Some kids have the purest hearts and they want to do their part to give back. That’s the case with Ashton, a 10-year-old boy who raised money for the Michigan War Dog Memorial in South Lyon, Michigan.
According to WXYZ-TV Detroit, Ashton has always been kind-hearted and generous. His mom, Heather Elledge, said, “Ashton’s always been a really kind, loving, empathetic kid.”
She went on to explain how when he was in just first grade, Ashton started a “kindness club” at his school to raise money for the Children’s Hospital of Michigan.
His spirit for giving back has only seemed to get bigger, and now at 10-years-old, he’s determined to raise money for the Michigan War Dog Memorial.
The memorial honors K-9 heroes and offers military and service dogs a final resting place, free of charge.
According to the news station, Ashton explained that he always loved the War Dog Memorial. He decided to give back, so during the pandemic, he began collecting golf balls.
After a year of collecting balls, he had enough to sell them at a golf tournament. He spent days with a little stand selling them, and he finally sold out. His mom noted that the golfers thought it was “really cool” what he was doing and wanted to support him.
Ashton ended up raising over $2,000 for the Michigan War Dog Memorial – and he gifted it on his birthday!
The President of the memorial said, “I just thought to myself, ‘this is fantastic for him to step up.’ He could have used the money to buy anything he wanted. And instead, he wanted to honor our K-9 heroes.”
He went on to say that Ashton’s parents were clearly doing a good job.
As for Ashton, himself, he plans to continue raising more money and doing good in the world.
Watch the video below, courtesy of WXYZ-TV Detroit: