Nine-year-old collects hundreds and hundreds of cans to help those in Sanford, MI
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SANFORD, MI (WNEM ) — After the flood hit Sanford, nine year old Memphis Nelson just wanted to help.
“I’ve been growing up here, raised here, now it’s all gone,” said Memphis.
It started with an idea to collect cans and bottles to exchange for money.
“I told my mom, can I fill up the shed with pop cans?,” said Memphis.
“And I kind of laughed and said ‘Oh, well yeah, you think you could fill our whole shed, huh?’” said Samantha Nelson, his mother.
And he filled the shed, and then some.
The cans even filled not one semi-truck, but four.
“So far he’s raised nearly $10,000 on his own,” said Samantha. “He wanted it to go towards sports registrations because he’s a big sports buff and then he also wanted to help families rebuild their homes.”
He’s not stopping with semi-trucks. This weekend, and the next, they are accepting can and bottle donations at a Geisler Warehouse.
“Memphis said that he wants to fill up at least half the warehouse, and I think he probably could,” said Samantha.
“I don’t even know if we’re going to stop.”
Nearly $10,000, four semi-trucks and a warehouse later, Memphis is still collecting to give back.
“He’s got this mindset of if you get an experience and have the opportunity, you either go big or go home,” said Samantha. “And we’ve been living in COVID world for so long, we’re tired of being home, so here we are, we’ll call this our next home.”
Do you want to help?
To volunteer, they can contact JD Geisler (800) 988-2575
Memphis and Samantha will be collecting donations on Aug. 23 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and again next weekend on Aug. 28 and Aug. 29 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and Aug. 30 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Geisler Warehouse located at 1406 East Pine St. in Midland.
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