Youngsters draw for cancer fundraising at White Star Lodge
BUFFALO TWP — Kaylinh Lundell, 6, was listening to the radio in the car one day in December when she heard something unusual and heartbreaking — parents and children crying.
“I heard kids crying and I said, ‘What is that?’” Kaylinh said. “And Mommy said that those are kids crying at St. Jude (Children’s Research Hospital), and parents begging for their children to have these treatments.”
“She didn’t think that it was fair that they were sick all the time,” said Kaylinh’s mother, Tea Lundell. “So we came up with the idea that she’s gonna draw to help the kids at St. Jude.”
Together, Tea and Kaylinh launched “Draw for a Dream” in April, an effort to raise $100,000 for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital by gathering Pittsburgh-area children to do what she already loves to do as a hobby — drawing.
Since then, the Lundells’ movement has expanded, and has raised a total of $7,219 for the hospital through donations and raffles. The movement had its fifth “Draw for a Dream” event on Sunday, June 14, at the White Star Fraternal Lodge in Buffalo Township.
“What they create today is not just drawing, but it’s something that actually make a difference,” Tea said.
After seeing the news of what the Lundell family started, a group of families in the Buffalo Township area reached out to Tea and Kaylinh to start their own event, and secured the White Star Fraternal Society in Freeport as a venue. According to Tea, the families were unable to attend earlier “Draw for a Dream” events which were closer to Pittsburgh — roughly an hour away from their location.
“They saw Kaylinh on the news and they were inspired by that,” Tea said. “We are closer to Pittsburgh, and so it’s about a 50-minute ride. The parents were really busy. They couldn’t take the girls to those events, and so the girls decided that they’re gonna put together the event themselves.”
“My daughter Lillian is 6, and Kaylinh is also 6, and they share drawing as a love,” said Caitlyn Andring. “I just thought that maybe this was something that my daughter and her friends could do to help Kaylinh follow her dream and raise money for a good cause.”
At Sunday’s event, participating children were given crayons, a piece of paper, and 24 minutes to draw something positive — such as flowers or a sunrise.
“The kids draw for 24 minutes to represent the 24 hours that the kids at St. Jude have to fight cancer,” Tea said. “It’s basically a way of saying, ‘We’re thinking about you while we’re drawing.’”
Coincidentally, but fittingly, the number of children who participated on Sunday at the White Star Society was 24.
After the children finished with their drawings, they applied red stickers to them as certificates of authenticity. Then the parents participated in a live auction, bidding up to $100 on ownership of each drawing.
However, according to Tea and other parents, the “auction” is purely a performance for the children, and donations actually come from those who scan QR codes taking them to a special St. Jude donation page or participate in the basket raffle.
“I call it a ‘Conspiracy of kindness,’” Tea said. “The event is set in that way to empower kids and give everyone a positive experience.”
The next “Draw for a Dream” event is scheduled for Saturday, July 11, at the Kolor-N-Kiln Pottery Studio at the Mall at Robinson in Allegheny County.
Readers can contribute to the fundraiser at this link, on St. Jude’s website.
