A benevolent gesture stood out at the end of Live In Liberty, last Wednesday: Union County Cancer Association (UCCA) members Renae Liming Holt and Janet Sparks were approached by Biz Kid members Kingsley Jenkins, Brody Tipton, Bristol Tipton, Braxton Morris and Braylee Morris with checks for the organization, donating their vendor profits to the cause. That donation was then matched by J&S Mechanical and Ready To Roll Dumpsters, building into a $530 contribution.
As The Sean Lamb and Janet Miller Band rocked the post office block one last time this year, entertaining an audience of roughly 200 people, lining the Liberty sidewalks was an assortment of vendor booths constructed by the Biz Kids.
Biz Kids is an entrepreneurial program in its second year, organized by the Union County Public Library (UCPL). With help from their parents, children stock and operate a booth, selling handmade goods to the community during Live In Liberty events. Nine booths were setup at the past show. Kids were selling lemonade, cookies, ferns, jewelry, birdhouses, among others things.
“We gave them the idea and they ran with it. We had some amazing booths for the show. I was very proud of all of them,” said Julie Jolliff, UCPL Director. To demonstrate the pay it forward method of kindness, the library asked the children to donate a portion of their proceeds to charity.
“The cancer association does a lot for the area (Union County)- They’ve helped us, so we wanted to give back,” said Lacey Tipton, mother of Brody and Bristol. She described how the UCCA helped with expenses after her mother and father passed from cancer, two years ago.
“We appreciate the hard work from the children. And, we also appreciate Ready To Roll Dumpsters and J&S Mechanical. It’s exciting to see parents raising their kids to be supportive of the community,” said UCCA President Renae Liming Holt. She noted that all of the funds raised by the cancer association stay in Union County and support local families afflicted with this disease.
For inquiries about the UCCA, visit their new location at the Union County Health Department (6 W South St., Liberty). UCCA Mailing Address: P.O. Box 294, Liberty, IN 47353.
Written by Cyrus Johnson and published to Union County Connect on September 10, 2024.