Boy Gives Disney Holiday Away To Family Of Fallen Soldier
Children can very often be an inspiration for their unhindered kindness.
In 2012, a 9 year-old boy demonstrated resourcefulness and generosity that would put most of us adults to shame.
Inspired by the story of the man that traded up from one red paperclip to a house, young Brendan Haas decided to use social media to see if he could do something similar.
Relying on total strangers to propel his dream forward, Brendan created the “Soldier for a Soldier” Facebook page.
Here, through a series of trades that started with his toy soldier, Brendan eventually ended up with $900 worth of Disney gift certificates, as well as redeemable airfare and hotel credits.
By heart-warming coincidence, Brendan received the ultimate “trade up” of the all-expenses paid Disney vacation just before Memorial Day, honouring those in uniform that had given their lives in the line of duty.
This fitted beautifully with his overall plan – to give the final trade of the dream holiday to the family of a fallen Soldier.
A raffle was held for the children that had tragically lost a parent in this way, and two year-old Liberty Hope Steele was the name that Brendan pulled out of the hat.
Her father, U.S. Army Lt. Timothy Steele, had been killed in Afghanistan in 2011 at the age of 25.
With the Steele family living in Duxbury, Massachusetts the 9 year old boy personally delivered the news of the Disney World holiday that he had managed to arrange.
The story made national television at the time. Brendan even appeared via Skype on Good Morning America.
On the show it was revealed that the Walt Disney Company was so impressed by Brendan’s actions they were going to give him his own all-expense paid trip to Disney World.
However, as he sat there with his over-joyed parents audible in the background of their home, he calmly replied that he wasn’t going to accept the gift.
“We have many more people who would like to have an all-expenses paid trip,” he said. “So we’ll have another raffle.”
Brendan received a flood of well wishes on his Facebook page, and is considered a little hero for all his efforts to help military families.
However, modest to the end, little Brendan did not allow the recognition to go to his head.
“Thank you for all your support!” he wrote in one post. “I can’t believe all the nice comments, emails, and phone calls. I am going to try to reply individually to everyone but I am still in school and Mrs. Smith still gave me homework tonight :)”
With a level of maturity that belied his age, Brendan also said:
“I think that I learned that it takes a whole army not just one soldier, everyone who helped spread the word, supported me, and traded, and entered my raffle helped me reach my goal. There are two words I want to say to you all – THANK YOU.”
