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Contact: Dana Leman (515) 224-2012 (h) (515) 314-3065 (c) dana@randomkid.org

It's a Wonderful Life for a Struggling Iowa Family

Community Rallies in Support of Ill Boy

December 14, 2006—Des Moines, Iowa

If Jimmy Stewart’s character in the classic Christmas movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life” was right, then every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings.  Well, there’s been a lot of jingling throughout the metro region these past two weeks, as handmade, over-sized Christmas stockings, in more than 50 metro businesses, were filled with donations. The donations have been collected to benefit a four year-old boy named Konner, who is recovering from leukemia, and his single mother who is unable to work due to the demands of his illness. Patrons from all over the Des Moines metro area participated.

On December 4th, three sisters, Lacey, age 18, Vancy, age 14, and Lexy, age 8, and their friend, Kacie, age 14, who is Konner’s sister, gathered in East High School’s sewing room to stitch and decorate 50 stockings hoping to ease the financial and emotional burden on Konner and his family. They called their project, “Christmas for Konner”, and they are about to realize the fruits of their efforts.

On December 19th, at 1:30 p.m., in the Hoyt Middle School gymnasium (2700 E.42nd Ave. in Des Moines), a packed house will assemble to see the extent of the generosity of hundreds of Des Moines metro residents.  A swing choir performance will be staged to surprise the mother, who is unaware of the magnitude of the young girls’ efforts.  After two songs, the surprise will unfold.  The four girls will reveal what they have been up to, and one by one, the swing choir will walk by a microphone, naming the businesses, churches and schools that raised funds, and they will lay the stockings on a table in front of Konner’s family.  Many HUGE surprises are in store!

Their story has stirred up interest in a young girl in Virginia, who became aware of Konner’s story, and decided to join forces with the Iowa girls this week.  She hand-sewed her own over-sized stockings and will be collecting funds these last few days before Christmas to honor her friend “Roo” Goodall, who died of brain cancer last year at the age of 12. The five girls plan to continue raising money through Christmas stocking donations next year, benefiting charities that help children with cancer. They will be calling their project, “STUFF THE STOCKING”.

In this Christmas story, these four east side angels are sure to get their wings.

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The girls have designated 70% of all the funds collected to benefit Konner and his family, 20% to benefit Blank Children Hospital’s Child Life Center, where Konner receives treatment, and 10% to RandomKid, the Iowa non-profit 501C3 organization that supported them, in order to help more kids help others.

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