In the spirit of community involvement, the “Young but Mighty” girls’ group has emerged as a driving force behind positive change. Miranda Keplar, a 4th-grader, and Gracelynn Lynch, a 3rd-grader at Eads Elementary School, embarked on a mission to leave a lasting impact on their community. Their passionate vision inspired their mothers, Nichole Keplar and Raina Lucero, to join them in raising funds for programs that not only benefit them but also future generations.
With support from Miranda’s siblings, Ellie and Prestyn, the “Young but Mighty” group was born. These resilient young girls have organized two highly successful bake sales, generously directing all proceeds toward selected programs and organizations. Their philanthropic journey commenced with a heartfelt contribution to the Kiowa County Public Library District for the Summer Reading Program, a beloved activity for children throughout the county.
Their most recent endeavor took place at the Maine Street Bash in Eads, where they set up a bake sale and lemonade stand. When asked about their chosen cause for the funds, their resounding response was, “THE SWIMMING POOL.” Encouraged by numerous donations of baked goods and other items from friends, family, and community members, their bake sale proved an extraordinary success, with goods selling out within hours and an impressive total of $320 raised.
Four summers ago, which is nearly half the life of founders Miranda and Gracelynn the Eads Public Pool was closed permanently after being considered too dangerous to re-open. According to Town Clerk Robin Fox, the Town of Eads has applied for various grants including a GOCO grant, “It is now just a waiting game to hear if we will receive the funds to begin to build a new pool.”
Even with the in-kind help offered by local contractors, donations, fund raising, and other efforts to finance a new pool, the Town of Eads cannot afford to build a new pool without the help of grants such as the GOCO grant, they have applied for.
With each summer that goes by, there are core memories of sunbathing on the sun deck, their first belly flop off the diving board, or their first game of “blackie” that will not happen for these children.
“Young but Mighty” recently attended the Town of Eads council meeting on Tuesday, September 12, where they presented a check to support the swimming pool. The council was deeply impressed by the girls’ unwavering commitment to raising funds for this important cause, recognizing them as an exceptional group of young individuals dedicated to the betterment of their community.
When asked why they want to help their community, Miranda stated, “Because I want there to be fun things to do for me and for my little sisters when they grow up.” Gracelynn stated, “Because helping out is the right thing to do, if we don’t help out then maybe we won’t have any fun things to do to keep us out of trouble.”
The Young but Mighty are currently planning another bake sale during the annual Merry on Maine event in Eads in December. Stay tuned for more information.
