Nickelodeon rewards Iowa girl’s relief efforts

Whenever Raegan Junge of rural Keystone hears about a natural disaster via the news or Facebook, she springs into action.

'I will pack up a box with personal items - little items like toothbrush, toothpaste, stuff like that - then I will get the address and send off a box to them,” she said.

Now 12, she has been doing that for half her life. She also makes and sells beaded bracelets and lip balm and holds garage sales to raise funds for her grass roots nonprofit organization, Raegan's Relief Efforts.

So far, she's raised more than $23,000.

That total nearly doubled overnight, when Raegan received a check for $20,000 as one of four youths nationwide receiving 2017 Nickelodeon Helping and Leading Others - or HALO - Awards. She traveled to New York City Nov. 1-5 with her parents, Jerry and Crystal Junge, and an aunt, Becky Junge, all of Keystone.

Her itinerary included taping the awards presentation that will air at 6 p.m. Sunday on cable TV channels Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nicktoons. Raegan's family and friends will gather at Keystone's Turner Hall for a viewing party that night. The show also will be streamed on Haloawards.com and will be available Monday at Nickelodeon on Demand.

Raegan knew about the prize money beforehand, which will help expand her home-based operation, but she didn't know that she also would receive a $10,000 scholarship.

'I was so excited,” she said of the surprise. 'It was so amazing, having that feeling and knowing that I have a start on college.”

A seventh-grader at Benton Community Schools in Van Horne, she's not sure what she might study later on, but knows philanthropic efforts will be her life's work.

She would like to go into natural disaster zones so she can see the needs firsthand, and turn her organization 'into something like the Red Cross,” she said.

For now, she's a typical preteen who was excited for her first trip to New York, her first boat ride, and the chance to meet stars like host Nick Cannon, country pop singer/songwriter Kelsea Ballerini and Nickelodeon stars performing in the hourlong concert special. She didn't get to meet HALO Hall of Fame honoree Kelly Clarkson, but said Ballerini is 'super sweet.”

Beyond all the star-power, Reagan was thrilled to meet the other three youth HALO winners:

l Andrew Dunn, 14, of Louisville. He founded RAK Louisville (Random Acts of Kindness Louisville), in an effort to flood Louisville with kindness through community events, service projects and kindness challenges.

l Zoe Terry, 11, of Miami. Bullied for the color of her skin and hair texture at a young age, she founded Zoe's Dolls, an organization that focuses on girl empowerment and combats bullying through programs and events that incorporate fitness, self-expression and community spirit.

l Caleb White, 15, of Detroit. After observing a homeless man sleeping on the streets of Detroit, Caleb started a communitywide effort to combat homelessness and help build youth leaders through volunteerism.

'They were all amazing,” she said. 'They were all so inspiring, and they're all gonna change the world, also.”

In this season of giving, Raegan is focusing on her favorite annual project, filling Christmas goody bags for veterans, to be distributed through the Veterans Outreach Center in Cedar Rapids on Dec. 15, along with serving 'a traditional Christmas feast.”

'It's my favorite because I actually get to meet them,” she said of the veterans project. 'They're like family, because we know each other so well and get to see each other. It's a better feeling when you get to meet them in person.” To learn more about Raegan's efforts, go to www.facebook.com/raegansreliefeffort

l Comments: (319) 368-8508; diana.nollen@thegazette.com

Tune In

- What: Nickelodeon HALO Awards 2017

- Featuring: Raegan Junge of Keystone

- When: 6 p.m. Sunday

- Where: Nickelodeon, TeenNick and Nicktoons cable television stations; available Monday at Nickelodeon On Demand

- Information: nick.com/halo-awards/