Forty-four elementary school children from Neosho’s RISE Elementary School embarked on a 23.5-mile bus ride to Joplin Tuesday morning to hand deliver goodies for Freeman Health System’s youngest patients.

Affectionately called the “Pillowcase Project” by RISE school teacher Kacie Barratt, these first-grade students from Barratt’s and Ashleyanne Cantwell’s classes painstakingly sewed together the colorful, oversized pillowcases each stuffed with toys and books. In the past, Neosho High School students lent helping hands. But not this year.

“I would say the (pillowcases) are all imperfectly perfect,” Barratt said. “They are not all the same size, but they were all made with love. This was 100 percent their project.”

Roughly $1,200 was raised from a recent glow-in-the-dark “Under the Sea” concert held earlier this year. During their visit to Freeman, the 6- and 7-year-olds sang “Under the Sea” to the delight of Freeman employees and visitors. The money helped purchase the fabric along with the items placed inside, which included a pair of fuzzy socks, coloring books, handheld games, fidget spinners, and LEGO sets.  

“The (students) worked very hard, and they are proud of what they did—and they should be,” Barratt said. “They’re also glad to help others. We won’t see the smiles on the (children’s faces when distributed) but we know we are making the children feel better in the hospital.”

RISE elementary, part of the Neosho School District, is dedicated to STEAM education, embracing science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

Freeman Health System’s Kalseji Reeves, director of Freeman’s maternal-neonatal services, and Janell Franks, Freeman’s clinical coordinator, accepted the pillowcases from each student.

“It’s amazing,” Reeves said. “This is such a good lesson of being selfless and what the holidays are really all about. Just to see their smiles and gratitude when they are here definitely makes a positive impact.”