Lexington student is ‘Snot your Average Kid,’
wins national Boogie Wipes contest

For 6-year-old Isabel Police, helping others is something that has been ingrained in her. The Lexington School kindergartner has often performed charitable acts with her school and her family, and one of Isabel’s good deeds has earned her national recognition.

By donating all of the toys from her fifth birthday party to Shriner’s Hospital for Children, Isabel won a nation-wide contest for her actions.

“We try to demonstrate small acts of kindness if we can so the girls can be aware of people that may be around them if they need something,” said Kara Police, Isabel’s mom.

Last year, Isabel’s parents entered her into the “’Snot your Average Kid” contest, sponsored by Boogie Wipes – saline wipes for children and their often runny noses – that sought to recognize kids who have gone above and beyond to help others. Isabel was chosen as one of three finalists whose pictures will appear on Boogie Wipes canisters to be distributed nationwide this summer.

Though their parents encourage charitable actions, donating the toys from their birthday party was an idea that Isabel and her sister Katelyn, 8, came up with on their own.

“The girls had previously been to a party where they saw a little boy who was in a wheelchair, and they had lots of questions. He was recovering from cancer. And we kind of explained to them that some kids are sick in hospitals and don’t get to have birthday parties that you all get to have sometimes because of illness or whatnot,” Police said.

Police and her husband told the girls about Shriner’s Hospital for Children, and they were surprised to find out there were sick children in a hospital so close to their home, Police said. After learning about Shriner’s, Isabel and Katelyn decided to do something for the children there.

“They just came up and said, ‘Mom, we’d really like to do something to make these kids feel a little bit better and not think about being in a hospital. Do you think we could donate the birthday gifts that our friends bring to us?” Police said.

So, in September 2010, both girls celebrated their birthdays with a movie-themed party at the Kentucky Theater, asking their friends to bring presents for children at Shriner’s.

“Their friends were really generous. They brought in lots more toys than I think they do to a normal birthday party. I would say probably thousands of dollars worth of gifts,” Police said.

While the girls couldn’t deliver the gifts in person due to HIPAA privacy laws, they knew the people at Shriner’s “were really appreciative and our girls felt really good about it, and we kind of just let it go at that,” Police said.

But, about eight or nine months later, Police got an email about the Boogie Wipes contest. Remembering what the girls had done for Shriner’s patients, she entered the girls’ story into the contest.Only Isabel wanted her picture on the canister if they were chosen as a finalist, Police said.

“She’s really excited,” Police said of Isabel’s reaction. “I don’t think she gets it just yet.”

Isabel continues to spread kindness in both big and small ways. Her next project is to help stock the birthday closet at her school that provides gifts to children in lower-income schools in Lexington.

“She’s just been curious about trying to help – she’ll look around and try to help other people — Her teacher tells me stories that there’s a younger class out on the playground with them and Isabel is a really good friend to the little ones. If they need help getting across the balance beam or something like that,” Police said. “She’s got a really good heart.”

Photos from Kara Police