Cameron students win National FCCLA title for bringing hope to local family
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV)-- Two Cameron High School students brought home a national title after turning an act of kindness into an award-winning project.
Ella Lowenstein and Shelby Worth recently returned from Washington, D.C., where they won a national FCCLA competition for a community service project centered on helping a local family during one of the hardest times in their lives.
Their project focused on Gracelyn Bickford, a Cameron fifth grader who was battling leukemia, and finding a way to make Christmas a little brighter for her family.
“When I was five years old, my little sister had a form of cancer, and there was a guy named Flip, and he brought gifts to my family, and it was super special to me,” Lowenstein said.
She explained how experience stayed with her and she wanted to create the same feeling of hope and joy for another family.
As part of the project, Lowenstein and Worth purchased gifts from the Bickford family's Amazon wish list, raised thousands of dollars in donations and surprised the family with $1,000 in cash.
Worth said she wanted to be involved because she knew even a small act of kindness could make a meaningful difference.
“I was just excited to be a part of that for somebody else because we knew they would appreciate any kind of support and love they receive during a tough time,” she added.
In just three weeks, the pair raised $4,700 from more than 50 donors across 12 states.
Their efforts also inspired others to get involved. More than 500 students participated in a district-wide card drive, creating over 100 handmade cards for Gracelyn and her family.
“I just really enjoyed being able to help somebody. I love gift giving or helping because that’s kind of my thing and it makes me happy to see others happy,” Worth said.
Lowenstein hopes their project encourages others to remember that every act of kindness matters, no matter how small.
“You don’t have to raise money; you don’t have to give a hundred gifts. We put stuff like M&M’s for stocking the socks, and somebody bought them for $3, which made a huge difference,” she said.
For Gracelyn's mother, Briana Bickford, the outpouring of support was overwhelming in the best way.
“It’s not really about gifts or anything. It's the heart and the thought which counts,” she said.
Bickford said she's grateful for something even more meaningful—her daughter is healthy and cancer-free.
Watching Gracelyn go through treatment was one of the hardest experiences of her life, she said, but seeing her daughter recover and leave the hospital has brought a joy she can't put into words.
