Generous young fundraiser. (The Goodness of America).

On the afternoon of January 5th, Moses and Brenda Canty of Wilmington, North Carolina, were watching television with their three children when a fire broke out. The Cantys made it safely outside, but the house, its furnishings, and most of their belongings were destroyed.

It was an especially heavy blow since Mr. Canty had recently lost his job with a local container manufacturer and the couple (who owned the home outright) had opted to carry mere dwelling insurance rather than a more expensive full homeowners policy. With some help from the Red Cross, the family stayed in a hotel for a week, then moved into a rental home.

A few days earlier (shortly after Christmas), Camie Greene, a student at Roland-Grise Middle School in Wilmington, had turned 13. Camie is a classmate of the Canty's youngest child, Dedrick, and Camie's older sisters, Katie and Jordan, sing in a high school chorus with the older Canty children, Moses Jr. and Monique.

As described in the January 29th Wilmington Sunday Star-News, when Camie heard about the fire she threw herself a birthday party, inviting friends "from school, soccer and her church youth group" who were asked "to bring money for the Cantys instead of presents for her" "I have plenty of stuff," the new teen told the Star-News. "I don't need anything. I heard about them and decided they had a greater need. I've never experienced anything like that, and I could only imagine how bad it would be to lose everything you had."

Camie and her sisters "pitched in their allowance and Christmas money," and by the end of the party "the 60 kids in attendance had contributed $750 and a $25 [grocery star] gift card." It was more than three times the amount they expected to raise.

After Camie presented the $750 check and certificate to the Cantys, Mrs. Canty told the Star-News, "I am just so thankful I can't describe it. It will help out a lot, and I thank her so much."

Earline Shavers, a counselor at RolandGrise who had helped bring the two families together, said of Camie, "I've never come across a student so generous." A year earlier, for example, she had celebrated her 12th birthday with a party that collected nearly $300 for the New Hanover County Humane Society. And during last year's Christmas season, she threw another party to collect toys for the Salvation Army. 'I've really enjoyed raising the money for people," the munificent teen told the Star-News. "It helps them out, and it makes me feel good."