Local girl’s mission touches many | News, Sports, Jobs – fairmontsentinel.com

ABOVE: Natalie Flaherty, 10, is seen dressed as Anne Frank, complete with a makeshift journal as the diarist had, and holding bracelets she had made with a message to stop hate. Flaherty will be handing out the bracelets tonight along Woodland Avenue in Fairmont.

FAIRMONT– While just 10 years old, Fairmont native Natalie Flaherty is on a mission to stop hate. The girl, who is a fifth grade student at Fairmont Elementary School, has gotten bracelets made with the message, which she is handing out tonight along Woodland Avenue in Fairmont. They’re also available around Fairmont and the rest of Martin County and are even being shipping to other parts of the country and world.

What really sparked Flaherty’s desire to spread kindness was learning about her now-hero, Anne Frank, who she’s dressing up as today for Halloween. Flaherty first learned of the celebrated diarist while reading it in a third grade class at school.

Natalie’s mother, Becky Flohrs, said that her daughter had wanted to dress as Anne Frank for Halloween for the past two years.

“I was hesitant. I wanted to make sure she fully understood everything about Anne Frank and what happened. But this year she said, ‘I’m ready, mom. I really want to do it. Instead of trick-or-treating, I want to do something for other people,’” Flohrs said.

Over the past two years, Flaherty has done more research on her own about Anne Frank, which has included reading more books and watching documentaries. This led her to see that ultimately, hate is what killed Anne Frank so she set out to on a mission to end hate.

In thinking how to get the message across, Flaherty landed on the idea to place it on bracelets, which say ‘I stand with Anne. Put a stop to hate.’

“It’s a simple way to unite us all,” Flaherty said.

“People can look down and see and be reminded of the cause,” Flohrs added.

The money for the bracelets came from Flaherty herself, who dipped into her savings for them. Flohrs originally ordered 100 but quickly found out she would need more because while Flaherty was going to hand them out on Halloween going door-to-door, she’s now going to be set up on Woodland Avenue giving them to the scores of trick-or-treaters who annually go down the street on Halloween.

As more and more people have become aware of the project, Flohrs said businesses started reaching out, asking if they could give out the bracelets, too.

They will be available for pick-up in about six local stores, but that’s not all.

“They’re being shipped to 23 states and two, possibly three counties,” Flohrs said.

Flaherty said a lot of her friends at school have supported her mission and wear her bracelets, as do many other kids at school.

As for what’s next, Flaherty is going to try to give out bracelets during the upcoming annual Fairmont Glows Parade.

“She just ordered 2,000 more for the coming weeks and we’ll go from there,” Flohrs said.