Kids Help Kids: Plainfield Brothers Sell Artwork to Benefit Children's Hospital

A pair of Plainfield brothers has come up with a creative way to help other kids this Christmas.

Walker's Grove Elementary students Ryan McKeown , 8, and little brother Josh, 6, are putting their artistic talent to good use, selling their artwork to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

Ryan said he was watching TV one Saturday morning when he saw a commercial about a 9-year-old boy who launched an effort to help others.

As he and Josh sat at their Plainfield home, drawing and coloring pictures, they got an idea for a way they could give back, too.

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“We were drawing pictures and I thought that would be easy,” Ryan said.

So the boys and their mom, Nikki, started brainstorming, trying to come up with an organization to support with their effort. The family, which has been active with local charitable efforts such as working at a local homeless shelter and helping with the Creekside Cares program, settled upon St. Jude’s.

The boys started their effort immediately, selling their drawings for $1 each and setting a modest goal: they hoped to raise $100 by Christmas Eve.

By Monday, they had blown that goal away, according to dad Kirk.

“As of yesterday, we were at $2,126,” he said.

All month long, Ryan and Josh have been hard at work on their drawings, which depict everything from animals to holiday scenes.

Anyone who wants to purchase a McKeown brothers original can even choose their own design, according to Josh.

“They can tell us [what they want] and we’ll make it,” he said.

To order a drawing, area residents can email the McKeown family at kidshelpkids@att.net.

Mom Nikki said anyone who wants to make a donation to St. Jude can also contact the family via email for more information.

According to Ryan and Josh, the family is planning to wrap up their fundraiser on Christmas Eve, so they’re asking residents to get their orders in by Sunday, Dec. 23.