Most inspiring person of 2009
MALA ASHOK
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Zach Bonner has a passion. He wants to reach out to the homeless children in his country.
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A HURRICANE SWEEPS THROUGH : Spreading disaster in its wake. PHOTO : AP
Who is Harry Potter? Silly question. Is there anyone who has not heard of Harry? Of course not. So much so that Harry Potter has been judged the “Greatest Entertainer of the decade!”
Now, let me try another question. Who is Zach Bonner? He is quite a hero in the U.S., but is relatively unknown outside his country. An “E-community”, which sends inspirational stories and quotes to its members, has instituted an award called “Most Inspiring Person of The year.”
Do you know who won in 2009? If you guessed Zach Bonner, you are right Zach is 12 years old, which makes him the youngest person to ever win this award since it was instituted 10 years ago.
BONNER : Lending a helpinghand.
How it began
Zach was selected (and then voted by the public and beat out stiff competition from other equally deserving adults,) for his compassion, and the help he has managed to provide for homeless children. More importantly, Zach has been giving of himself selflessly since the age of six, and is a staunch believer in the credo that nobody is too young to make a difference.
Zach has been interviewed by several News Agencies about his reaction to the award. He has always been very modest and says that people are very helpful when they see a kid trying to do good work. He says very emphatically that any kid in his place would be just as successful.
Hurricane Charley, which hit Zach's home state of Florida, got him started on this adventure of helping people in need. He collected food, water, and other supplies to give to people who were affected. He enjoyed doing this so much that he told his mother he wanted to continue helping people. When his mother asked him what he had in mind, he said he wanted to help homeless people. His mother felt he was too young for such a difficult operation so he settled on helping homeless children.
To critics who say he is weird, and not enjoying his childhood, Zach responds: “I'm still very much a kid. I play with my friends and enjoy video games. I may not be on a football team or Baseball team, but this work which keeps me busy is just as exciting. It is like a hobby.” Zach sees things from a kid's point of view so he is able to do things which grown-ups would never think of. For example, one time before the holidays, his organisation distributed backpacks with basic necessities and a chocolate bar. Zach suggested that a small toy be added too. The response was touching. Each child loved the toy. One child who had never smiled up until then smiled when he received his pack! Zach's society is called the “Little Red Wagon Foundation” and has made a huge difference in the lives of homeless children in the U.S.
Zach's message to children all over the world is: “Volunteering your time, food, money, anything that will make a difference. One dollar, or 100 dollars, one hour or 15 minutes, it all adds up,” he says.
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