Public Safety to Honor Two Kid Citizen Heroes

Easton Smith and McKenzie Craig will be honored for their efforts in making a difference in the lives of our citizens. The two will be presented with a Kid Citizen Hero Award at 3 p.m. on Thursday, March 2 at EMS Post 7 in Goddard, 1535 South 199th St. West.

Easton Smith is a rambunctious four year old who dreams of being a bull rider when he grows up, but on the night of January 30 th he showed a softer side. Easton was with his mother shopping at a local Wal-Mart when something caught his eye. At the end of the aisle through the glass doors, he spotted a man lying unconscious on the ground. The elderly man had become confused due to a diabetic emergency, wandered outside into the empty Garden Center, and collapsed. When Easton spotted the man he ran to get his mother and excitedly tried to tell her that something wasn’t right, but he was having a hard time convincing her to go back and take a look. He finally dug in his heels and insisted that they go back and help. Easton and his mother called 911 and assisted the man until help arrived. The patient was treated by Sedgwick County EMS and has since made a full recovery. He will also be at this event.

When 11 year old McKenzie Craig received $100 for good grades, she could have spent it on art supplies or other fun kid stuff, but instead she opted to pay it forward. The Haysville 5 th grader purchased her first case of Girl Scout cookies and began distributing them to local first responders along with a note thanking them for their service. When her mom posted pictures of those encounters on social media the project grew wings as well as the nickname “Operation Pay it Forward.” Donations have poured in as family members, friends, and the community have urged her to continue the project. To date, McKenzie has provided over $400 worth of cookies to local first responders and has no plans of stopping anytime soon.