Finalists named for scholarship
Three Northern Kentucky youths are among 20 Kentucky student finalists in the seventh annual Kohl's "Kids Who Care" scholarship program.
Mark Bailey, 18, of Cold Spring was selected for volunteering at events for inner-city children. Alexandra Kraft, 11, of Dayton was selected for volunteering with the elderly. Alexandra Schalk, 12, of Newport was selected for helping deliver food baskets to needy families during the holidays.
They will compete with more than 1,380 other finalists from across the country for 170 $1,000 regional scholarships.
Regional winners compete for 10 national scholarships worth $5,000 each. Kohl's also will make a $1,000 donation to the national winners' charities of choice.
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Generous Spirit
When the advertisement arrived in the mail, one photo caught Conor Hiatt’s eye: the picture of a big, hairy, horned water buffalo.
The flier was for Heifer International, which raises money to send livestock to needy families around the world.
Conor, 9, decided he should take on a fundraising project of his own.
“There was a water buffalo for $250 that we could send to Indonesia,” he recalls. “My mom didn’t think I could raise that.”
His mother, Lisa, admits: “I suggested the $20 chicks.”
It turns out, though, that the power of livestock — or perhaps bribery among elementary schoolers — is enough to purchase a small menagerie of animals.
Last December, Conor raised $773.59, enough to buy a cow ($500), pig ($120), sheep ($120) and several spare chicks.
His project has earned him an award from Kohl’s department store. Conor is the youngest among the 14 Kansas children who were honored in the Kids Who Care program.
Each of the 1,400 winners nationwide receive a $50 gift certificate and will compete for scholarship money. (Conor bought T-shirts and a build-it-yourself dragon with his prize.)
“I just thought it was so cool he did it,” says Lisa Hiatt, who nominated her son. “I wanted him to feel it was a success. I was just so proud of him.”
“He’s always the kind of kid who sees a need out there and wants to help out,” Hiatt says of her son.
He already has plans for his next projects. He wants to raise money again for Heifer International at school next year.
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Unlocking Her Love
When 7-year-old Ellie Curtis first heard about an opportunity to cut her hair and donate it to another child, she wasn't sure she wanted to part with her long locks.
But after talking to her mother about Locks of Love - an organization that provides wigs to children suffering from medical hair loss - she warmed to the idea.
In February, a hairdresser lopped 10 inches off Ellie's mane, leaving her with a short bob and a big smile.
"She was thrilled when it came off, she was so excited," said Ellie's mother, Nori Curtis.
Now Ellie has been recognized for her decision to help others. A friend of the family entered Ellie in the Kohl's Kids Who Care scholarship program and she was chosen as one of 34 state winners.
Ellie received a $50 gift card to Kohl's department store and is entered in a contest for one of 170 regional scholarships worth $1,000 each. Regional winners go on to compete for one of 10 national scholarships worth $5,000 each.
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