A local teen is working to bring comfort to kids with cancer while getting the entire community involved.
14-year-old Brianna Odrywolski is hand-sewing bags, and filling them with things like toys, clothes and snacks. She's donating them to the Courage for Carly Fund, a group that raises money for family support programs at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Eventually, the bags will be delivered to 29 pediatric cancer patients at Women and Children's Hospital and Roswell Park.
"It makes me feel really proud and accomplished that I'm doing something to help my community and help make kids' days a little bit brighter," Odrywolski said.
Odrywolski is a girl scout with Troop 31301, and she's making the bags to earn her Silver Award. The award requires at least 50 hours of work and must make an impact on the community.
To make the bags, she asked for donations from neighbors and friends, and reached out to local businesses and the Erie County Sheriff's Department. The Sheriff's Department contributed $1,000 to the project.
This isn't the first time Odrywolski has done something to help kids with cancer. When she was just six years old so donated ten inches of her hair to Locks of Love, and in 2012, she raised nearly $600 for Roswell Park.
"I'm amazed," said Melissa Odrywoldski, Brianna's mother, "She's got such a good heart."
