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4-year-old White Lake girl's birthday wish: To send boots to orphans

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  • 4-year-old White Lake girl's birthday wish: To send boots to orphans

    Oakland Press
    April 27 2012


    4-year-old White Lake girl's birthday wish: To send boots to orphans
    in Armenia WITH VIDEO

    Published: Friday, April 27, 2012

    By MONICA DRAKE

    For her fifth birthday, Mia Dalbis decided she doesn't want any
    presents from her friends and family.

    Instead of presents for herself, the White Lake Township girl is
    asking people to donate winter boots to orphans in Armenia.

    `I saw a little girl on TV that decided to deliver boots to an
    orphanage. I thought maybe I could do that because we both have lots
    of stuff already,' said Mia.

    Mia said it made her sad when she heard some kids don't have parents.

    Her mom Debbie Dalbis said when her daughter first said she wanted to
    give up her birthday presents after watching a show on the Disney
    Channel, she wasn't sure if she was serious.

    `She's young, so I wasn't sure if she understood the concept of giving
    up her birthday. But she kept on asking and asking,' said Debbie.
    `When she told me, `I have more than enough; I have a mommy and daddy,
    I have lots of shoes and tons of toys,' I told her, `Let's do it
    then.''

    Mia's birthday is May 16, and she is asking everyone who attends her
    birthday party to bring a pair of youth-size new winter boots for
    infants through 16 year olds. So far, Mia's family and teachers at her
    daycare have donated 60 pairs of winter boots to send to Armenia.

    Mia's dad Nick said, `We're so proud of her. She has lots of things,
    and if she's willing to accept presents for someone else, that's great
    ... Our kids ask `What color pair of boots do I wear today?' There are
    kids who don't have any.'

    In deciding what country to donate the boots to, Debbie helped Mia
    pick Armenia because it's part of their heritage, and more than 1,200
    orphans live in 15 orphanages throughout the country. The facilities
    provide the children's basic needs of food and clothing, but they
    cannot keep up with the ongoing need for shoes for all the children.
    Continued...


    12See Full Story
    The family will be donating all of the boots to the nonprofit
    organization Share-a-pair. For a donation of $10, Share-a-pair is able
    to purchase one quality pair of shoes.

    `The kids walk to school, and their shoes have holes in them,' said
    Debbie. `When I was looking on the Internet, shoes for orphans is one
    of the biggest needs they have. People donate food and even regular
    clothes. But shoes are in great need in general because they outgrow
    them. It's not like we can fill the demand one time.'

    On Friday morning, Mia made a presentation in front of her daycare
    class at Wee Friends Child Care, located at 105 E. Ruggles St., in
    Highland, showing them a video of the orphans in Armenia who will
    receive the boots.

    Janet Dipiazza, one of Mia's teachers, said, `When the students were
    watching the video, I was trying to show them that these kids look
    like them, could be them. Yet, they have so much, and these children
    don't,' said Dipiazza. `We have all these boots from just one little
    girl's idea.'

    Laura Palmer, the owner of Wee Friends Child Care, sent a letter out
    to all the parents last week to tell them about what Mia is doing and
    to ask them to donate a pair of boots as well. Debbie said their goal
    is to donate 300 pairs of boots to Armenia.

    Wee Friends Child Care teacher Jessica Warren said she was very
    impressed when she heard about what Mia is doing.

    `It makes me want to cry that she has a big heart like that,' said
    Warren. `You don't think kids think about stuff like that, but they
    do. They're more aware than we think they are. I think that's a really
    unselfish thing to do.'

    Contact Monica Drake at 248-745-4687 or email her at
    [email protected]. Find her on Twitter @monica_adele.

    FYI

    To donate a pair of boots for Mia Dalbis' birthday to send to orphans
    in Armenia, send them to Suburban Landscape Supply 960 Ladd Road,
    Walled Lake, MI 48390 by May 19. To send $10 to Share-a-pair for the
    organization to purchase a pair of shoes, send a check to The Paros
    Foundation, 918 Parker St., A14, Berkeley, CA 94710 or visit
    paros-foundation.org/shareapair.


    http://www.theoaklandpress.com/articles/2012/04/27/news/local_news/doc4f9b12a93ed82022008974.txt


    From: Baghdasarian
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