Jonesboro, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Valley View School District student raised money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, one brush stroke at a time.
Kohl Beeson, who is 10 years old, said he has been painting since he was in kindergarten. His artwork includes depictions of an owl, a reindeer, a snowman and more.
“I had paintings sitting around and I needed more room, and so we thought ‘Donate it to Make-A-Wish to make a wish for other kids,'” he said of why he began selling the paintings.
Beeson sold his artwork on Facebook, hosting Facebook Live meetings and taking bids on the art. The proceeds from the art sales, along with community donations, resulted in Beeson donating around $200 to Make-A-Wish. He added that he thinks he could sell artwork for the nonprofit again next year.
Working with Make-A-Wish is a yearly tradition for Beeson’s family. Along with his sister and parents, Beeson works at the roadblock in Bay during the annual Have a Heart Wish-a-Thon. Additionally, his grandfather provides security during the event, walking with event workers when they go to deposit donations to the bank throughout the day.
Now in its 28th year, the event sees Make-a-Wish partner with KAIT 8 and the Jonesboro Media Group (JMG) to raise funds for the nonprofit’s Mid-South chapter.
The all-day event raises money to grant wishes for children battling critical illnesses. Eighteen roadblocks to collect funds are set across Jonesboro and greater Northeast Arkansas. A complete list of roadblock locations is below.
- Bay
- Hwy 463 and Elder Street
- Bono
- Old Hwy 63B at the stoplight
- Brookland
- Hwy 49B and School Street
- Caraway
- Hwy 158 and Hwy 135
- Corning
- Hwy 62 and Hwy 67
- Harrisburg
- Hwy 1 and Hwy 14
- Jonesboro
- Highland Drive and Caraway Road
- Red Wolf Boulevard and Nettleton Avenue
- Leachville
- 3rd and Main Street
- Lepanto
- Hwy 134 and Hwy 140
- Marked Tree
- Hwy 463 and Hester Park Drive
- Paragould
- Hwy 41 and Carroll Road
- Piggott
- Hwy 62 at Main and 3rd Street
- Pocahontas
- Park, Pyburn and Town Square
- Rector
- Hwy 49 and Hwy 90
- Trumann
- Hwy 463 and Hwy 69
- Walnut Ridge
- Front Street and Main Street
- Weiner
- Hwy 49 and Roadside Park
Volunteers will be out from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the roadblocks on Friday, Feb. 13, collecting donations during the Have-a-Heart Wish-a-Thon. Additionally, donations can be made by calling (870) 933-8800 or by texting “Wish” to 43414 on the day of the fundraiser.
“Everyone has a skill or a gift that they can share with Make-A-Wish, and I am so proud of you for doing what you did,” JMG’s Christie Matthews told Beeson. “You did something that you love in order to help somebody else. So that is just very, very cool.”
