Stephenville boy gives up gifts to give back for his birthday

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By DAVID SWEARINGEN
TheFlashToday.com

STEPHENVILLE (January 11, 2017) – Grant Burge, celebrated his sixth birthday on Saturday, January 7, but he didn’t do it like you’d expect.

While Grant, who said he wants to be a cowboy when he grows up, is much like other kids his age. He has a family – parents Stephen and Amber Burge and two younger sisters, Grace and Gwen. He also enjoys riding his bike and playing with his beagle, Cooper. But unlike most kids, Grant did something a little different for his birthday this year. At his birthday party, Grant did not receive any gifts. All he asked was that his party guests bring nonperishable foods or cash to be donated to Backpack Buddies of Erath County. 

Because of this generous and very unselfish act, a fair amount of food and a generous amount of money was collected to help others.  Grant said his mother was the one that told him about Backpack Buddies at the beginning of the school year.  

Grant Burge shakes hands with Oakdale United Methodist Church Pastor, Kory Koch. || Flash photo by DAVID SWEARINGEN

Backpack Buddies of Erath County (using the Tarrant Area Food Bank as the primary food source) provides sacks filled with nonperishable food to students most at risk of being left hungry on the weekends.  The food items provided are child-friendly so a student can prepare his/her meal with little or no assistance from others.  The backpacks are distributed on Friday afternoons at area schools and provide food for the students and their school-aged siblings. Counselors at the schools help to determine which children are eligible to receive food from this program. 

The food sacks for this program are provided by Tarrant Area Food Bank at a cost of $5 each.  This $5 sack is enough to feed the child for the weekend.  Monetary donations for Backpack Buddies can be made at Oakdale United Methodist Church which is located at 2675 Overhill Drive, Stephenville, Texas.  For questions, call Oakdale United Methodist Church at 254-968-8870. 

Since Oakdale United Methodist Church does not store the Backpack Buddies food at their location, it was decided to donate the food Grant and his party guests collected to Grace Place.  Grace Place is First Baptist Church’s benevolence ministry to Erath County residents and they provide food and other assistance to those in need. The money Grant collected from his birthday party will be donated to the Backpack Buddies of Erath County program.  

The Flash Today would like to thank Grant for the kindness he has shown towards others in need.  The entire Stephenville community is  very proud of you, Grant!


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