The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

When 10-year-old Spencer Smith heard from his gym teacher about the extreme poverty in Nepalese orphanages, he wanted to do something to help.

“They have only one (sleeping) mat on the whole concrete floor for all the kids to share. The water comes out brown and yellow and lots of messed-up colors water should not be!” he explained.

He told his mom he wanted to have a garage sale to donate some money to the cause. His mom, Lisa Smith, is the Webelos (10- to 11year-old year-old Cub Scouts) leader in Sisters, so they decided to make it an event for the den of 10 scouts.

At an assembly at Sisters Elementary School on Friday, June 2, the Webelos proudly presented $1,782.11 in cash to Mark Lamont, their gym teacher and co-founder of Ten Friends, a charity that helps orphanages in Nepal.

“All this from a yard sale?” was Lamont’s comment when he received the cash. “I thought you would raise maybe a couple hundred dollars.” He explained that this money will provide clean water for about 1,000 children.

The scouts raised the money at a yard sale on May 20 held on the lawn of Sisters Elementary School. They sold items and baked goods donated from members of the community. Most who donated items were affiliated with Cub Scouts or with the church the Smiths attend, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. A local business also donated some items.

Nearly all items were donated the morning of the sale.

“People were very generous, often donating items that would have sold for good money in the newspaper,” says Lisa Smith. “We sold a lawn mower, an edger, a brand-new saddle, a dirt bike, play equipment and furniture,” she explains.

Buyers were also very generous. Nothing was priced, but most people gave more than the value of items purchased. A few people stopped by just to give money. At day’s end there were more than three trailers full of leftover things delivered to Goodwill.

“We hoped we could raise $1,000, but we got even more than that!” Spencer said.

Last weekend Reed Ashenbrenner, one of the scouts, found $40 more in a pocket of the fanny pack they had used to hold the money. That brings the total donation to $1,822.11.

Ten Friends was begun a few years ago by two Sisters teachers, Mark Lamont and Rand Runco, to help the many destitute orphanages in Nepal. Every summer they travel to Nepal at their own expense to purchase and deliver much-needed supplies. They focus on providing water filtration systems, beds, stretchers and food. Lamont often gives presentations to area school on his experiences with the orphanages in Nepal. That is how Spencer Smith became aware of the cause.

“This is truly a community achievement,” Lisa Smith said. ‘’We are so grateful to everyone who helped!”

The boys enjoyed the activity so much they have asked their leader when they are going to do it again.

“We’re looking at doing something in the Fall,” said their den leader.