People always ask, how do people in childcare do it?
My answer is, a hug and a smile from a kid just wipes a bad day right away.-Elizabeth Fowler
Elizabeth Fowler believes that children can bring magic to everyday life. For her, their joyful spirit is infectious, and once exposed you can’t help but want to be around it all the time. This passion has led to her work at the Little Country Schoolhouse in her hometown of Clarksville, Tennessee.
“The pure, raw happiness that a child has on their face is just so amazing,” Elizabeth said. “People always ask, how do people in childcare do it? My answer is, a hug and a smile from a kid just wipes a bad day right away."
Elizabeth started working at Little Country Schoolhouse 11 years ago, and jumped in as the volunteer coordinator of the school’s St. Jude Trike-A-Thon. At the time, students were raising around $2,000 dollars a year for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which works to defeat cancer and other life-threatening diseases children face.
“We know all children have a chance at a better life because of St. Jude, and we want to support that,” says Elizabeth.
The program has steadily grown in the decade since Elizabeth became the volunteer coordinator. It now includes a full week of events, including family bingo night and community silent auction meant to get people excited about the Trike-A-Thon, and support their child’s fundraising efforts. This year the school raised a whopping $20,000 over the course of the week!
Elizabeth also takes time to explain to students where the money they are raising goes, and who it is helping. She says the students understand they are helping other children, and often have questions about the hospital and how it works to save lives.
When not at school, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. They love to take family adventures, packing the car with a cooler and hitting the road with no exact destination in mind. Elizabeth’s husband, Shawn, is joining her on the cruise.
