We love a good bittersweet story. And one 10-year-old has just earned himself the nickname “Sam the Bottle Man” for the most heartfelt, genuine reason.
Sam Rideout, of South Portland, Maine, has made it his hobby for the past three years to collect bottles, cans and cash to buy holiday gifts for sick kids at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital in Portland, Maine.
“It makes me feel good, and I just think that they should have Christmas just like us, because it’s not really fair, because it’s not their fault that they have the diseases and stuff,” Sam said.
He started this tradition when he was just seven years old, and has made the most in donations this year than ever before.
This year, Sam was able to raise a whopping $6,300 from his bottles, cans and cash and buy a ton of toys for all the sick little ones. Can you believe that?
In his first year, Sam raised $900, and the second he raised $2,000, so this was certainly his most successful year yet.
Keep in mind bottle deposits range from just 5 to 15 cents, so you an do the math on how many bottles he was able to raise!
Sam got the idea to do this three years ago when he saw a Toys for Tots bin at Toys R Us, a program that allows children to receive gifts whose parents otherwise might not be able to afford to buy them.
Sam told his mom right then and there that he wanted to use his birthday money to buy toys for the Toys for Tots bin—but she had a better idea, and told him that maybe he could start his own toy drive. That was all he needed to get started. Good job, Mom!
Each year, Sam directs people to either his home to drop bottles off, or Alewives Brooks Farm in Cape Elizabeth, where Sam sometimes goes in the morning before school to help out his aunt. (Yes, he seriously does it all, and remember, he’s only 10!)
You can even donate electronically through his bank account, deemed “Sam the Bottle Man,” in case you can’t make it to Portland.
This year the drive hit home even more for Sam. Last year, he was hospitalized for four days with a rare disease called Kawasaki’s. He was already grateful for life before that, but he feels even more compelled to help out now that he knows what it’s like to be sick in the hospital.
“I’m going to do this for the rest of my life,” Sam said last year.
This year, Sam got to deliver the toys to the hospital in the most fun way—a police car!
To hear from Sam and see all the toys he got to deliver this year—plus how happy it truly makes him to give back—check out the heartwarming video below.
What do you think of Sam’s act of kindness to raise money for sick kids? Do you know any other 10-year-olds who act so selflessly?