Arizona 2nd grader raising money to buy toys for 14K foster kids
7-year old Avery Bell has quite the collection of fidget toys
By Jason Barry
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SCOTTSDALE, Arizona (KTVK, KPHO) — 7-year old Avery Bell has quite the collection of fidget toys, and there’s a reason for it.
Avery recently broke her leg and was confined to a wheelchair, so mom bought a bunch of fidgets to ease the pain and pass the time.
“They are really fun,” said Avery. “They take away your stress and make you have a lot of good times in your life.”
Avery loved the toys so much that when the pastor of her church challenged the congregation to come up with a way to serve the community, Avery decided to collect as many fidget toys as she could to give away to Arizona foster children during the holidays.
With the help of her dad, Avery set up a GoFundMe page called Fidgets for Fosters.
Andrew Schmid, Avery’s father, says, “She was stuck in a wheelchair for several weeks and on crutches for most of the summer, and she discovered fidget toys,” said Schmid. “That made her think about foster kids; maybe they had challenging days, and maybe having fidget toys would help them get through their day and cope with some of their challenges.”
“They don’t know where they’re going to end up next, so I was just thinking of fidgets,” said Avery. “If they have anxiety – it can help them with their anxiety.”
With the help of her dad, Avery set up a GoFundMe page called Fidgets for Fosters. Their goal is to raise $14,000 to provide fidget toys to all 14,000 Arizona foster children.
“It would make them happy, and when they grow up, they can give them to another kid and to another kid and keep going spreading joy all over the world,” said Avery.
So far, Avery has only raised $145. She’s hoping that by sharing her story, it will inspire others to help out. “I think it’s real important to have other kids have a good life,” said Avery.
To make a donation visit gofundme.com/fidgets-for-fosters.
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