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From a remarkable girl with inoperable brain cancer, who makes hospitalization easier for other pediatric patients, to an inspirational boy who galvanized 2,000 volunteers to join him in his effort to feed the hungry, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is proud to pay tribute to five extraordinary youth who are changing the world.
The 11th annual Power of Children Awards celebration on Nov. 13, 2015 will be an evening to remember as The Children’s Museum bestows the Power of Children Awards to the young philanthropists (grades 6-11) from across the country that have made a difference and a significant impact on the lives of others.
“One of our top priorities at The Children’s Museum is to transform lives through education,” said Dr. Jeffrey H. Patchen, president and CEO, The Children’s Museum. “I can’t tell you how proud we are of these young people who are compassionate, hard-working, and wise beyond their years. We are certainly proud to help inspire, and motivate children and families to make a difference in meaningful ways.”
“It is a privilege and honor to help The Children’s Museum recognize compassionate young people who demonstrate their commitment to improving lives and communities in significant and creative ways,” said Deborah J. Simon, Simon Youth Foundation chairperson. “These young people epitomize the museum’s mission to transform lives and I’m proud to be a part of this inspiring program.”
The Power of Children Awards are presented by Deborah Joy Simon Charitable Trust.
2015 Winners are listed below in alphabetical order by last name:
Madison Fanta
Grade 8 (2014-2015 school year)
Hometown: Saint John, Indiana
Project: Maddie’s Helping Hands
At the tender age of five, Maddie understood empathy as she worked side-by-side with her grandmother and aunt at a food pantry. By the age of nine, she was taking her own clothes to that pantry to give to other children. Soon thereafter, Maddie asked permission to set up a room within the same building dedicated to providing clothing and basic necessities to the less fortunate. With that, Maddie’s Helping Hands was launched.
Madison, with the help of her family, collects, sorts, stocks, cleans, repairs, and distributes clothes. She gets coveted help from her church, several Girl Scout troops, and senior citizens who crochet hats and scarves in addition to working in the clothing store. “The project is important because I give ALL people warm coats, hats and clothing that stand in line, sometimes for hours at the food pantry,” said Madison.
Madison plans to use her Power of Children Award money to purchase new socks and underwear for families, and to purchase warm coats and other clothing in extreme sizes such as extra small or XXXL, which are rarely donated.
Corrine Hindes
Grade 10 (2014-2015 school year)
Hometown: Walnut Creek, California
Project: Warm Winters
“When I was 11 years old, I saw a homeless man on the streets near my home, dressed in just a
T-shirt and jeans on a bitterly cold winter’s day. I was horrified,” said Corrine, who vowed right then to find a way to help him. Corrine actually found a way to do much more – to provide thousands of homeless men, women and children with warm winter wear. While skiing at a resort, Corrine noticed a lost and found area filled with clothes about to be discarded. She asked to take the unclaimed items to the homeless in her community. Warm Winters has expanded from a single ski resort contributing winter wear in 2011, to 17 resorts in eight states participating in 2014. Corrine has recruited more than 300 teens to help.
Warm Winters has provided 10,000 clothing items to 6,500 homeless individuals. Corrine has set a five year goal of providing warm clothing to 50,000 destitute people. With her Power of Children Award funds, Corrine plans to provide teambuilding and training materials to Warm Winters teen leaders across the country. She also hopes to enlist new resorts into her program.
Eric Lakomek
Grade 10 (2014-2015 school year)
Hometown: Saint John, Indiana
Project: Red Shoe Project
Eric loves sports! He knows research indicates that children who participate in sports often have better grades, higher self-esteem, and stronger relationships than those who don’t participate; yet, he saw many children sitting on the sidelines. Eric’s Red Shoe Project has eliminated a financial roadblock that prevents many kids from joining the team because of the cost of sports equipment.
Red Shoe Project is a repository for recycled sports equipment. Through both donations of equipment and money, Eric and seven volunteers give their community the gift of fun and fitness. They clean, repair and distribute sports equipment at local events. Schools help Eric by donating used equipment and allowing him to set up collection receptacles at their locations.
