LOWELL, Mich. -- Every summer, Jillian Riney participates in a volunteer project. This year, she decided to try something new: raise nearly $5,000 before October not for a homecoming dress, not for a new car, but to put Play-Doh into hands that could definitely use it -- kids at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
Riney, a senior at Lowell High School, hopes to collect enough money to buy 5,000 canisters of the moldable toy by the end of September in an effort to help kids forced to spend long days in hospital beds.
"It didn’t seem enough to me to buy some Play-Doh and donate it so I came up with the idea of the drive and it kind of turned into something that could benefit the Lowell community and Helen DeVos Children's Hospital."
That's why she's donating one can of Play-Doh for every dollar she raises. And 45 cents of that dollar will go to Pink Arrow Pride, the Lowell project that raises money for the Lowell Wellness Center, cancer survivors, and Gilda's Club.
Riney made a homemade video (below) with the her mom's help. In the video, Riney runs from place to place and explains her cause, who it benefits, and why you should care.
Riney says she created the drive to observe Children's Cancer Awareness Month. There are several donation boxes at local businesses, including the Spring Grow Variety Store, Keisers Kitchenm, and Ace Hardware in Lowell.
The owner of Spring Grow Variety Store has promised to order and ship all of the Play-Doh that Riney hopes to donate.
You can also donate at Lake Michigan Credit Union.
Riney is hoping to collect enough money for 5,000 canisters. Right now, she has roughly 300.
Riney has also set up a GoFundMe page.
The drive ends at the end of September.
