COAL HILL (KFSM)-- A local 10-year-old girl started collecting stuffed animals, but she isn’t keeping them.
“Here’s gift from me to you sending you a smile when you are feeling blue.”
That’s the slogan for Jaydon Davis' project she calls Blue Lights and Big Smiles.
She has been collecting stuffed animals for police officers to give to children that are involved in traumatic situations like car wrecks and house fires.
Jaydon began gathering the toys Nov. 1, 2015, and had already passed her goal of 150 after only 13 days.
“I’ve gotten a lot, and I know they’re going to make some kid smile so much,” Davis said.
Jaydon said she came up with the idea to collect stuffed animals after she was involved in a wreck about a year ago, and a police officer gave her a stuffed horse that she still has to this day.
“Somebody made me smile, so I just want to make some other kid smile too,” Davis said.
Jaydon said the stuffed horse the officer gave her made her feel less scared, and that’s why she’s decided to donate all the stuffed animals to the Coal Hill Police Department, so that they can do the same for other children.
“When I was approached with the project and told about it, I thought ‘Wow, that’s a fantastic project. I’m really proud that somebody in our community has taken that on,’ and when I was told it was a 10-year-old," Coal Hill Police Chief Brad Kent, said. "I was floored.”
Kent said the officers will begin carrying the toys in their patrol cars in December.
“We’ll divide them among our officers and our patrol vehicles, and we’ll just, they’ll use their judgment when there’s a necessity for one, and they see there’s a need for one, they will distribute them,” Kent said.
Jaydon said she plans to keep Blue Lights and Big Smiles going every year.
“It makes me feel just wonderful because I just love helping people, and I just want to do something different every year because it’s just awesome,” Davis said.
The Coal Hill City Hall will be accepting donations for Jaydon's project throughout November.