6-Year Old Tyler Gordon Honored At Unite For Sight Conference as Youngest Volunteer

Source: http://www.pioneerlocal.com/lincolnshire/news/357957,LR-giving-042607-S1.article

April 26, 2007
By DIANA NEWTON Staff Writer

First-grader Bronwyn Heidkamp announced to her mother one day: "I want to buy a cow."

Amazingly, they did.

The cow isn't grazing in their back yard. It went to Heifer International and is helping a poor farming family across the world.

The 291 eyeglasses Tyler Gordon collected for Unite for Sight are bringing sight to people in Africa and Asia.

"My goal was 100," said Tyler, 6. "I don't know how, but I got 291."

Enterprising Elizabeth Ayers raised more than $3,000 for the American Diabetes Association. From her efforts alone, four children with diabetes will be able to attend overnight camp.

The junior philanthropists -- Heidkamp, Ayers and Gordon -- are all first-graders in Sue Vani's classroom at Sprague School. For four years, Vani has challenged her first-graders to "think outside the envelope." She gives them each an envelope with $10 to use for a charity of their choice.

"I got the idea from my church, First Presbyterian of Deerfield," said Vani, a Deerfield resident. "One year, they gave each of us $20 to make the world a better place."

If the students' parents agree, the children are allowed to collect more money. This year, students started with $240, which they grew to $4,386.

Children donated to a variety of causes, including: orphans, the hungry, ill children, the school library, animal shelters and a home for adults with mental disabilities.

"This age is so good for instilling philanthropic habits," Vani said. "Typically, kids put their own money in also, and they ask family and friends to help them."

That's just what Elizabeth Ayers did. She made up a flier and asked everyone she knew to help her raise money to send kids to camp.

"I wanted to help my dad," said Elizabeth of her project.

Elizabeth's dad, Doug, has had Type 1 diabetes since he was 13. He's 46 now. Around the time of the project, he was scheduled for a kidney transplant.

Though Doug Ayers is doing great now, he was hospitalized when Elizabeth presented her check to the American Diabetes Association. She and her mother attended the brunch at Soldier Field, where they met Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith. Smith also supports the cause as his mother suffers from diabetes.

"She is so shy, but she did so awesome," said her mother, Lisa Ayers. "Everyone there was just floored by the money she raised."

Tyler Gordon created posters and set up boxes at District 109 schools to collect his eyeglasses. He recently started wearing glasses himself and wanted to help others who need glasses but can't get them. The well-spoken boy e-mailed Unite for Sight founder Jennifer Staple, who was so impressed that he was only 6 that she invited him to their international conference April 14-15 at Stanford University in California. The organization honored him as its youngest volunteer. He rubbed elbows with 1,500 people from across the world, including researchers and doctors.

"We made the decision to go because we were hoping that the experience would encourage him to keep doing charity work for the rest of his life," said Tyler's mom, Kathy Gordon. "We wanted it to be something where it wasn't just writing a check."

Vani's project typically inspires children and their families to do even more.

"A lot of parents have told me that this project has spilled over to siblings, and it's become a family affair," Vani said. "They continue to pick a project to do every year."

That's been true for Elizabeth, who keeps emptying her piggy bank for charity. Tyler, too, wants to keep doing his charitable work. Lisa Ayers gives the credit to Vani for not limiting her expectations of her young pupils.

"She really opens them up to the world," Lisa Ayers said.

"What a wonderful climate for a first-grader," said Kathy Gordon. "She's an amazing teacher." 

About Unite For Sight

Unite For Sight® is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that empowers communities worldwide to improve eye health and eliminate preventable blindness. Local and visiting volunteers work with partner eye clinics to provide eye care in communities without previous access, with the goal of creating eye disease-free communities. Additionally, vision screening and education programs are implemented worldwide by volunteers working in ninety chapters established at universities in North America, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

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