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The power of one: Student uses Facebook to fill D-Y pantries

By Nicole Muller
The Register
Posted Mar 17, 2011

SOUTH DENNIS — Never doubt the determination of a child on a mission.

Until last week, Elizabeth Kirby was your average fifth-grader, busy with friends, family and school. But a chance discussion with the manager of a local food store has made the 11-year-old a local star.

In less than a week, Elizabeth has raised more than $2,000 in cash donations for Create the Good, a group of Yarmouth mothers who stock food pantries in all seven Dennis-Yarmouth schools.

On Tuesday, March 8, while shopping with her children at Ring Brothers in South Dennis, Kerrie Kirby stopped to chat with store manager Don Fallon. “He said that Ring Brothers only needed four “likes” on Facebook to have 300 fans,” Elizabeth said. “I knew I could get some of my friends to like the page, so I said I would do it.”

Fallon and Elizabeth made a deal. If she could get Ring Brothers to 300 likes by Saturday, she and her brother Jamie, 7, would win free admission to a kids’ cooking class during April vacation; for 320 likes, she could pick the menu for the class; if she produced 400 likes, the Kirbys would receive a $100 gift card to the store.

At home, Elizabeth hit the family computer, and within the hour, had added 10 likes to Ring Brothers’ page. By late Wednesday morning, Ring Brothers had 320 likes, and word spread. By the time the Kirbys sat down for dinner that night, it was clear that Elizabeth would reach her goal.

“I told my mom that I want to make a difference by giving my share of the gift card to a soup kitchen or a charity so I’m not only helping Ring Brothers, but also kids and parents in need,” Elizabeth said. That’s when Kerrie Kirby told her daughter about Create the Good.

Before school Thursday morning, Elizabeth found 388 likes on the Ring Brothers wall, where she quickly posted a message thanking participants and urging them to spread the word that if she reached 400, she was donating her prize to the school pantries.

Elizabeth’s generosity prompted Fallon to kick in $50 and Spinner’s Pizza owner Rita McClelland to pledge $100. When at 10 a.m. Thursday 400 likes were reached, Kerrie Kirby posted a note pledging $100 if the number reached 500 by Saturday. That goal was reached Thursday afternoon, prompting a cascade of attention. People made pledges if Elizabeth reached 600 likes. By midnight Thursday, the tally was 550.

Friday morning local businesses jumped on board. Vetorino’s Landscaping and North Side Auto Body posted the information on their Facebook walls with the goal of raising as much money as possible for Create the Good’s mission.

At 8 a.m. Saturday, Yarmouth Selectman Erik Tolley posted a challenge on Ring Brothers’ wall: “ERT Architects will donate $100 for every company/individual (up to 5 for a total of $500) that will make the same offer for Create the Good.”

Within six hours, Rogers & Gray Insurance, Dennis Equipment, Corey’s Custom Landscaping, Dark Horse Beef & Deli, Harneys Liquors and Ring Brothers all pledged $100, adding $1,100 to feed needy children and their families.

Since Saturday, other businesses have each pledged $100 if Elizabeth will help them get to a certain number of likes on their pages.

Elizabeth is thrilled — and a bit dazed — by the response she generated. “The Create the Good people are important, and it’s fun to be challenged,” she said. “They help the kids in my school have food, and I’m happy that I could help.”

Fallon has a more philosophical explanation of the past week’s phenomenon. “What started as a joke to gain a couple of new Facebook likes ended up proving that one selfless act can gain momentum, and in the end, everybody wins,” he said. “Ring Brothers has a lot of new fans. Create the Good received over $2,000 in donations, and an 11-year-old learned some life lessons, including you really CAN do anything you put your mind to.

“This is something that was truly grassroots,” Fallon continued. “It captured the imagination of a community, and everyone contributed to reach the goal. This little adventure is dwarfed in scope by true viral campaigns, but tell that to the families who will have food on their tables because a grocery store wanted a couple more fans, and a little girl knew she could do it.”