6-Year-Old Boy Gathers Donations For Hundreds Of Easter Basket For Kids In Need

For many kids, Easter is a time to dye eggs, eat tasty treats, and perhaps do an Easter egg hunt or two. For one 6-year-old boy in Missouri, however, the holiday takes on a different meaning entirely.

Despite his young age, Luke Flerlage has been volunteering with the Alleluia Baskets non-profit for years (basically his entire life). While it started with him helping his mom and aunts pack Easter baskets for kids in need, Luke quickly developed a passion for the cause and started doing his part to help out as well.

This year, Luke really made a massive difference by gathering enough donations to fill hundreds of Easter baskets for Alleluia Baskets. The non-profit uses the donations to create Easter baskets which are delivered to senior citizens and kids in need.

Speaking with KSDK, Luke said: “I thought it would be nice to help other people.”

The non-profit’s founder, Karen Mesler, told the outlet that each basket boasts a small stuffed animal, along with books, toys, toothbrushes, art projects, and socks. The organization relies on donations to fill the needs for the baskets, and that’s where Luke has come in massively.

“Luke came this year in February with 12,221 items!” Mesler said. He’d gathered so many donations, in fact, that he required some assistance with unloading them.

The O’Fallon Fire Protection District Facebook page even shared about Luke’s generous donation, saying that they helped him unload his trailer of supplies and donations for Alleluia Baskets.

They said, “Luke raised money and collected this whole trailer full of supplies. He brought his buddy Finley along also to help out. It is awesome to see young people making a difference in their community. Great job Luke.”

The non-profit introduced Luke to its Facebook page back in 2021. In the post, they said that the then 5-year-old boy had already been volunteering for “several years” and “truly puts all his heart and joy in each basket he fills with his mom and his aunts.”

They went on to say that after the 2021 season ended, Luke set out to not only gather donations but also recruit friends and family to help! As summer went on, Luke sourced hundreds of donations. By late August, he’d managed to gather 1,086 items for the Easter baskets!

Alleluia Baskets ended the post saying, “He was proud and he carried the boxes in with his parents, uncle and volunteers from the two full cars. I know you can see the love in his eyes, the joy in his smile. He is a true inspiration.”