Girl Inspired by President Bush, Darryl Worley Launches Tsunami Effort

REDMOND (The Hill Group) - A third-grade student at M. A. Lynch Elementary School in Redmond spent the last week of her winter vacation designing flyers for her school and researching different organizations providing aid to the victims of the recent catastrophic earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia.

Isabella Blackney, 9, saw pictures of the destruction on Fox News and CNN. She read the stories on America OnLine. She turned to music for a little distraction. She listened to movie soundtracks and finally settled on the song "Awful Beautiful Life" by Darryl Worley.

Worley's song reminds her of how life can be great one minute and scary the next. She loves homework, listens to the news every morning before school and generally loves to hang out with her friends and play with her cat. She also believes in giving back.

After the tragedy in Southeast Asia, Isabella decided she wanted to help the children hurt in the disaster. She was concerned for the children losing both parents and that they would be sent to orphanages.

Isabella's own life was marked by the loss of her father when she was just two years old. One of Isabella's goals for the project is to let the children in Southeast Asia know American children are praying for them and that even American children knew how scary losing a parent can feel.

The Kids to Kids effort was born when Isabella was asked by her family why she wanted to get involved. Isabella replied simply: "I want to help the kids who are in danger. I don't want to see them without shelter or food."

Isabella worked out a plan to collect spare change in each classroom at Lynch Elementary. Isabella's challenge to all other students in Central Oregon is simple: Set up a Kids to Kids Program in their schools. Miss Blackney & other Kids to Kids Volunteers will collect & count donations. Miss Blackney hopes to raise at least $2005.

Miss Blackney used the website, www.usafreedomcorps.gov to find the American Red Cross. Inspired by President Bush's message of loving her neighbor, Miss Blackney will donate ALL funds raised to the local Oregon Mountain River Chapter of the American Red Cross on Valentine's Day to support their efforts to aid victims in Southeast Asia.