Kids Caring 4 Kids

Suburban Chicago kids saving the world

Marcella Raymond, Pam Grimes, Steve Scheuer, Mike D'Angelo
Reporter/ Producer/ Photographers

November 21, 2007

Thanksgiving Eve -- Tonight, a Thanksgiving-eve story about suburban Chicago kids making a difference. A freshman at Wheaton North high school, Kendall Ciesemier, is well on her way to raising a million dollars for AIDS orphans in Africa. Kendall got a big boost in September when Oprah told her story. But as WGN's Marcella Raymond reports, Kendall is also getting help from Wheatons' little people.

Marcella: It's another fun day in the LaBue home. That's Elizabeth, 7, and definitely not camera shy.

"Now we're gonna eat you."

Marcella: Elizabeth and her friends are beading bracelets to help Kendall save AIDS orphans in Africa.

Marcella: You didn't even know where Africa was, did you?
2nd Grader Elizabeth LaBue shakes her head no.
Marcella: Where did you think it was?
Elizabeth: Alaska

Joan LaBue/Elizabeth's Mother: "We just talked about how lucky she is to have all the things that she does and that these children don't have anything."

Marcella: Elizabeth is a 2nd grader at Carl Sandburg elementary school and today is Make-a-difference-day.

Barb Bussman/2nd Grade Teacher: "Are you ready?"

Marcella: In between the spelling tests...

"Here we go, number one Mister."

Marcella: And other curriculum... the kids at Sandburg are changing the world.

Principal Aaron Bacon: "Doing projects like this kinda just puts the focus on helping others."

Paige Grittner/5th Grade Leadership Council: "I wanted to help so much because we have so much to give and they have virtually nothing."

Barb Bussman/2nd Grade Teacher: "I just wanted them to help a local girl do things globally."

Marcella: Their mission was simple. Find ways to earn money and give it all to Kendall.

Dillon and Shea Benson/1st Grade Twins
Shea: "We said do you want to buy a pumpkin for one dollar?"
Dillon: "That's what we mostly did."
Shea: "Ya."
Marcella: How much money did you guys raise?
Shea: "About $29."

Kenneth Kanwischer/1st Grader: "We said do you want to buy some cards for Africa?" "These are some of them..."

Marcella: Get well cards, thank you cards, birthday cards.

Marcella asks: "So, how much did you sell the cards for?"
Kenneth: "For like 3 days."

Marcella: They've spent weeks saving their coins

Christopher Bucci/2nd grader: "I put part of my birthday money in there too."
Marcella: "You feel good about what you did?"
Christopher: "Uh huh."
Marcella: "You know you're going to meet Kendall?"

Marcella: Elizabeth and her friends made almost $90 selling bracelets. Collectively the Sandburg kids hope it will add up to a thousand dollars for Kendall's kids.

"Please give a big Sandburg welcome to Kendall."

Marcella: Kendall Ciesemier was only a 5th grader when she adopted an AIDS orphan. Her "Kids Caring for Kids" has now raised enough money to care for an entire African village.

Kendall Ciesmeier: "Everything you do to make someone's day better is worth while."

Marcella: And the Sandburg grand total is?

Little girl reads: $3,230.20

Marcella: Three times what they had hoped for! After the assembly, Kendall took the time to meet some of her supporters one-on-one.

Elizabeth: "I raised $87 from selling jewelry... wow that's awesome!"

"It's not that I have like something special about me that is the reason, I'm just like them.... so they can do this too."

Marcella: "What was the biggest thing that you learned?"
Elizabeth: "That If you work together that you can make a big difference."

Kendall was born with a rare liver disease and has survived two transplants. If you'd like to join Kendall, Elizabeth ,and the other Kids-Caring-4-Kids go to our website WGNTV.COM.

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Kids Caring 4 Kids