4-H YOUTH DEVELOPMENT

Clackamas 4-Hers Receive Amazing Kids Award

Amazing Kids award winner Deja Fitzwater collects items for the Ronald McDonald House, children’s hospitals, Caring Closet and Operation Crayon.

Amazing Kids award winner Deja Fitzwater collects items for the Ronald McDonald House, children’s hospitals, Caring Closet and Operation Crayon.

Deja, age 13 (at the time of the award) from Milwaukie, is active in the community collecting items for the Ronald McDonald House. As one of their first Fun Junction volunteers, Deja spends every other Tuesday at Ronald McDonald’s West House in Portland teaching children to do various arts-and-crafts projects.

Deja’s own “Arts for the Ages” program delivers art-supply bags filled with inspiration to children’s hospitals and many other worthy causes. Since age of 5, she has hand delivered or mailed art supply packets to over 3,200 places all over the world.

Various organizations that have benefitted from Deja’s project include the Caring Closet and U.S. troops involved with Operation Crayon, known for providing school supplies to Iraqi children.

Bryten Figgins, age 15 (at the time of the award) from Estacada, collects kid-friendly cereal donations for Camp Attitude, a camp that serves children with disabilities and their families. 

Bryten has osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bones disease.  She has broken nearly every bone in her body and has developmental delays. Nevertheless, she told her mom, Teryl Figgins, “It only takes one person to change the world, and I’m that person.” In 2018 she collected 250 boxes of cereal for Camp Attitude and this year she’s going for 500 boxes!

Bryten Figgins (left in photo) is ready to change the world, despite her disabilities, collecting cereal donations for Camp Attitude.