Folding Fans for Katrina Kids
posted 4:52 pm Fri December 07, 2007 - Washington
Kamilah Bryant was five-years-old when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast; a kindergarten student too young to even get a weekly allowance. But like most kids, she had a box of crayons and a pad of paper and that was enough to help her get to work and help hurricane victims get to play. Kamilah said, "my great-grandmother was telling me about Katrina kids, and I thought I could make more so they could have their stuff back."
She began folding fans and honing a sales pitch. She started selling them at her church last year and then moved on to her community. "I selled them for $1 and people game me $20's and $5's and $10's." She said business is in her blood. "Well, I'm pretty good at business because my dad is a CPA."
Before long, Kamilah made 800 fans and $1,000 to donate to a group called "Kaboom!" that builds playgrounds all across the county. One day in October, an empty New Orleans lot started to transform into a haven for kids. Kamilah's cash was enough to pay for the slide, which is her own personal favorite when she's ready to play."Kamilah can now definitely go into a playground in New Orleans and say I helped contribute to the playground, and she can see all of the smiles of the children who now get to enjoy it," said Justin Fitzgerald with Kaboom!.
"When we look at Kamilah, we wish that all of our children, all of the children in the communities where we work were just like her," said Fitzgerald.
Kaboom, inspired by a second-grader who found a way to change the world simply by bringing people into her fold, honored Kamilah's efforts. She said, "well, I think you should try your best with what you do."
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