Elephants Remember Joplin started when 8-year-old Cee Cee and her mother BeLinda heard a radio story on NPR about the tornadoes that hit Joplin,MO and Cee Cee wanted to do something to help.
They turned to something that Cee Cee could do–knit elephants. With the support of friends and family, Cee Cee started a knit-a-thon and raised over $3,000 for the Red Cross and other Joplin charities. Since then, Cee Cee and her mother have kept on knitting, and so has the knitting and crocheting community.
Now, three years later, Cee Cee is 12, and they’ve raised over $15,000 for various charities and donated over 1,000 hand knit toys. They’ve knit for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Cee Cee was the youngest teacher ever at Stitches Midwest, and they’re currently working with the charity Kids Need to Read. Kids Need to Read provides books for low income families and under funded schools. They’re also making and collecting toys for their anti bullying campaign.
Cee Cee has a giving heart and wants to continue what she has started, so her mother has started the process of becoming a 501c3 charity so they can continue their good works. They believe in the motto, “Sometimes a little elephant can make a big difference.” Along the way they’ve reminded us that the smallest gesture can make a big difference.
Cee Cee recently stopped by the Davis House where she has started a new project called #365smiles. Â Her goal is to make 365 toys for Davis House kids creating 365 smiles- one smile a day for the whole year.
Cee Cee and her mom, BeLinda, will be at a knitting convention called STITCHES South on April 24-26 at the Gaylord Hotel in Nashville. She will be doing a huge push to collect toys.
Learn more about Cee Cee’s project at www.elephantsrememberjoplin.com.
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