No matter how young you are, there’s always something you can do to make a positive impact on our world!
Steven Burgess, a 7-year-old from Wilmington, North Carolina, is proof. He found an incredible way to raise money for local charities during the novel coronavirus pandemic. It all started when he was watching a morning news show with his mom Eliza.
Facebook
A story came on CBS This Morning about a man in England who ran a marathon in his backyard to raise money for those who are struggling because of COVID-19. As soon as the segment was over, Steven said he wanted to do the same thing!
With school out of session, he’d been looking for an excuse to get outside, and running seemed like a great way to harness his energy and make a difference.
Eliza wasn’t sure the little guy would follow through, but before the day was up, he started running – and didn’t stop for six hours!
Facebook
“Honestly, I thought they’d be done in 20 min or so, but Steven’s been at this for over an hour and a half,” the proud mom wrote on Facebook. “Even when he stops to drink or eat, he keeps his feet moving.”
When the responses started pouring in, Eliza realized her little one was onto something big! “It started out as something fun to do,” she added. “Then I saw he was serious about it, so I thought, ‘Let’s share this and uplift some people.’ I have been blown away by the amount of people who want to donate.”
By the time Steven crossed a makeshift finish line (accompanied by his younger brother and a neighbor), he had raised over $1,500!
WWAY-TV3
The money will be sent to Vigilant Hope, Meals for Heroes, and Nourish NC, and the Burgess family couldn’t be prouder.
“I think this will inspire others to show them what they can do,” Eliza said. “I think the reason this inspired so much support is that people really do want to plug in and they want to encourage each other and we want to help, and sometimes we don’t know what to do because we are all stuck at home.”
WWAY-TV3
Great job, Steven! You truly understand what it means to be a part of your community.
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