Teen raises $3,600 for cancer patients
Jim Pennington amazed children with wild chemical concoctions, reactions and explosions at a performance of the Texas A&M Chemistry Roadshow last week at the Bastrop Public Library. The touring presentation was sponsored by the Dow Chemical Co. and Shell Oil Co.
When 17-year-old Garrett Schmitt heard about a local nonprofit for pediatric cancer patients, he was inspired to make a difference.
Schmitt said Donnie Murray, Cedar Ridge High School’s assistant lacrosse coach, told him about Brady’s Bunch Lacrosse, a nonprofit named after a young leukemia patient. Murray told him the nonprofit always needs gift cards, Schmitt said, so after a chat with his mother, the Cedar Ridge High senior decided to see if neighbors and friends were willing to pitch in.
Schmitt’s initiative garnered 114 gift cards worth $2,400 and $1,200 in monetary donations — exceeding his goal of collecting 100 gift cards. The donations went toward purchasing games and toys for patients at Dell Children’s Medical Center Blood and Cancer Center.
“We went door-to-door around the neighborhood and my mom put up a couple of posts on Facebook,” Schmitt said. “I called up my family in Oregon and asked them for help.”
Schmitt called the experience enlightening. “I never thought about how hard it would be just to have a kid with a disease like cancer and the stress it puts on the family,” he said.
He and his mother delivered the items in May, when he had the chance to meet some of the hospital’s youngest pediatric patients.
“They do a lot of things at the hospital to help the kids,” Schmitt said. “Like, they have an Xbox in every room; there is a different theme in every room, and they have parties like ‘Dress up like a pirate’ or one where they hunted Pokemon.”
Schmitt said he was surprised to see the amount of donations that were sent to him. “Seventy-five percent of the people I asked were able to donate,” he said.
His mother, Amber Schmitt, said her son is usually shy, but his passion for the project forced him out of his comfort zone. That included handing out fliers to neighbors, making phone calls and meeting with hospital staff.
“It’s important to teach our kids not just that they should give back, but how to use their skills to give back to their community by making things happen,” she said. “Doing this project really showed Garrett how many people donating relatively small amounts like $10 gift cards can add up to significant help for those in need.”
She said she hopes the project will inspire her son to take his philanthropic aspirations to the next level as he grows older.
Murray said it’s not uncommon for lacrosse players to get involved with the nonprofit, but he said Schmitt was the first one outside of the Brady’s Bunch team to start his own project.
“I’m extremely proud of that young man,” Murray said. “Garrett did it out of the kindness of his heart.”
Learn more about Brady’s Bunch Lacrosse at bradysbunchlacrosse.org.