Two friends turned a passion for social media into a fundraiser for families who need it most. They're this week's KRLD Difference Makers.
Kenny Freeland saw an opportunity in social media.
"Collaborations are huge right now in the industry. We were like. 'It would be really cool if we were able to create this same concept, but get kids involved and kids who are going through something really hard. And then instead of making someone rich we could raise a lot of money and distribute it to a lot of families,'" Kenny said.
Freeland and his best friend sat down with the oncology team at Children's Medical Center.
"They opened our eyes to the needs of families who are dealing with pediatric cancer because they're life has kind of come to a stop but their bills haven't. They're traveling more, eating more on the road and then you add in all the medical expenses," Kenny said.
That's when Salood was born. Salood is a non-profit organization that strategically partners pediatric cancer patients with brands to create products and sell them to raise money to support families that are dealing with pediatric cancer.
Families like the Pacheco family. Ten year-old Avery is battling leukemia.
"She had been completely healthy. She's a cheerleader, very active, tumbling. She was totally fine but then one day she started complaining about pain in her back and legs within about three days she couldn't walk," said Emily Pacheco, Avery's mom.
Getting the diagnosis of leukemia was a shock for the family.
Now through Salood, Avery is designing her own sweatshirt.
"On the front it has 'bravery.' which is my nickname, and on the back it has all words of encouragement," Avery said.
"So now we have a patient like Avery that we connect with a designer or brand and then the proceeds from the collaborations are distributed to multiple families," said Kenny.
Kenny says it's been a win win for everyone involved.
We're proud to call Salood and Avery Bravery Pacheco - this week's KRLD difference Makers.
If you know someone making a difference in the community, send us an email at differencemaker@krld.com.
