Todd_NE
12-24-2001, 11:23 AM
If this doesn't warm yer heart...
Boy Donates Life Savings to New York Relief Fund; Receives Surprise Boat in Return
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Lake Mertens, a six-year-old boy from St. Louis, Mo.,
has been saving money "all his life" to buy his dad a boat so they could go fishing together. But when Lake learned of the September 11 terrorist attacks, he decided to give his life savings of $400 to a New York relief fund instead.
During a fund generating effort at the TWA Dome, Lake, a first grade student at St. Ann's school in Normandy, MO, made several trips back and forth from his mother's car to donate bags of rolled coins. Sponsors of the fund drive, including Allegiant Bank, St. Louis Rams players and cheerleaders, Fox TV Channel 2, Clear Channel Radio and Feature Advertising, took notice of his efforts.
"When we asked him about his donation, he told us that he had saved the money to buy a boat because he and his dad liked to fish, but now he wanted to help the situation," Allegiant Bank's Vice President of Marketing Nora Macalady said.
Touched by Lake's generosity, Macalady immediately contacted Dick Wempen, owner of Bud's Place, a boat dealership in the St. Louis area for more than 55 years. Along with an anonymous donor, Allegiant Bank and Bud's Place gave Lake and his father, Matt Mertens, a Fisher Marsh
Hawk Aluminum Bass Boat valued at over $7000. The boy was surprised with the boat during a special presentation in the TWA Dome before the St. Louis Ram's game Sunday.
Laura Mertens, Lake's mother, said her family has never owned a boat before, but they borrowed one from a friend for vacation last summer and Lake thought, "It was a dream." She said they have a joke about Lake becoming a professional fisherman some day.
"Lake has been saving money for about three years," she said. "Whenever he received money for his chores, his birthday, the holidays or had loose change, he would save it."
The evening the attacks occurred, she discussed the tragedy with Lake at dinner and talked about what they might do to help. The donation resulted.
"I told him that God helps us, to help others," she said. "That's when he decided he and his dad could wait a little longer for a boat, because the people in New York needed the money now." The all-day fundraising effort sponsored by Allegiant Bank, the St. Louis Rams, Fox TV Channel 2, Clear Channel Radio and Feature advertising resulted in nearly $25,000 in total donations.
Merry Christmas
Todd
Boy Donates Life Savings to New York Relief Fund; Receives Surprise Boat in Return
ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Lake Mertens, a six-year-old boy from St. Louis, Mo.,
has been saving money "all his life" to buy his dad a boat so they could go fishing together. But when Lake learned of the September 11 terrorist attacks, he decided to give his life savings of $400 to a New York relief fund instead.
During a fund generating effort at the TWA Dome, Lake, a first grade student at St. Ann's school in Normandy, MO, made several trips back and forth from his mother's car to donate bags of rolled coins. Sponsors of the fund drive, including Allegiant Bank, St. Louis Rams players and cheerleaders, Fox TV Channel 2, Clear Channel Radio and Feature Advertising, took notice of his efforts.
"When we asked him about his donation, he told us that he had saved the money to buy a boat because he and his dad liked to fish, but now he wanted to help the situation," Allegiant Bank's Vice President of Marketing Nora Macalady said.
Touched by Lake's generosity, Macalady immediately contacted Dick Wempen, owner of Bud's Place, a boat dealership in the St. Louis area for more than 55 years. Along with an anonymous donor, Allegiant Bank and Bud's Place gave Lake and his father, Matt Mertens, a Fisher Marsh
Hawk Aluminum Bass Boat valued at over $7000. The boy was surprised with the boat during a special presentation in the TWA Dome before the St. Louis Ram's game Sunday.
Laura Mertens, Lake's mother, said her family has never owned a boat before, but they borrowed one from a friend for vacation last summer and Lake thought, "It was a dream." She said they have a joke about Lake becoming a professional fisherman some day.
"Lake has been saving money for about three years," she said. "Whenever he received money for his chores, his birthday, the holidays or had loose change, he would save it."
The evening the attacks occurred, she discussed the tragedy with Lake at dinner and talked about what they might do to help. The donation resulted.
"I told him that God helps us, to help others," she said. "That's when he decided he and his dad could wait a little longer for a boat, because the people in New York needed the money now." The all-day fundraising effort sponsored by Allegiant Bank, the St. Louis Rams, Fox TV Channel 2, Clear Channel Radio and Feature advertising resulted in nearly $25,000 in total donations.
Merry Christmas
Todd