APRIL 54, 2057, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE A5
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Girl Scout gives
stuffed animals
to local hospitals
By DEREK WILEY
Of the Keizertimes
Born premature, Ashlee
Ellis was comforted by stuffed
animals, particularly a pink and
white dog and a small giraffe, as
she lived in hospital emergency
rooms fi ghting asthma and
other health issues.
Now a healthy eighth grader
at Whiteaker Middle School,
Ellis wants to make sure all kids
get that same comfort.
Working towards her Girl
Scouts silver award, Ellis
collected over 500 items
including stuffed animals,
blankets, coloring books and
fuzzy socks to be donated
to hospital pediatric and
emergency rooms in Salem,
Silverton, Stayton and Dallas.
“I decided to do this
because I know how kids and
teens feel because I was always
in hospitals and they always
gave me a stuffed animal or
blanket and it provides comfort
for them,” Ellis said. “Some
hospitals don’t have that for
kids so I just wanted to give
back.”
Ellis, who had an asthma
attack at Yellowstone National
Park four years ago and had
to spend two days at Madison
Valley Medical Center in
Ennis, Mont., also knows what
it’s like to be on that side of
things as the emergency room
didn’t have any stuffed animals
for kids.
Realizing a need was there,
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Ellis began sending a box of
stuffed animals to the hospital
each year.
Ellis is in Girl Scouts troop
11863, led by Mary Couser.
“Ashlee has an amazing
heart,” Couser said.
To spread the word of her
project, Ellis created business
cards to hand out while she
sold cookies.
It wasn’t uncommon for
someone to buy cookies on
their way into a store and then
come out later with a stuffed
animal.
Ellis sold a 1,000 boxes of
Girl Scout cookies this year.
Ashlee also got help from
her older brother, Brady,
a junior at McNary High
School, who created a website
( h t t p : / / c re a t i n g c o m f o r t -
oregonhospitals.blogspot.
com/) and Facebook page.
Two of her teachers at
Whiteaker, Meredith Sheridan
Submitted
Whiteaker Middle School student Ashlee Ellis, left, center, donated stuffed animals and coloring books to Santiam Hospital in
Stayton. She is pictured with her friend Michael Austin, mother Mindy and chief nursing offi cer Sherri Steele.
and Lauren Stephenson, put
donation boxes in their rooms.
Ellis also heard from old
elementary school friends and
received packages in the mail
from as far as New York and
Washington, D.C.
When Ellis received a check,
she made sure to spend the
money wisely, often purchasing
items on clearance. The
manager at Rite Aid would
Dress blue
even let her know when stuffed
animals were on sale.
Her best friend, Michael
Austin, provided
muscle,
helping deliver the items along
with Brady and her mother
Mindy.
Ellis wants to continue the
work into high school and even
create a new club at McNary.
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