Kindness in the Community

Blair Schaffer

Blair, age 11, was born in Fort Myers, Florida . Her love for the video journalism developed early in life. Influenced mostly by the late Steve Irwin (The Crocodile Hunter, ) Blair started her first web show called “Wild About Animals” in 2007. Her interest shifted from animals and wildlife to people and her community in 2008 when participated in local community service projects as member of the Lehigh Children’s Choir. This developed into her singing at nursing homes and at numerous fundraisers such as Hope Hospice and Hope for Haiti. Through these experiences she became increasingly aware that there were large groups of people existed, locally and throughout the world , who were in need of support. Not being old enough to volunteer actively, Blair began interviewing volunteers in the community, sharing their projects and good works through video broadcasts she named “Kindness in the Community.”

Blair joined the K-Kids club (Kiwanis Elementary Club) in 2009 while at Sunshine Elementary. She continued her service filming and reporting along the way.

As part of the Sunshine Elementary jump-rope team, Blair received a high score award in the “Jump Rope for Heart” rally in her efforts to raise money for children with heart disease.

Blair was elected the K-Kids class president in 2010.

She produced many video and multimedia presentations at her school and used her position as news anchor for the WSUN morning school news to promote community projects. She and her Kiwanis team visited other elementary schools in Lehigh and gave live presentations, gathering support for such projects as The UNICEF/Kiwanis ”Eliminate Project” that donates and distributes vaccinations against neonatal tetanus; ”The Cell phone for Literacy Project,” offering education for children in Senegal Africa; “ Relief for Children of the US troops”; all the while assisting with relief efforts for the thousands of victims of the multiple natural disasters that plagued the US and the rest of world throughout 2010 and 2011.

Along with having received the President’s Award for Academic Excellence, Blair was presented with the Kiwanis year-end scholarship at her 5th grade graduation, which can be applied toward tuition at the university of her choice.

She now attends Varsity Lakes Middle School in Lehigh Acres and continues her good deeds while keeping up with the A honor roll, band, the Lehigh Children’s Choir and Kiwanis.

Blair’s enduring love for animals has her sights set on Cornell University where she plans to study veterinary medicine.

We are very proud to have Blair as part of our journalism team at the Lehigh Acres Gazette.