NANKIN — For Kassie Keating and Ellie Hageman, giving back to their community is something that’s been ingrained during their time at Mapleton Local Schools.
Keating serves as the president of the National Honor Society, while Hageman heads the student council. The two student groups host events where proceeds are then donated to charity. The groups paired to collect donations for the first time last year.
They donated to the American Heart Association last year in honor of Mapleton student Breanne McKean, who passed away in October, 2023, said Kerry Reisinger, the student council adviser.
This year, Keating and Hageman wanted to make sure their impact stayed local. They researched options in the area, and eventually settled on their funds going to one Associated Charities program: birthday program.
“Birthdays are a big thing for a lot of kids,” Hageman said. “Some kids don’t get it, and it’s a special day, so being able to give money for them to be able to have a birthday cake and presents and things like that is actually huge.”
What is the birthday program?
Christine Box, Associated Charities’ executive director, said many people don’t know about the birthday kits. But it’s something the non-profit views as important.
“It is a neat thing,” Box said. “Even when families come in to get food, we check the kids’ birthdays.”
Those kits typically come with a toy for the child, supplies to bake a birthday cake and decorations.
Birthdays are a big thing for a lot of kids… being able to give money for them to be able to have a birthday cake and presents and things like that is huge.
Ellie Hageman, Mapleton Student council president
Thanks to a trivia night fundraiser and Mapleton’s winter formal, the groups collected $1,50. That money went to providing birthday kits for children. Box said, to her knowledge, that’s the largest donation that specific program has received.
That $1,500 will provide for around 40 birthday kits, Box estimated.
‘Community helping community, kids helping kids’
Keating and Hageman said they visited Associated Charities in person to give Box the donation. Box gave them a tour of the facility, so they had a chance to see the behind-the-scenes of where their dollars were going.
Both high school seniors said the experience was a positive one, and their experiences at Mapleton have left them with a lasting desire to give back to their communities.
Box said she was struck by the gift. Her organization’s tagline is, “Community helping community,” and she said she viewed their donation as an extension of that idea.
“I’m proud of them for taking initiative and thinking through how they themselves could help kids,” Box said.
