Third Grader Spearheads Candy Sale to Send Best Friend to Camp

First Responders Help Fulfill Fundraising Goal

Marshfield, WI (OnFocus) To raise the money he needed to pay for summer camp, Brody set out with a bag full of suckers to sell at $1 each. A few weeks later, he had made a dent in his supplies but had yet to reach his fundraising goal.

That’s when best friend Kaitlyn stepped in to help.

“She woke up in the morning and goes, ‘Brody still needs money for camp, doesn’t he?’” said Brandi Jensen, Brody’s mom.

It had been a difficult year for the family, and money was tight, making it difficult to pay the camp fee. The remaining suckers, leftover from a sale at North Ridge Church, sat unsold in a bag. Time was running out.

“She goes, ‘He still has suckers, why don’t I go sell them for him?’” said Jensen. “I’m like, what do you mean?”’

But Kaitlyn had an idea of what to do. If her friend and fellow third grader was going to be able to attend camp with her and the rest of the 50 kids from church headed to Spencer Lake Summer Camp next week, she needed to find a way to sell the rest of the candy.

While Brody was away with family, Kaitlyn set out with Jensen on Wednesday and took a trip to the Marshfield Fire & Rescue Department. “She just totally took the reigns and was off chatting and asking questions, and they showed her around the fire station,” said Kristen Glass, Kaitlyn’s mom. “She was explaining the whole situation to them, why she was selling them and who they were for.”

After the firefighters and EMS crew picked out their favorite flavors, Kaitlyn stopped next at the Marshfield Police Department, where she got to check out the police rescue vehicle, and then finished her sale at Out of the Blue Tattoo. Within a few hours, she had sold the suckers and raised about $100, close enough to allow Brody’s mom to cover the rest of the fee and send him to camp.

“To me it was all a surprise,” said Glass. “I was impressed for sure.”

Upon his return, Brody will be surprised by the good news from Kaitlyn herself. The week-long camping adventure will begin next week.

“It’s a huge excitement,” said Jensen. “They’ve been watching videos [of camp] and hearing stories for years now. Now they get their turn.”

“She’s been talking about it all summer,” noted Glass.

Although Brody and Kaitlyn don’t attend the same elementary school, the pair have been best friends for four years and met through church.

“They should’ve been siblings,” said Jensen. “It’s the coolest thing, their relationship. They are so close.”

She added that it was a pleasure to be able to tag along on Kaitlyn’s journey and that firefighters, paramedics, and police officers all deserve a handshake for their generosity. As for Kaitlyn, she can’t wait to break the news.

 

photos provide by Brandi Jensen