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When Tysen McGirr and his little brother Skylar Dillard found out that shoppers were throwing away free food prizes, they took the winnings to the bank. The food bank that is.
Last year they discovered that not everyone was taking advantage of instant winner game pieces in Safeway’s Shop, Play, Win Monopoly game.
“We saw people throwing away instant winners and we thought that food could go to the hungry,” Skylar said.
Tysen and Skylar don't play the Monopoly game. They collect the instant winner game pieces and throw away the non-instant winners.
With the help of their two grandmothers, Tysen and Skylar started asking shoppers in Quincy to donate their Monopoly tickets.
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Last year they collected about 2,400 tickets and that caught the attention of Plumas News photojournalist Roni Java who wrote a story on the brothers.
Their grandmother, Barbara Gonzales said the story went viral.
“That story was shared through Facebook all over the U.S. and that’s when the ticket started coming in,” Gonsales said.
Since February the boys have received more than 9,000 Monopoly game pieces. Many many are sent in through the mail.
The brothers started a campaign they call Kids Helping Kids, which encourages kids in other states to collect Monopoly pieced for food banks.
“Another group of kids in Idaho and Washington started groups and they are doing what they are doing,” Gonzales said.
Tysen and Skylar are Everyday Heroes feeding the hungry and special thanks to Plumas News and Roni Java who helped us with this story.
People interested in helping out can mail their unused game pieces to them at:
Kids Helping Kids
P.O. Box 420
Meadow Valley CA, 95956
See the Plumas News article here. https://www.plumasnews.com/two-brothers-triple-new-food-drive-success-thanks-to-9000-donated-safeway-monopoly-tickets/
If you want to nominate an Everyday Hero email John Bartell jbartell@abc10.com
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