Eight-year-old Abby Enck frequently accompanied her 6-year-old brother, Cameron, born with cerebral palsy, to Lutheran General Children's Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. Abby noticed that the other pediatric patients liked to color, but many of the crayons were broken. She wanted to buy a few new 24-count boxes of crayons. Her parents agreed to match any number she could buy herself.
The act: Abby, with help from a friend, decided to raise the money through a lemonade sale. Abby loved the idea of creating bottled-water lemonade kits with a packet and homemade tag. Her slogan: "When life gives you lemons, color!"
In that first summer selling to her Chicago neighbors, she raised enough money to buy 18 boxes of crayons and donated 36 to the hospital. This summer Abby gave 1,000 crayon boxes.
The ripple: Abby assembled 52 water-bottle lemonade kits and recruited family and friends to sell them for $1 each. The local press publicized Abby's efforts, and the response was sweet.
Abby exceeded her goal, raising a total of $551. She and her parents purchased 1,009 boxes of crayons,140 boxes of markers and 125 boxes of colored pencils.
Educational magazine Weekly Reader wrote about Abby's project, sharing her message and method with more than 250,000 teachers and 8 million students from pre-kindergarten to grade 12. Other children in the community, including Abby's Brownie troop, are brainstorming ways to give next summer.
An important life lesson: "Everyone can make a difference," Her mom has learned from Abby too, saying, "Children don't see the obstacles. Adults create obstacles that stop them from achieving their goals."
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