10-year-old girl from Metro Detroit seeks donations for kids in hospital
OAKLAND TOWNSHIP, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A 10-year-old girl from Oakland Township is committed to making the holidays a bit brighter for kids in the hospital.
"I decided to start this because I wanted to put a smile on a kid's face on Christmas day," said Vivian Kolo.
➡️Meet Vivian! She's 10-years-old & is seeking donations for her toy drive that helps children in the hospital during the holidays. 👀TUNE IN to CBS Detroit at 6 p.m. on FRIDAY to hear Vivian's story & how YOU can get involved.
Posted by Alysia Burgio TV on Thursday, November 16, 2023
Vivian Kolo is the girl behind "Vivian's Toy Drive. When she was 6 years old, Vivian started collecting toys all on her own to donate to kids at Children's Hospital in Detroit. Kids who are unable to celebrate the holidays like everyone else.
"As a parent, it's something you hope that your child will want to do. And I know my husband, and I am just so proud of her for taking the lead on this and just wanting to help other people," said Sarah Kolo, Vivian's mom.
Each year, the toy drive has grown bigger and better with more donations.
"It's grown a lot. The first year, I had maybe like 15, 20 toys. It was super small. And last year, it was so big. I feel like I had 500 toys, and this year, I want to get a U-Haul truck and 800 toys," Vivian said.
A community committed to touching the hearts of families during difficult times.
"It honestly brings tears to my eyes when I think about it. We have so much support from our friends, our family, the community, her school … it's just so overwhelming and just so beautiful to see," Sarah said.
Vivian's favorite part of the process is strolling the aisles to pick out the perfect gifts.
"It makes me feel happy. My favorite part about this is taking it to Children's Hospital and seeing them going in with all the toys," said Vivian.
This year, Vivian hopes to bring joy to even more families and is grateful to a community taking part in the cause.
"We appreciate anybody that can help Vivian. And you're not only helping Vivian. You're helping so many children and families that are in the hospital and can't leave their bedside to go and do the simple things of shopping, filling a stocking, whatever that might be. So, any support is greatly appreciated for these families," Sarah said.
If you'd like to take part, Vivian is accepting both toy and monetary donations until Dec. 7.
You can contact Sarah Kolo, Vivian's mom, through email at sarahkolo12@gmail.com or donate through Venmo at Sarah-Kolo-1.