Pull up to the building where KIND News is published and behold a large vault: 100 pounds of shiny steel, four feet tall, and green as a tree frog on a wet fern. Every day, mail comes into this box—mostly from kids explaining why helping animals is cool. (And, of course, why KIND News is so cool.)
Riley Jones describes building a better habitat for bears at a zoo. It took the sixth-grader four years, dozens of coin-filled sandwich bags, and one big speech. Kristina Dorough writes to Congress...repeatedly. "I was devastated that horses were being killed. I'm proud I spoke up, because I know my vote counted. Soon after, the Wild Horse and Burro Act became law. I also wrote a letter about the problem of speeding ships and right whales," she adds, referring to an article in last year's KIND News. Write on, girl!
She Signed, She Sealed, She Delivered!
With letters like these in our vault, it's hard to pick just one that stands out. But that's exactly what we had to do, and here's how it started: "Hi, my name is Sara Wetzel, and I'm a student at Loyd E. Auman Elementary in Fayetteville, North Carolina. I would like to be considered for your KIND Kid Award because I love animals—all kinds of animals. I am always bringing home strays or helping them find their way back home."
Sara, a fifth-grader, went on to tell us about a penny and pet food drive at school. Donations benefited a shelter that cares for hundreds of abandoned dogs and cats. Sara not only participated in the collection; she actually started it. "Instead of spending my money on candy and junk," she says, "I always put change in the donation jars and buy toys for the animals."
On weekends, she and her 15-year-old brother—and their mom—volunteer at the shelter, placing pets in good homes. "Someone has to be a hero for these precious animals. They give so much love. I know that for a fact because we have shelter pets at home."
We're delighted to recognize Sara with this year's KIND Kid Award. We've also chosen some great runners-up; look for our picks for '06 in upcoming issues of KIND News!
