Changing the World -- One Cookie at a Time
Ceana Sturgeon is cleaning the oceans, serving the hungry, and helping earthquake victims, one cookie at a time.
The 12-year-old student from Parkway South Middle School in West St. Louis County held a bake sale at Hope Episcopal Church in Town & Country on February 12. She raised $160 by selling delicious homemade snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, and lemon bars to her church family. (Ceana made the cookies herself; her dad helped with the lemon bars.)
"It makes me feel really good because I enjoy seeing other people enjoy what I've made," said Ceana. "But it also makes me feel really good to know the money I'm raising is for a really good cause.
Ceana donated her $160 to #Team Seas, a campaign led by YouTube star (and former NASA engineer) Mark Rober to raise $30 million to help clean up waterways and oceans around the world. (Watch Mark Rober's video here.)
But the giving didn't stop there... Ceana's dad, Chris Sturgeon, matched her bake sale earnings and donated $160 to St. John's Peace Meal, which provides a free hot meal to neighbors in need in the Tower Grove neighborhood of St. Louis every Saturday. Ceana presented that donation to Peace Meal organizers on February 19 as she and her father served at Peace Meal alongside other members from Hope Church.
And the giving continued... as the Rev. Earl Mahan and Deacon Angela Ferree from Hope Church used money from their discretionary funds to match Ceana's $160 with a donation to Episcopal Relief & Development's earthquake relief fund for Turkey and Syria.
Ceana says she hopes to help even more by holding additional bake sales in the future. And that makes her parents proud. "We wanted to teach her that giving back is paramount throughout her life. Be grateful for everything you have and show that gratitude by doing good things for the world," said Chris. "We didn't have to teach her. She volunteered. Can't ask for more than that!"
Way to go, Ceana!
Ceana Sturgeon's Bake Sale & Peace Meal Donation
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