Casey Schaeffer, 14, hosts third Full Heart Kids Carnival with a fundraising goal of $5,000
By Samantha Bambino
The Times
Upon speaking with Casey Schaeffer for a mere few minutes, it’s evident she’s wise beyond her years. Ever so eloquently, she discusses her passion for giving back and helping those in need. Over the past three years, Schaeffer has rallied her Yardley community behind her selfless mission, raising more than $7,000 for worthy nonprofits through various fundraisers. Did we mention she’s only 14?
On Saturday, May 5, the Charles Boehm eighth-grader will host her largest event to date — the third Full Heart Kids Carnival. Taking place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Chester Meadow on Lakeview Drive, the goal of the fun-filled day is to raise a record-breaking $5,000, which Schaeffer plans to distribute between three causes she holds near and dear — A Soldier’s Hands, Full Heart Music Scholarship and Joyce’s Voice for Cats Adoption.
Schaeffer’s excitement was palpable as she rattled off all-new features for this year’s carnival. Attendees can enjoy a number of family-friendly activities, including pony rides, a bounce house, game truck, cotton candy machine, T-shirts and an appearance by the Villanova Will D. Cat mascot. They’re also encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item for a canned food drive.
As you can imagine, planning an event of this magnitude takes time and effort. Thankfully, Schaeffer has had a dedicated team of family, friends and neighbors by her side since 2015 when she founded Full Heart. According to Schaeffer, the goal was to empower kids to get involved in their communities and raise funds to benefit other organizations. Though she was only in fifth grade at the time, she had an unshakable passion for helping others and wanted to inspire her peers to do the same.
That year, Schaeffer and her friends hosted a mini carnival and bake sale in her front yard, which raised $300. It was an unprecedented success, but they didn’t want to stop there. Two years later, the kids organized a slightly larger event, raising almost $3,000. Schaeffer won eight awards at the local, county and state levels for her efforts, was featured on NBC 10 and other local media outlets, and was invited to speak at the Yardley and LMT Veterans Day ceremonies. Still, she knew she could do more.
Raising the bar even higher, Schaeffer set this year’s goal at $5,000, which isn’t as lofty as one might think. Though the carnival is still days away, she has already raised $4,000 thanks to the support of generous sponsors such as Advanced Merchant Group, Congdon Associates Distributing (Cadco), Bucks County Business Connections, Yardley Makefield Lions Club, PECO, Team Toyota, Penn Community Bank, McCaffrey’s, Edgewood Dental, Joe of All Trades and Baldasari Insurance Agency.
Last year, the majority of funds raised were given to A Soldier’s Hands, a 501(c)(3) that provides needed skin care for troops deployed overseas. Schaeffer plans to do the same this year. She first learned of the organization in elementary school, when the daughters of the nonprofit’s founder, Trish Shallenberger, asked the class to make cards for the military.
“Once I found out where the cards were going, I wanted to know how I could help,” Schaeffer said.
The remainder of funds raised from the carnival will go to a Full Heart Music Scholarship, which will be awarded to the most improved senior orchestra student at Pennsbury HIgh School, and Joyce’s Voice for Cats Adoption, a 501(c)(3) that raises funds to help pay for spaying/neutering, vaccines and necessary vetting to help felines get adopted into forever homes.
Though Schaeffer explained the Full Heart Kids Carnival is her primary focus right now, her work won’t stop once the ponies go home and the bounce house deflates. Throughout the year, she and her friends continuously find ways to get involved, participating in smaller initiatives, such as donating school supplies to hurricane victims, hosting used baseball and softball collections for Little League teammates and visiting local nursing homes for holiday singalongs.
“Every penny counts,” she said. ••
If you go…
The Full Heart Kids Carnival will take place Saturday, May 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Chester Meadow on Lakeview Drive in Yardley. Rain date is Sunday, May 6. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. To donate or for more information, visit youcaring.com/fullheartcarnival. Several sponsors have also contributed silent auction items with proceeds benefiting the carnival. Bidding is open at 32auctions.com/fullheartcarnival3 until the conclusion of the event. For additional information, visit asoldiershands.org, facebook.com/Joyces-Voice-for-Cats-Adoption-Page-315473925580740 and facebook.com/fullheartorg.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
