From left: Jason Roler, Mario, Nathan Polston and Connie Watters.

LEESBURG — One resourceful fourth-grader from Leesburg Elementary School has catalyzed an event that will help children in hospitals all across Indiana.

Mario, a boy driven by a desire to see something done for children with cancer, decided to raise money for Kate’s Kart, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping children with cancer receive books while in the hospital. Over the course of a few weeks, Mario raised $670 and bought 103 books.

“We were talking to the children about cancer awareness and Kate’s Kart, which distributes books to hospitalized children in northern Indiana,” said Librarian Connie Watters, “and this boy decided he wanted to do something about it.”

Mario, reading through books to ensure he makes the right decision.

Kate’s Kart began through the Layman family, who lost their daughter, Kate, to cancer when she was 18 months old. The Layman family read books to her to pass the time until she died in 2006. Since then, they have been called to the mission of passing out new books to children in hospitals. Since its inception in May, 2008, Kate’s Kart has received and distributed more than 100,000 donated books.

When Mario decided to raise money, his teacher told him he must do the work on his own. Over time, word travelled. With the help of his classmates, the school, a corporate sponsor and the Laymans, Mario ended up with $670.

After counting the money, Mario began to pick out books for the Kart. “He chose a little bit of everything, from preschool to chapters books,” Watters said. Mario decided to pick each book based on who he thought it might affect and who would read it. “The look on his face was amazing, he was so excited just to help out. He was actually contemplating who this would affect.”

A satisfied Mario, next to Kate’s Kart in the Leesburg Elementary School library.

“He lived a dream of wanting to help others,” Watters said. “I’m a parent, and I couldn’t even imagine what they went through.”

Mario’s books will be sent to Kate’s Kart in Fort Wayne, where they will be stocked and sent to hospitals around northern Indiana. To learn more about Kate’s Kart, their mission or how to donate, visit their website.