Wings
What's on your mind?
9 year old Calista loves to make crafts, but she has found a way to make her love of crafts into a project with a vision of helping children who are disabled compete in Special Olympics competitions in her home town. When she first realized she wanted to help, she was 7, and too young to officially volunteer to help with the Special Olympics. Determined to make a difference, she began raising funds by creating and selling her crafts so that her brother and other kids could participate in the Games.
Calista’s goal is such an admirable one, and she is proving that if kids put their mind to it, they can make a difference every day. During an interview with us, Calista shared her thoughts about her goals as well as some advice for aspiring fundraisers out there.
Q: What makes the Special Olympics a cause that is meaningful to you?
A: My brother is in Special Olympics and he loves to do the competitions. I love seeing my brother have fun doing sports that he normally can't do because he is in a wheelchair, such as bocce with a ramp, ramp bowling and wheelchair races.
Q: What drove you to start raising funds for the Special Olympics? Was there a special moment when you realized that you wanted to give back to the program that made your brother so happy?
A: I overheard the Special Olympics management team say they didn't have enough money to go to competitions, so I decided to help.
Q: What type of crafts do you make to sell?
A: I make a lot of different crafts, such as necklaces, bracelets, ceramics, jingle frogs and chicks, Smores characters, magnets and bookmarks. Well, my favorite craft is my ceramic leaf necklaces, but they're a secret.
Q: What is the biggest challenge you've had in making and selling your crafts?
A: The biggest challenge would be finding places to sell my crafts and getting a lot of people to come to the sale.
Q: If you could give advice to kids that want to raise funds for their cause, what would it be?
A: If you are going to do a fundraiser or project, you just have to put your mind to it and you can get a lot done.
Calista has also found other ways to contribute to Special Olympics events – sometimes she keeps scores for bowling, keeps track of timing in races, running after stray balls in softball throwing, and most importantly, cheering on the athletes that are competing. To learn more about Calista, her crafts, and her cause, please visit her website at www.calistacares.com
Want to make crafts like Calista? Visit our workshops to get some ideas! Or if you want more ideas about how to help others, you can read about another Incredible Kid!
If you are or know an incredible kid like Calista, please write to us at: .