Community Corner
Plainfield Boy Honored for Bringing Music to Sick Children
Acey Longley of Plainfield will receive $1,000 toward his higher education from the Kohl's Cares Scholarship Program. He is now in the running to receive $10,000 in scholarship funds.
A Plainfield youth who is using to raise the spirits of sick kids has been honored for his volunteerism.
In honor of his late father, 9-year-old Acey Longley created an organization called B.E.A.T.S (Bringing Everyone A Tremendous Smile). Because his dad was a musician, Acey began collecting drum sticks, drum pads and iTunes gift cards to donate to Edward Hospital in Naperville in the hopes of bringing joy to children in the hospital.
Acey's dad was Ty Longley, guitarist the rock band Great White. He died several months before his son was born in the Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island.
In addition to B.E.A.T.S., Acey also runs the Illinois Chapter of Legos for Leukemia.
Recognizing Acey for his spirit of volunteerism, Kohl’s Department Stores through its Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program has awarded him with a $1,000 scholarship. She is now eligible to receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships toward her higher education, according to a news release from Kohl’s Cares.
Scholarship winners are chosen based on initiative, leadership, generosity and project benefits and outcome, according to Kohl’s Cares. A regional-level winner, which will be announced at the end of July, qualifies for one of Kohl’s 10 national scholarships. National winners will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on each national winner’s behalf.
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In total, Kohl’s will recognize more than 2,300 young volunteers with more than $400,000 in scholarships and prizes.
Other area recipients of $1,000 scholarships are:
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- Claudia Beard, 17, Hinsdale – In 2012, Claudia traveled to Guatemala on a Medical Mission Trip where she helped provide medical service to more than 2,100 individuals in the country, utilized her Spanish language skills to translate between the American doctors and the Guatemalan people, and distributed toothbrushes, toothpaste and toys she had collected back home to the citizens of Guatemala.
Alex Caraynoff, 15, Minooka – Since 2011, Alex has been planning and hosting “Pop Tab Dump Days” events that have raised more than $12,000 for Ronald McDonald House Charities through the collection of nearly six tons of recyclable tabs from aluminum cans.
Daniella Cohen, 14, Highland Park – After developing a friendship with a girl in India through a writing project, Daniella created GIVE, an organization dedicated to cross-cultural, global friendships and education. Through GIVE, Daniella sends books and flip-flops signed with messages of hope to children in India and Uganda.
Nicholas Curley, 8, Chicago – In honor of his cousin who has epilepsy,Nicholas ice skated 100 miles and raised $40,000 for the Danny Did Foundation. The Foundation is using the money to purchase monitoring devices that sound an alarm when someone with epilepsy suffers a seizure while sleeping.
Sarah Dynia, 16, Oak Lawn – Sarah founded the organization Stuffed Love, creating hand-stitched pillows that are donated to a variety of groups in the Chicago community, including several local hospitals, a grief counseling support group and a center for the developmentally disabled.
Emily Graves, 10, La Porte – Emily started the Cookies for Soldiers organization, dedicated to sending boxes of Girl Scout cookies to American soldiers. With the help of local Girl Scout troops, Emily has collected, packaged and sent 5,400 boxes of Girl Scout cookies to soldiers overseas.
Eliza Peters, 12, Geneva – As an athlete who uses hearing aids to hear her coaches, teammates and fans, Eliza created the Hear the Cheers organization and raised more than $18,000 in three weeks to purchase hearing aids for local children unable to afford hearing aids.
Jen Rubino, 18, Park Ridge – Jen created “Cards for Hospitalized Kids” to distribute handmade cards to more than 20,000 hospitalized kids in more than 200 hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses nationwide. Jen has also recruited the help of celebrities including Olympian Aly Raisman, actress Lucy Hale, and singer Jesse McCartney to sign autographs to send to kids, along with the cards.
Jessica Streepy, 12, Palatine – Jessica devotes her time to advocating for the organization One Day’s Wages and has raised more than $20,000, including profits from the sale of homemade hair and hat clips and scarves from her business B-U-Barrettes, to help alleviate extreme global poverty.
In 2013, Kohl’s celebrates its 13th year of rewarding young volunteers. Since the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program began in 2001, Kohl’s has recognized more than 19,000 kids, including the 2013 winners, with more than $3.9 million in scholarships and prizes, according to the company.
The Kohl’s CaresScholarship Program is part of Kohl’s Cares, Kohl’s philanthropic program focused on improving the lives of children. Find more information on the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program.
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