Third Grader, Asher Pennington, started a fundraiser at Bear Elementary School in Miamisburg so that he could help kids get the medical care they need. Asher’s passion for giving back began after his brother Arrick spent time in the Dayton Children’s NICU back in 2010. Asher said that his brother spent “time in a box” because of the time he was in an incubator. He started collecting pull tabs because he knows that it is a way to “help families when they need it most.” 

Asher shared his passion for giving with the students teachers and staff at Bear Elementary School. As part of the Student Council, he began a pull tab collection campaign called “Poppin with Kindness.” He created a presentation and shared his message each morning during the announcements. He and his school collected tabs during a six-month period. They quickly achieved their goal of 50 pounds and increased the goal. At the end of six months, Asher and Bear Elementary School collected over 200 pounds of tabs.

Asher came to an RMHC Dayton Breakfast Briefing to drop off the tabs and learn more about how his efforts impact the House, Family Rooms and the families using our services. “It was rewarding to see how engaged he was,” said Missy Pennington, regarding how it feels to see how hard her son worked on this project. Asher also knew the stats on how many tabs it would take to purchase certain items for the house. He would talk and share his collection plans with just about anyone he encountered. Asher’s passion for giving back truly made a difference to the families at RMHC Dayton.