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TAMPA (FOX 13) - Brooke Prather just had a birthday party she'll never forget. Her entire fouth grade class showed up to her celebrate her big day. But what made this party so special had nothing to do with who or what was there, but what was missing.
"Instead of presents for my birthday I asked for my friends to bring canned food to be donated to Metropolitan Ministries," said Brooke.
It's pretty mature idea for a 10-year-old girl. She heard on the news how many people in the community go hungry everyday, and wanted to help.
"It's sad because we can have food that they can't. That's why I got them food instead of presents," explained Brooke.
So she turned her day of receiving into a day of giving. Brooke collected more donations than she and her mom could have ever imagined.
"I figured we'd get like one thing from every kid but kids were bringing boxes and boxes and whole tubs full of food. Everybody was excited to help," said Tracey Wasson, Brooke's mom.
A week after her party Brooke and her mom delivered a truck full of food to Metropolitan Ministries.
"I'm so proud of her, " said Tracy, "She's a good girl."
The folks at Metropolitan Ministries are proud of her too; and they were even more impressed that Brooke stayed after the delivery to help stock the shelves.
"Thank you so much brooke we couldn't do it without you, without your friends in your fourth grade class and the community in general," said James Dunbar, Associate Director of Outreach at Metropolitan Ministries.
Brooke says she has more good deeds planned and hopes her kindess inspires other kids to do the same.
"I want to challenge everyone, a bunch of kids, to do what I did and instead of presents, ask for something to help someone else," said Brooke.
If you are interested in helping out, visit www.metromin.org.