Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

9-year-old’s video kicks off donation push

Recent news accounts and alarming photos of desperate Syrian refugees fleeing into Europe captured the attention of Luke Sharon, a 9-year-old boy in Coeur d’Alene who wants to contribute to relief efforts.

After his family talked about the plight of the refugees, Luke got on his dad’s phone and made a short video to call attention to the crisis. His mother, Melissa Sharon, shared the video Wednesday on Facebook to encourage their friends to donate items such as blankets and shoes for one of the relief efforts.

“We were talking about how we don’t want to just say we’ll pray for them and not do anything,” said Melissa Sharon, noting they are Christians. “We need to be doers.”

The family discussed the crisis over dinner earlier this week, including the reaction of some who believe it’s not America’s problem, Sharon said. Both Luke and his twin sister Emma “were both just appalled that people wouldn’t want to help them,” their mother said.

“It doesn’t matter if they are different than us, they are hurting and we should help,” Emma told her family.

“From a 9-year-old’s point of view, it’s very simple: People are hurting; we help them,” Melissa Sharon said.

They learned about a relief effort on the Greek island of Lesbos, where thousands of refugees have landed in rafts in recent months, overwhelming the ability of inhabitants to provide food, shelter and other basic needs. The family decided that’s where they would direct their assistance.

Luke’s 7-year-old sister grabbed a box “and put all of her socks in it” to donate.

Luke, a fourth-grader at Sorenson Magnet School of the Arts and Humanities, went to work making his video, which plays like a movie trailer with dramatic music, news images of refugees on boats and in camps, and statistics on the enormity of the problem.

“He wanted me to share it right away so people would start donating, so that’s what we did,” his mom said.

Facebook friends responded with compliments and promises to support the effort. The family is on a tight budget but plans to ship the donated items to Lesbos, Melissa Sharon said.

“We just really want our kids to know that we help people,” she said.

Scott Maben