At the young age of 10, Colt Wicker of Dundee already has shown he is an extraordinary kid who seems to have an abundance of compassion, along with a passion to help others in the communities around him.
And, he has quite the résumé to show for it.
It was his mother who said to me, “He has a heart of gold.” His grandmother, who was present during my interview with Colt, echoed those sentiments — “He has a big, generous heart” — and informed me that one of his major fundraising efforts is ongoing. It is to bring in a new playground area for Dundee Elementary School students. She added that Colt is well aware that this playground won’t be completed before he moves onward, into future grades, but he’s doing this so that future children benefit.
Because of Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines, the estimate they were given to build the playground was $250,000. That seems high to me, but it has not deterred Colt from already raising $6,000, money that has gone toward replacing the swings and swing chains, and to add an ADA-approved door for the existing ball pit.
With the Finger Lakes Times set to present its annual “Community Giving” special section in the upcoming Weekend edition, Colt’s story seems like the perfect one to preview it.
No doubt Colt’s parents, Brett and Alyssa, deserve many kudos for the fundraising guidance they have given their son, something that started when he was only 4 years old. It was then he took on his first endeavor: selling popcorn to raise money for The Living Well in Penn Yan. As their website says: “The Living Well is a safe, respectful space dedicated to helping Yates County residents and families in need. Located in Penn Yan, NY, we are a community- and grant-supported 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing emergency assistance for food, personal hygiene and household cleaning necessities; utilities; referral services; peer support for loss and those living with cancer, and youth programming.”
Popcorn sales are a big source of the revenue generated, but he also collects returnable cans to be redeemed. People are welcome to drop off their cans at the farmstead by his home at 4418 Six Corners Road, or at Two-Can Dan’s at 137 Benham St. in Penn Yan. Arrangements have been made that for anyone dropping off their cans at Two-Can Dan’s, the money from those returns can be directed to Colt. It is estimated he has redeemed close to 20,000 cans so far.
His parents have made it so Colt has little to no overhead. That means they happily supply the popcorn maker, oil, and popcorn kernels — lots of them.
And, unlike the many lemonade stands you might see children manning during the summer months, where the parents also are likely to supply the beverage or ingredients, for Colt it didn’t turn out to be a one-and-done thing. He has run with it.
Since that first popcorn event, he has raised funds for Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, the state Sheriff’s Camp on Keuka Lake, Dundee Central Schools’ food pantry, Dundee schools’ pre-K/kindergarten early reading program, Hope Walk of Yates County, and the Tyrone Fire Department EMTs. He also sells popcorn at pop-up events like Concerts in the Park, or at the farm stand in front of his home. He has organized a benefit spaghetti dinner. He receives private donations too.
It should be noted the fundraising generally goes very well. He generates from $100 to $1,000 at each event. Sometimes, they only last a couple of hours.
I suggested that it might be great if he could sell his popcorn this winter at the boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball games. Apparently, he has tried to arrange for this but said he has gotten little interest from the school. Considering Colt is raising funds for a new playground for that very school, along with some school programs there, it seems odd that selling his popcorn at these games wouldn’t be embraced by the DCS administration.
It was through Facebook that I first became aware of Colt’s exploits. I follow the page Four Seasons Alpacas and Rug Weaving to keep track of potential photo opportunities. It was on that Facebook page that Brett Wicker often would update some of the good things Colt was doing.
It was no surprise the answer Colt gave me when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up? He responded with “an EMT.”
That’s just another way to continue helping others in any way he can, along with being the finest of examples for his three younger siblings.
Anyone wishing to help can email Colt through the family business website at https://www.fourseasonalpacas.org.
BIGGER PICTURE: A heart of gold
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29.11.2023
At the young age of 10, Colt Wicker of Dundee already has shown he is an extraordinary kid who seems to have an abundance of compassion, along with a passion to help others in the communities around him.
And, he has quite the résumé to show for it.
It was his mother who said to me, “He has a heart of gold.” His grandmother, who was present during my interview with Colt, echoed those sentiments — “He has a big, generous heart” — and informed me that one of his major fundraising efforts is ongoing. It is to bring in a new playground area for Dundee Elementary School students. She added that Colt is well aware that this playground won’t be completed before he moves onward, into future grades, but he’s doing this so that future children benefit.
Because of Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines, the estimate they were given to build the playground was $250,000. That seems high to me, but it has not deterred Colt from already raising $6,000, money that has gone toward replacing the swings and swing chains, and to add an ADA-approved door for the existing ball pit.
With the Finger Lakes Times set to present........
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