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Hello, My name is Cody Clark and I am 11 years old. I live in Heckston, Ontario with my mom and dad and my puppy named Millie. I am in Grade 5 at Holy Cross School in Kemptville and I am a black belt in karate, a yellow belt in jiu jitsu, like piano and drumming and art. But most of all I like to make a difference in other people's lives!
When I was 5 years old my dad got cancer. Then my mom got a different kind of cancer and I thought I was going to be left an orphan!!! My mom's cancer has since gone away, but my dad 's cancer is back and considered terminal.
I watched how the community rallied around our family and decided that I wanted to do something to help other people too. When I was 7 I wanted to raise money to "buy" my friend Brenna a new heart. I asked the community to help me do this and together they helped me raise almost 2500 dollars and I was given a plaque from the Heart and Stroke Foundation for my efforts. This award really belongs to North Grenville and I will keep it safe! After that I heard that the CHEO's Cardiac Unit was going to be closed down and this is where Brenna goes for her treatment!!! I asked my mom "What do adults do when they want to get things done"? So I got up my own petition and once again asked the community to help me get signatures! After a lot of red tape, I delivered my speech to 12 schools in the area asking them to please sign my petition and that we might be children but one day we will be the future!!!
Well, sign they did and I took 2500 signatures to the {then MP }Dalton McGuinty and he in turn sent them to Tony Clement. The Cardiac Unit is to remain open and I'd like to think that was a little bit due to the children of North Grenville coming out and supporting me!!!
At the age of 8 I started "Cody's Individual Comfort Kits". These were kits for children 0-18 years that found themselves at the ER in our local hospital in Kemptville.
The kits contained age appropiate stuff like, rattles, colouring books,balls, cars, notepaper and envelopes, crossword puzzles, pencils and always a teddy bear as that is my trade mark!!! By the way my nickname is CodyBear! In 2 years {October 19th 2004} I had given out 84 kits and then by Xmas 2004 I delivered number 100 to the hospital and that was a very proud day for me!!! I never expected it to get this far and there is obviously a need for it to be this successful!!
At Xmas 2003, I decided to make up Grandma and Grandpa Kits for the elderly in hospital and have so far given out 28! I delivered the first one to a lady that had cancer, her name was Linda Linton and I for one will never forget the light in her eyes and the smile on her face when she opened the kit!!!! We both cried but they were happy tears!!!! Unfortunately she has since passed away but I know I made a difference in her life and just recently gave all members of her family a rose from me to them to show I will never forget her. I receive quite a few letters thanking me for brightening their day!
I have also taken on a special deed which means I make up special comfort kits for children and adults that have terminal diseases. One of my kits went to CJOH TV Anchor Max Keeping . After hearing he had prostate cancer I decided to make up a card and got 400 signatures on it from my hometown and then delivered a special kit just for him. I let him know that I have lived with cancer since I was 5 and if I could do it, so could he!!!! It was a precious moment I can tell you. We are good friends now and he supports my Comfort Kit event and was my MC this year at my Poor Boy's Supper in which 7,340 dollars was raised!!!!! This event is held every year and in 2005 it will be my 3rd one!!! Over 16,000 dollars has been raised by my C.I.C.K Fund and I am very proud!! I am asked at times to help make a kids life a little brighter and have given out 10 personal kits to children in my community that have cancer or live disease. The items for these kits ,I pay for myself out of my pocket money and it gives me a really good feeling when i know I have made a difference in their lives and some of them don't know me either!
At school last year we did a project called Pay It Forward. For this I chose to help an orphanage in El Salvador. I found OrphanHelpers on the internet and raised money at home and my teacher then helped me and I sent 150 dollars worth of stuff to the orphanage and I got a reply saying the children really enjoyed the toys, suckers etc that I had sent!!! This made me cry and made me more determined to help these kids in El Salvador too!!
In 2005, as I said my 3rd Cody's Poor Boy's Supper will once again take place with Max Keeping as my MC. Last year I was able to give some money for the Palliative Care Room in memory for my dad when he needs that room. I also helped to buy a table for the TV and they put a plaque on it with my name on!!!
The township of North Grenville, where I live is known to be a very caring community and I for one am glad I live here! I was lucky enough to win a few awards too though I don't look for them as I enjoy what I do so much! I won a North grenville Citizenship award in 2002, Ontario junior Citizen of the Year 2002, Jjunior Volunteer of the year 2003 .
Last October 2003 I was also awarded Hal Anthony Citizen of the Year at aged 9 and I was very proud and excited !!!!!
I know that it takes a lot of hard work and committment to make a difference in this world but I know we can do it!!! Even though we are only children, don't let adults forget that we are also the future!!!
More About Cody Clark
Courage and Determination Meet Face to Face
Jet and Cody’s Story
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