Iowa preteen honored nationally for raising money through painting

Arsh Pal of Asbury honoree of the 2022 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, raising more than $15,000 over the last four years

Oct. 3, 2022 7:45 am, Updated: Oct. 3, 2022 10:42 am

Arsh Pal, 12, of Asbury, Iowa, has been named an honoree of the 2022 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. (Supplied photo)

Arsh Pal, 12, of Asbury, Iowa, has been named an honoree of the 2022 Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes for raising money of nonprofits through sales of his artwork.

Arsh has raised more than $15,000 for organizations, including St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He also teaches painting at the nursing home where his mother works.

Arsh delights in the residents’ joy as they paint and sees art as a way to enhance their quality of life. He hopes to bring joy to more people through his work with Three Wishes for Ruby’s Residents, which supports seniors in nursing homes, which he launched when he was eight-years-old.

Interested in selling his artwork, Arsh realized he could use the money to help those in need. He chose St. Jude as his first beneficiary and within a year, delivered a $1,000 check to the hospital.

Arsh has created and posted dozens of tutorials on his YouTube channel and teaches art classes for kids.

“My parents always tell me, ‘Everyone lives for themselves; you can live for others,’” Arsh said in a news release. “That motivates me and I know that every small step and contribution will make a big difference.”

Each year, the Barron Prize celebrates 25 inspiring young leaders — fifteen top winners and 10 honorees — who have made a significant positive impact on people, their communities, and the environment. This year’s Barron Prize honorees are an outstanding group of young heroes chosen from more than 500 applicants across the U.S. and Canada.

The Barron Prize was founded in 2001 by author T.A. Barron and named for his mother, Gloria Barron. Since then, the Prize has honored more than 500 young people who reflect the great diversity of America. All of them demonstrate heroic qualities like courage, compassion, and perseverance as they work to help their communities or protect the planet.

“Nothing is more inspiring than stories about heroic people who have truly made a difference to the world,” T.A. Barron said in a news release. “And we need our heroes today more than ever. Not celebrities, but heroes — people whose character can inspire us all. That is the purpose of the Barron Prize: to shine the spotlight on these amazing young people so that their stories will inspire others.”