Eisenhower Collects Books For Hospitalized Kids Via 'Kate's Kart'
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Eisenhower Collects Books For Hospitalized Kids Via 'Kate's Kart'
By David [email protected]
For the second year, Eisenhower Elementary School is collecting new and gently used books for Kate's Kart. The school will collect books all next week, beginning Monday.
The first book collection started in 2010 because of Austin McCleary.
In 2003, when he was only 3 years old, Austin was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a form of cancer of the nervous system. Then in summer 2009, he had his second relapse with the cancer. His family took him back and forth to Fort Wayne hospitals for treatment. During his hospital stays, Austin was able to get new books to read at the hospital or at home through Kate's Kart.
One day when Austin was checking out Kate's Kart website, he saw other children were having book drives for Kate's Kart. Austin wanted to do a book drive at his school, Eisenhower.
Austin is now six months clear, said his mother, Angie, but he still loves to read and still wanted to do a collection again this year for Kate's Kart.
"It's just a way to give back to the people who gave to us," said Angie. "It's fun for us to help kids in the hospital. We know what it's like."
She said it was great that Eisenhower was letting the book collection happen.
In 2010, said Eisenhower librarian Tammy Boggs, someone in town had a daughter who worked for a publisher in Chicago. That publishing company sent 24 boxes of new books for Kate's Kart. Each box weighed 45 pounds. A total of 28 boxes were collected last year.
A volunteer for Kate's Kart came from Fort Wayne to pick the boxes of donated books up. The weight weighed down the volunteer's car.
"Just to see Kate's legacy move on is great because I followed her story," said Angie.
Kate's Kart was named after Kate Layman, daughter of Andy and Krista Layman.
According to the Kate's Kart website, "'Baby Kate' was born June 26, 2006. Shortly after her birth, she was diagnosed with heart and pulmonary defects. During Kate's journey, she endured four open heart surgeries, five heart catheterizations, and over 150 days in the hospital. During her stays in the hospital, one of Kate's favorite things to do was look at books and have others read to her. She also loved eating ice cream and popsicles, and going on wagon rides. On Jan. 15, 2008, at the age of just 18 months, her fragile heart gave out and she passed from her mother's arms into her Heavenly Father's arms.
"In honor of Kate, and her love of books, the Layman family decided to start a rolling book cart in the pediatric unit of a local hospital as a way to give back to the medical community that had taken such great care of Kate. The cart would be filled with new books, and each child would be able to select a book off the cart to keep. The cart was fondly named 'Kate's Kart'".
Kate's Kart does have a book wish list. The books and types of books most in need to restock the Karts include: soft cloth books; board books, picture/character books like Dr. Seuss and Dora the Explorer; read aloud books like "Runaway Bunny", "On the Night You Were Born", nursery rhymes and bedtime stories; chapter books, like Junie B. Jones series or "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"; young adult; activity books; and Bibles geared toward young readers.
On the Net:
www.kateskart.org
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For the second year, Eisenhower Elementary School is collecting new and gently used books for Kate's Kart. The school will collect books all next week, beginning Monday.
The first book collection started in 2010 because of Austin McCleary.
In 2003, when he was only 3 years old, Austin was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a form of cancer of the nervous system. Then in summer 2009, he had his second relapse with the cancer. His family took him back and forth to Fort Wayne hospitals for treatment. During his hospital stays, Austin was able to get new books to read at the hospital or at home through Kate's Kart.
One day when Austin was checking out Kate's Kart website, he saw other children were having book drives for Kate's Kart. Austin wanted to do a book drive at his school, Eisenhower.
Austin is now six months clear, said his mother, Angie, but he still loves to read and still wanted to do a collection again this year for Kate's Kart.
"It's just a way to give back to the people who gave to us," said Angie. "It's fun for us to help kids in the hospital. We know what it's like."
She said it was great that Eisenhower was letting the book collection happen.
In 2010, said Eisenhower librarian Tammy Boggs, someone in town had a daughter who worked for a publisher in Chicago. That publishing company sent 24 boxes of new books for Kate's Kart. Each box weighed 45 pounds. A total of 28 boxes were collected last year.
A volunteer for Kate's Kart came from Fort Wayne to pick the boxes of donated books up. The weight weighed down the volunteer's car.
"Just to see Kate's legacy move on is great because I followed her story," said Angie.
Kate's Kart was named after Kate Layman, daughter of Andy and Krista Layman.
According to the Kate's Kart website, "'Baby Kate' was born June 26, 2006. Shortly after her birth, she was diagnosed with heart and pulmonary defects. During Kate's journey, she endured four open heart surgeries, five heart catheterizations, and over 150 days in the hospital. During her stays in the hospital, one of Kate's favorite things to do was look at books and have others read to her. She also loved eating ice cream and popsicles, and going on wagon rides. On Jan. 15, 2008, at the age of just 18 months, her fragile heart gave out and she passed from her mother's arms into her Heavenly Father's arms.
"In honor of Kate, and her love of books, the Layman family decided to start a rolling book cart in the pediatric unit of a local hospital as a way to give back to the medical community that had taken such great care of Kate. The cart would be filled with new books, and each child would be able to select a book off the cart to keep. The cart was fondly named 'Kate's Kart'".
Kate's Kart does have a book wish list. The books and types of books most in need to restock the Karts include: soft cloth books; board books, picture/character books like Dr. Seuss and Dora the Explorer; read aloud books like "Runaway Bunny", "On the Night You Were Born", nursery rhymes and bedtime stories; chapter books, like Junie B. Jones series or "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"; young adult; activity books; and Bibles geared toward young readers.
On the Net:
www.kateskart.org
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