FRISCO, Texas — Eleven-year-old Treyson Pierce, of Frisco, isn’t one to beat his own drum. Which is why, for nearly two months, he kept a big secret from his mom.
“I didn’t know what she was going to say so I was just a little worried,” Pierce said.
“It’s rare that he hides something from me,” said Pierce’s mom, Krystal Sanders. “He doesn’t usually do that.”
Sanders says he finally came clean last month and told her that for his birthday, he started a GoFundMe asking people for money.
“I looked at him and I was like, ‘Take it down immediately. What is this?’” Sanders said. “Until I read the description and I said, ‘Wait a minute,’ and I had to dial back a bit and I said, ‘Oh my gosh.’”
Instead of birthday presents, Pierce wanted to collect money to give to the homeless.
“I wanted the homeless to know that there’s still people that care in the world,” he said.
He got the idea for a fundraiser after hearing how people raised money for tornado victims in Mississippi. In May, two months before his birthday, he set out to do the same thing.
Unsure of how his mom might respond, he used his grandma’s email to create the GoFundMe.
“He knows my mom doesn’t check [her email] as frequently,” Sanders said.
“Whenever my mom says no, I go to my grandma,” Pierce said. “She’s up for all my shenanigans.”
His goal was $1,000 and as a future preacher, he had plenty of faith he’d get there.
“I believed I would get it,” he said.
Sure enough, Pierce not only met his goal, he surpassed it. As of Sept. 6, his GoFundMe has received over $1,100.
He plans to partner with local charities to help as many people as possible.
“I just wanted to inspire other kids to let them know that your age doesn’t matter,” Pierce said. “You can still make a difference in this world.”
With a message like that, he’s already drummed up plenty of support.
To donate to Pierce’s fundraiser, click here.