Kennedy Kulish

This is Kennedy Kulish’s story:

“I raise money for children with special hearts and defects on behalf of my awesome baby brother Kaeden who was born with a very special heart.

I volunteer because I can and because it feels so awesome and because there are a lot of kids that are in need of help that are not healthy like my Kaeden is now and I have awesome special friends that want to help me to help them.

I think it helps for my friends to help so they know how awesome it feels to help others and appreciate what they have when they find out what others do not have. I hope that all the money we have raised over the past five years and donated to organizations like the American Heart Association, the Children's Miracle Network and the Ronald McDonald House helps raise awareness and get medical equipment and medicines that these special children need.

I know I am really blessed to have my good health so I can do lots of things and I so know how blessed I am to have my baby brother here with me every day to take care of and play with and read books to him. So I want to do a lot of different things so other families can be blessed to have their children be healthy and have them at home with them and not in hospitals.

My team, Kisses for Kaeden, has a fundraiser each month. Right now our next one is Saturday, February 21st at Park City and we are raising money for the Ronald McDonald House in Hershey, PA where they are building a new addition with more rooms so more families can stay there while there children are across the street at Penn State Children’s Hospital getting their surgeries. Then we will be at the Walmart on March 28th selling our hotdogs and baked goods having our Make A Wish Foundation fundraiser to help grant another child’s wish.

I am almost done with my collecting the stuffed teddy bears that I donate to the Lancaster police station for the officers to give to the scared children of car accidents and when they have to go to a home and their parents are fighting. I am collecting books for the children in need of them in an inner city school my goal is 500 and I have almost 200. I did it two years ago and collected 1,020 books that was great.

I just got permission from my school board and the principal to sell red paper hearts at all 6 elementary schools in my school district and we are making it a competition to see what school sells the most and all the money will go to the American Heart Association and then in March I have to start writing all my donation letters and send them to companies for my 6th annual Children’s Miracle Network Chinese auction fundraiser. Companies from all over are always so generous to me and send me the best things to raffle off my auction. Last year for my 5th one, we raised $3,000 so my goal this year is $3,001 because we always try to raise more than we did the year before.

I think everyone has something special in their lives that means a lot to them maybe a relative that is going through cancer treatments so they can cut their hair and donate it to Locks of Love or if they like to draw they can make colorful cards and bring them to the nearest nursing home or children’s hospital where the elderly and children would love to have. There is so much someone can do and it doesn’t matter how young you are or old or big or small if you put your mind to it and really feel strong about it then you can and when you do believe me it is the best feeling in the world to help another that is in need of help.”