Sam Gibbons: “this week three youngsters from Sparks, Nevada, were honored as national winners of Make a Difference Day, the largest…”

“this week three youngsters from Sparks, Nevada, were honored as national winners of Make a Difference Day, the largest national day dedicated to helping others. Ten-year-old Crystal DeRuise, her 8-year-old brother Trevor, and her friend, 10-year-old Diana Vaden, started a simple crafts project. They collected oval-shaped rocks, painted them to resemble ladybugs, and sold them at local community craft fairs. This simple project has become a local phenomenon in a nationally-recognized charity. When Diana's mother became ill with lupus last year, the students began to sell their rocks at the local stores, donating all of their proceeds to the Lupus Foundation. To date, they have raised about $1,500 for lupus research, and plan to generate at least $1,000 more in sales by Christmas. In addition, as national finalists, an award of $10,000 will go directly to the Lupus Foundation on their behalf. It is truly an honor for me to recognize these young individuals, who have given so much of themselves to such a worthy cause. These young children are truly the real role models for all America.”