If anyone argues with Gabe and MaryMargaret O’Neill that children are not interested in making a difference in their communities, the duo’s Web site should prove otherwise.
The father-daughter team from Ijamsville created ‘‘Kids are Heroes” in March to showcase and recognize local children, ages 5 to 17, who are helping others by volunteering.
The idea began with MaryMargaret, 9, a rising fifth-grader at Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg, who has two Bernese Mountain dogs, Lily and Charlie, and a cat named Boots. MaryMargaret asked her father, a software developer, to create a Web site for her to help animals and people, and ‘‘Kids are Heroes” was born. O’Neill noted that creating and maintaining a Web site has been a good learning tool for MaryMargaret to use her writing and computer skills.
O’Neill is the founder of Wags for Hope, a nonprofit organization that allows volunteers and their dogs to visit nursing homes, assisted living and hospice facilities to cheer residents.
So far 18 children – from Frederick County and beyond - are featured on the Kids are Heroes Web site, with pictures and a short description of their projects, ranging from hosting fundraisers for leukemia awareness to cutting their hair for Locks of Love.
Earlier this month, Kids are Heroes presented Kimani West, a 10-year-old Ballenger Creek Elementary School student, with a certificate during a school assembly. Kimani and her family painted heartfelt messages on stones and placed them on the graves of fallen soldiers.
According to the Kids are Heroes Web site, Kimani lost her cousin, Pfc. Justin Ray Davis, during combat operations in Afghanistan and paints as a way to remember him.
Through the site, parents, friends and classmates are able to nominate a special child and send ‘‘shout outs” of praise and recognition for a child’s work. O’Neill said the goal is to inspire children to think, ‘‘Well, this kid can do that, so why can’t I?”
The community’s response to the idea has been generous, O’Neill noted. ‘‘I think its basically striking a nerve.”
On Saturday, MaryMargaret and two of her friends, Taylor Garner of Thurmont and Rianna Joy of Emmitsburg, joined the list of ‘‘Lily’s Heroes” after they raised $300 selling cups of pink and yellow lemonade at Everedy Square in downtown Frederick.
In addition to buying the cool drink, many people also gave donations to the girls’ cause. O’Neill said he and his wife, Michelle, would also match the amount raised.
The girls, who are classmates at Mother Seton School in Emmitsburg, plan to use the money to buy 80 WebKinz stuffed toys for children attending a weeklong session at Camp Friendship in Laytonsville. Camp Friendship is a free, residential camp for children with cancer, sponsored by the Carol Jean Cancer Foundation.
For nearly six hours, the three girls peddled cups of lemonade at $1 each to hot and thirsty passersby from their teal-and-lime-green-stand in front of Flights of Fancy gift shop.
Dressed in polka-dot visors and hand-painted T-shirts, Taylor, Rianna and MaryMargaret hustled for customers, including ‘‘Everedy Teddy” and ‘‘Shabby Bear,” the two stars of Everedy Square & Shab Row’s annual ‘‘Teddy Bear Picnic,” also held on Saturday.
‘‘We got the bears to come over for a drink,” Taylor, 10, said.
On the Web
Visit www.KidsareHeroes.com for more information.
