog food, toothpaste or even vomit) without drinking any water. Jack wanted people to experience how hard it is to not have access to water when you really need it. The challenge was a huge success! In the summer of 2022, Jack was able to present a check for $11,500 to Global Samaritans. This was enough to build a well!
A few months ago, Jack was able to travel to Zambia to see the well he worked so hard to help build. He was able to meet the community who will benefit from the clean water. He learned that some of the people were walking up to 4 miles to get water prior to Jack’s well being built. The whole community was so thankful for all of Jack’s support. We can only imagine the long lasting impact of Jack’s hard work and determination!
We also want to share a follow up about Jack’s brother, Will, who was also a Kids Booster. Will came to Kids Boost with a desire to help veterans in need receive service dogs. Like his brother, Will’s inspiration also came from a book. Will read ‘A Dog Like Daisy’ by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb and wanted to help our war heroes have access to the healing powers and companionship of a service dog.
Will decided to design a special t-shirt and sticker called “Service Dawg Nation.” Will is a University of Georgia fan so the use of a bulldog only seemed appropriate. He was able to secure sponsors for his shirt and all of the sponsor names were listed on the back of the t-shirt. He set up booths and took orders for the t-shirts and stickers. Will was a wonderful business man!
In November of 2022, Will was able to present a check for $11,511 to Service Dogs for Vets, a nonprofit based out of Greenville, South Carolina. The nonprofit is unique in that it gives veterans the opportunity to be a part of the training of their own service dog. Will’s hard work paid off and he was able to fully fund a service dog for a veteran. During his check presentation, we were able to meet veterans and their dogs and learn more about their journeys and the service dog program. It was a powerful evening!
Just a few months ago, Will was invited to come back to Service Dogs for Vets to meet the veteran and the dog who directly benefitted from his hard work. He was able to attend the graduation of Chaplin, who is now an official service dog to Howard. We love that Will was able to see his impact firsthand and hear how he changed someone’s life.
I am thrilled to tell you that both Jack and Will are continuing their missions to make a difference in the world. Jack is partnering with other students to raise money for another well. Will is creating his own nonprofit called “Service Dawg Nation” and hopes to help more people have access to service dogs.
Two brothers. Two missions. Two powerful stories. Endless inspiration!