Never underestimate the power of a child’s determination.

When the fourth graders in Tina Frazier’s class at Edison Elementary decided to collect donations for patients at Children’s Hospital of Michigan as part of their Social Studies Olympiad project it could have been assumed they would gather a couple boxes and call it a day.

Instead, they arrived with a cargo trailer filled to the roof.

“As we filled the trailer, students were surprised by the amount that they collected,” Frazier said. “Since things have come in in small bits at a time, they didn’t realize how much they actually had collected, and we quickly filled the trailer to bring downtown, getting them more and more excited with each load they brought out knowing how much good it was going to do for the patients who received it.”

Frazier, the students and some parents made the delivery to Children’s Hospital Wednesday.

“When we arrived, we were greeted by Sinead and other representatives from the hospital. They quickly helped to unload the many boxes we brought. While there, we were able to tell them a little bit about our project and find out a little bit more about how they use all of the donations. The representatives from the hospital explained that even just the other day the patients played BINGO from their rooms and some of the donations we collected would be used as prizes for things like that.”

The students hosted Hat Days, Gum Days and Pajama Days. They called small businesses in their community and left donation boxes for everything from toys and plush animals to blankets and other items that would bring a smile to a child in a hospital setting. Their work also went a long way in supporting the Child Life program at the hospital.

One of the reasons they chose Children’s Hospital is because a few of them or family members have spent time at this hospital.

Now the project will be entered into the National Social Studies Olympiad Contest.

“What I will remember most is the fact that the students’ excitement for helping others has spilled over into what they do in our classroom daily,” Frazier said “They are the first ones to reach out to someone who needs a friend, who is struggling in class, and who might not have a partner to work with. They got the other students excited about the project, and quite a few students are interested in doing it next year.”