This past Sunday, senior Halie Hebron participated in the Kids 4 Kids Talent Show, which raised money for SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Halie has a passion for fighting against childhood illness, as she consistently volunteers and raises money for pediatric hospitals in the area.

Halie is a member of the Crusaderette dance team here at St. Dominic, and when she heard about the competition and fundraiser from her mom, she couldn’t wait to take her dancing abilities to the top tier.

However, before she could light up the stage, she had to audition by sending in a 30 second video of her talent. She chose to send in her Miss Missouri’s Outstanding Teen Pageant tap number. The judges of the talent show combed through audition videos and chose the top ten finalists, which Halie was a part of!

The Kids 4 Kids Talent Show took place at the J. Scheidegger Center for the Arts at Lindenwood University, and all of the net ticket proceeds were donated to Cardinal Glennon. Halie was super excited about this, as she is always ready to use her talents for good when she gets the chance to fight against childhood illness.

“Through the Miss America Organization, I raise money for St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Outside of the Miss America Organization, I hold a volunteer position at the hospital where I get to work with children and make art with them. I love interacting with the kids. Every single time I make the trip there, they make my day brighter,” Halie said.

When Halie was asked about how she would encourage kids to help other kids in need, she brought up the sad reality of children living with serious illnesses.

“One of the things I never thought about before volunteering was how much drugs like chemotherapy can make a child weaker. I never thought that was a thing until I saw it with my own eyes. One time, this little girl came down from her room and couldn’t stand up because she was on chemo… Volunteering or raising money to help lighten families’ burdens is a great way to help out,” Halie said.

Whether your talent shines onstage or off, hospitals are an amazing place to use that talent for good. If you would like to volunteer at and/or donate to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, please click on the link below. Join the fight against childhood illness!

Donate or volunteer: https://www.glennon.org/ways-to-give/