News And Alerts || Crayons4Kids

2010-11-04 Fox 17 News

Sarah Brodhead does a wonderful story on Crayons4Kids

KALAMAZOO —

Generosity doesn't have an age limit and two teenagers in Kalamazoo, Michigan are proving that...one crayon, one coloring book, one delivery at a time.

Fifteen-year-old Emily and 14-year-old Matthew Leinwand aren't your typical brother and sister.

In fact, they're 13 months apart and they're also in the same grade.

"From the beginning, we've always been best friends," added big sister Emily.
Two best friends who know each other's strengths and weaknesses.That's a good thing because they're business partners, too.

They have their dad's demanding schedule as a pediatric surgeon to thank for that; during his surgical residency in California, it wasn't uncommon for him to work 140 hours a week.

"On the weekends, we would never get to see my dad as well as on the weekdays and we would say what if we go to work with you so we can spend more time. So we would go to the hospital and we'd be walking around because we'd go on rounds," explained Emily.

While they were at the hospital, they noticed something was missing and they let their dad, Michael Leinwand, know it.

"The kids were five and six-years-old and they said can we bring something for these kids. They look so unhappy and that's how it all started. It was just a simple question...put a box with crayons and coloring books in it."

That box was just the beginning. The next week they were handing out crayons and coloring books to patients.

"From there, the mailman saw the box and told people about it. We told our school and the school got involved. Soon it was churches and schools all around the neighborhood and it just kept growing and growing," Matthew added.

The non-profit organization Crayons 4 Kids has continued to grow since the idea came to them in 2001. From California to Boston to Philadelphia and then to Kalamazoo for the past five years, they've brightened the lives of hospitalized children in all 50 states. Through fundraisers like "Operation Scribble" where they hit the airwaves at Kalamazoo-based radio station WRKR, Matthew and Emily have collected and delivered more than 400,000 new crayons, more than 30,000 coloring books and almost 22,000 new games and toys.

The young CEO's store those donations in their parents' basement until it's time to deliver; which includes Christmas Eve and Christmas day. "We're talking huge gift baskets probably $100 to $150 worth a piece. We really wanted to make their day and make them feel special and to this day we haven't turned down a single patient," said Matthew.

Emily still finds time to take ballet class and Matthew spends his spare time playing guitar, but their passion is with this program.
The feeling Emily says she has when she delivers is reason enough to keep working. "I just walk down the hall and I don't even know them and I go into their rooms and I get to see this big light from their eyes."

"It's a wonderful feeling as a dad and as a doctor because I know that my patients are benefiting as well," said Michael.

One of those patients is one and a half year old Lacy Faber; she was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer. Lacy and her mom, Mary, have been living at Bronson Hospital now for more than a month. "We had virtually nothing really here for her and immediately we were able to get those toys those comfort items...stuffed animals. It was amazing she just hugged it so tight because that's the only thing she really had here," Mary explained.

That stuffed animal and other comfort items like a coffee maker and a microwave came from a Crayons 4 Kids delivery. Before that, her son, J.T., was at Bronson Hospital five times in the last year and had to spend Christmas day in a hospital bed. "It was a bright spot in our day. These two children gave up their time to come around and deliver presents. It was just a neat experience and I was just so impressed with those two kids," said Mary.

An experience that she, like so many others, won't soon forget.

The Crayons 4 Kids "Operation Scribble" is Thursday, December 16, 2010, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the AT&T store on Westnedge Avenue in Portage.