The holiday season is a time for giving. And the National Little Britches Rodeo Association (NLBRA) Junior Princess, Zoë Morgan, is a well ahead of schedule.

Zoë and her royalty colleagues have spent the last two months working hard to coordinate a book drive for children in their local children’s hospitals. Zoë has single-handedly raised 175 books to donate to kids staying at Children’s of Mississippi Hospital (formerly Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children).

Zoë finds a lot of joy in coordinating special donations like the book drive.

“It feels awesome,” she said. “I feel like I’ll really make a difference in some of the kid’s lives. I think they’re going to be really really excited”

This book drive was a dream shared between Zoë and her royalty partners in the NLBRA. They wanted to do something to bring joy and give back to their communities. Once they got the idea, it gained traction among their communities quickly.

They even have some of their own favorite children’s books picked out!

“One of my favorite books is ‘Molly the Pony’. She was in a serious accident and had to get a prosthetic leg,” said Zoë. “I think these are really educational, and some kids can really relate to them.”

Mark Payton, the Gift Coordinator for Children’s of Mississippi, was excited to be received the donation to the hospital.

“The kids are always elated and ecstatic to have these kinds of donations,” he said. “We have a lot of children that go through a hard time – they may be scared – and so giving them a gift such as a book . . . it

brings them comfort and it puts their mind at ease when they’re going through being in the hospital, especially through the holiday times.”

Zoë has a long history of giving back to her community. From a young age she has been giving back. At one point, she even brought her own pony to the hospital.

The NLBRA itself does not hesitate when it comes to giving back. One important organization that they manage is Hope Counts.

Hope Counts was founded by a 12-year-old girl to help rodeo families who are impacted by tragedies. Zoë will have a booth at the 2022 Dixie National Rodeo where visitors can come and make donations. Anyone who donates will receive a blue feather, which is the symbol that represents Hope Counts.

Zoë and her friends have done their good deeds for the year. Have you?

There are several ways that someone can donate to Children’s Hospital of MS. Fund raisers, toy drives, art supply drives are all great options that can make a child’s day brighter.

They also have an Amazon and Wal-Mart wish list on their website at www.umc.edu/inkinddonations

To schedule a donation call (601) 213-8054, or send them an email at inkinddonations@umc.edu.