Submitted photo Girard High School senior Kylie Carpenter has been collecting crayons, coloring books and monetary contributions as part of her “Crayons for Kids” drive for Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley. In total, her efforts resulted in the collection of 715 goodie bags (each containing crayons and coloring books), along with boxes of construction paper (20,000 sheets), miscellaneous art supplies, board games and a $1,000 check earmarked for the kids’ activity room.

Staff report

GIRARD — For the past month, Girard senior Kylie Carpenter has been collecting crayons, coloring books and monetary contributions as part of her “Crayons for Kids” drive for Akron Children’s Hospital.

Last week, Carpenter turned in those donations with the amount far exceeding her original expectations. Her efforts resulted in the collection of 715 goodie bags (each containing crayons and coloring books), along with boxes of construction paper (20,000 sheets), miscellaneous art supplies, board games and a $1,000 check earmarked for the kids’ activity room at the hospital.

“This entire project has been both exciting and, at times, overwhelming,” Carpenter said. “Now, finally realizing what I have accomplished makes me recognize how blessed I am to have a community that supports me.”

Akron Children’s Hospital hosted a Halloween party for its residents on Oct. 31, and thanks to Carpenter’s donations, every child in the hospital received a gift.

Emma Barber, an office coordinator with Akron Children’s Hospital, was deeply impressed by the generosity. She said, “It is always incredible when young people lend a hand, but when they do it out of the goodness of their hearts, it’s heartwarming to see there are still kind-hearted individuals. We are immensely appreciative, and it truly warms my heart.”

Barber added that the Crayons for Kids fundraiser provided the hospital with backup supplies so that as new patients enter the hospital, they will have coloring books and games.

“I knew I was performing a kind deed for the children, but witnessing the joy of the staff members when I delivered everything gave it a whole new dimension,” Carpenter said. “It put my entire project into a new perspective, realizing they also benefitted from this.”

She expressed deep gratitude to the Girard community and everyone who contributed to the project.

“When I initially began this, my goal was to assemble 500 bags and secure $1,000 in monetary donations,” she said. “I thought it was a bit of a stretch at the time, but I hoped I could achieve it. Surpassing more than what I had initially hoped for has truly been a blessing.”

After witnessing the exceptional care the doctors and staff provided during her brother’s concussion treatment at Akron Children’s Hospital, she felt compelled to give back. Her family’s commitment to community service further fueled her desire to create a meaningful project for her senior year.

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