“Mommy…I want to do something to help the kids.”
The Shiny Quarter Foundation was born from the dream of an innocent 8-year old little boy with an amazing heart.
I am in awe of my son, Michael. He was blessed with a great brain and an even bigger heart. As an only child, he grew out of toys long before they ever became “used.” Every December, Michael would gather toys, games, videos and stuffed animals, and depending on where we lived, we would choose either a local children’s hospital or battered women’s shelter and deliver all the toys. It was a huge part of his holidays.
The week after Christmas 2001, Michael and I watched a TV special about St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, hosted by Marlo Thomas. That night when I tucked him into bed, he said,
“Mommy…I want to do something to help the kids. When I go back to school next week, I want to ask all the kids to bring in a shiny quarter…"
at which point he paused, and said,
“…and I know that’s a lot of money… but just think how much money that would be! I want to send it to the doctors at St. Jude’s so they can make the kids better so they can go home for Christmas next year.”
My heart swelled and my eyes filled. I told him I thought it was a wonderful idea, and how proud I was of him.
When I picked him up from school the following week, he looked completely dejected. He said his teacher told him they weren’t allowed to ask the kids for money, but that it was a wonderful idea and not to give up.
About six weeks later, I was holding Michael’s hand as we walked into church. He pulled me to a stop and said,
“Mommy, look at all these people!”
Thinking like an adult, I said, “It is really crowded, and I thought we were early!” Michael said,
“No, mommy… look at all these people! Just think…if everyone gave a shiny quarter, how much money that would be!”
I could not believe that, at 8 years old, this idea had stayed with him for so long! He wrote a letter to Fr. Franks and Fr. Denis, two truly wonderful priests at our parish in Ohio. Fr. Franks called him and said they already collected for St. Jude’s during the Lenten Rice Bowl donation, so they couldn’t ask the parishioners to donate to them again. He told Michael it was a wonderful idea, though, and not to give up.
Another month and a half passed and everyone in our family asked me what Michael wanted for his birthday. He asked me to tell everyone that he wanted a shiny quarter for his 9th birthday. I was in awe. As you can imagine, everyone gathered all of their change, and he collected $59.72 in coins. Michael wrote a letter to the doctors at St. Jude, and we boxed it up with all the coins and shipped it off. He received a beautiful letter from St. Jude thanking him, which he kept in his “special box” for years.
Michael continued his dedication to service as he got older. He began volunteering with severely disabled and terminally ill children when he was 13. It became one of the most important things in his life. As soon as he was old enough, he began volunteering with Special Olympics, and committed countless volunteer hours throughout his high school years and beyond. He championed bringing an annual Special Olympics Swim Meet to his high school. Years later, his former coach said, “I don’t know how he did it, but he made Special Olympics cool to an entire high school.” A highlight of Michael’s life was being asked to carry the “Flame of Hope” for a leg of the annual Special Olympics Torch Run before the 2011 Summer Games.
Michael’s words that night in 2001 … “Mommy, I want to do something to help the kids” … have stayed with me for more than 20 years. I knew I wanted to do something to continue the legacy that he began, which is how the idea of the foundation came to be. The Shiny Quarter Foundation was formed and registered as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2022.
In addition to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, we also raise shiny quarters for a few other children’s organizations that are especially dear to our hearts:
Special Olympics, because of Michael’s love for the organization;
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, in honor of Michael’s aunt Cheri, who passed away from this devastating disease at 23 years old;
The Children’s Heart Foundation, in honor of Norah June, Michael’s daughter, who was born in 2020 with a severe heart defect and fought unbelievably hard for two days before passing away.
Helping kids…one shiny quarter at a time.
