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© St. Petersburg Times, published May 24, 2002
Amanda Bishop doesn't have leukemia, but she saw a video about children who do.
The Chiaramonte Elementary third-grader knows what she would do if she won the Lotto: She would give at least half of the money to the Leukemia Society.
This year, she donated $53 -- more than any other Chiaramonte student -- to the school's annual "Pennies for Patients" fundraiser. During the six-week campaign, the student body amassed $1,197.83 in change for its chosen charity.
The $53 represented more than three-fourths of Amanda's combined assets, carefully saved over time from household chores and Christmas card money.
Wouldn't most 10-year-olds rather buy a new Xbox game?
"I wanted to help," Amanda says. "Knowing that someone will use my money for a good cause makes me feel good.
"You need to be thankful for what you have."
What Nancy Avila has is paint. And canvas.
The Anderson Elementary fourth-grader also saw that leukemia video.
She noticed something sad about the walls of St. Jude's Children's Hospital in Nashville, Tenn.: They were bare.
Knowing the effect that color and pictures have on her own spirit, Avila commissioned herself to paint a bright purple masterpiece.
She chose her pet pug, Curly, as the emissary of cheer -- "because pugs are nice, loveable and playful," she says.
"When the kids see him, maybe they will feel that way, too. When they go home, maybe they will want to get a dog to help them feel better."
Although painted Curly will travel to Nashville alone, Nancy will be with him in spirit.