Eric intends to get more kids off the bench by using his Power of Children Award money to purchase athletic equipment that has not been donated and to cover the participation fees that some families cannot afford. “This project is important because it not only keeps kids active and healthy but also keeps kids off the streets and out of trouble,” said Eric.
Will Lourcey
Grade 6 (2014-2015 school year)
Hometown: Fort Worth, Texas
Project: FROGs: Friends Reaching Our Goals
A man on a street holding a sign that read “NEED A MEAL” was all seven-year-old Will Lourcey needed to begin his journey of service to others. Will leapt into action to form FROGs: Friends Reaching Our Goals. This team fights hunger in its community by creating fun events designed to raise awareness and money for meals. Will cites “Hits and Kicks Against Hunger” as an example. Students recruited sponsors to pay $1 for every hit or goal scored in youth baseball, softball or soccer games. That resulted in thousands of meals for the hungry.
Through hosting fun events that raise hunger awareness, Will has also raised enough money to provide over 175,000 meals for families and 50,000 backpacks filled with food for hungry children. He has engaged over 2,000 volunteers to help. “We are inspiring kids to recognize they have power: No matter how tall or small you are…YOU can make a BIG difference!” said Will.
The Power of Children Award money Will receives will be used to provide more nutritious meals to children through organizations such as Boys & Girls Club branches in Fort Worth.
Emma Stumpf
Grade 7 (2014-2015 school year)
Hometown: Greenwood, Indiana
Project: Emma’s Art Cart
If anyone understands the needs and frustrations of a hospitalized child, it is Emma Stumpf.
Emma was only seven-years-old when she was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. Following 70 grueling weeks of chemotherapy, followed by six weeks of radiation, Emma was energized by her idea to make lengthy hospital stays easier for other children. She began fundraising and collecting art supplies to create age appropriate art kits for pediatric patients.
There are three Emma’s Art Carts that make the rounds at Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health. Although Emma’s project began in early 2014, the impact has been huge. More than 651customized kits have provided therapy, fun and stimulation for young children confined to hospital beds. “We are young kids dealing with adult-sized problems and we don’t always have the words to tell people how we feel or what we need, but with the help of art, we can use colors to paint our feelings or tell a story,” said Emma.
Her desire is to use her Power of Children Award money to begin the process of expanding Emma’s Art Cart to every hospital in Indiana.
Power of Children Symposium: On Saturday, November 14, 2015, the above winners and past Power of Children Award (POCA) winners will share their winning ways with other young people.
Designed to educate and inspire a younger generation of philanthropists, The Children’s Museum hosts the Power of Children Symposium to create an opportunity for young people to understand and design ways to make a difference in their world. The symposium is free to pre-registered youths who are in grades 5-10. To register, please call 317-334-3830.
Attendees will begin to understand how the POCA winners’ lives have been changed because of their projects, the people they have been fortunate to meet, and with whom they’ve been able to work. During the event, they will identify their specific, special ways to make a difference, both individually and collectively.
The Power of Children: Ordinary Youth Making Extraordinary Differences is a new book that will be available to the public during the Power of Children Awards weekend. The Power of Children Awards program, established in 2005, has recognized fifty young people who have made enormous positive impacts on their communities and around the world. This book profiles those fifty young trailblazers, educators and helpers, describing the projects that led to their awards. POCA winners embraced their causes and marched into the unknown with open hearts, making a difference, one person and one cause at a time. They raised money, inspired hundreds of volunteers to join their causes and persevered. Read one story at a time and learn how you too can change the world for the better. The book is available for purchase in The Children’s Museum Store.
*Images of Power of Children Award winners are available upon request.
About The Children's Museum of Indianapolis
The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary learning experiences across the arts, sciences, and humanities that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. For more information about The Children's Museum, visit www.childrensmuseum.org, follow us on Twitter @TCMIndy, Facebook.com/childrensmuseum and YouTube.com/IndyTCM
