Staff writer
With a bright smile and a big heart, 7-year-old Caileigh Johnson of Marion may be just as sweet as the cupcakes she bakes to benefit Eyeruse, an impoverished 6-year-old girl from Ethiopia.
“We’re very proud,” Caileigh’s mom, Shawna, said. “She has wanted to raise money for Eyeruse for a long time, and on a whim the other day asked if she could sell cupcakes.”
For the past two years, the Johnsons sponsored Eyeruse and her family through Compassion International, a child-advocacy ministry that pairs donors with those who are suffering from poverty.
“I wanted to give money to Eyeruse,” Caileigh said. “She is like an orphan, but she has a mom and a dad. All she has is a house, but she has to sleep on a dirt floor every night.”
Johnson said Eyeruse’s parents were sick and could not work.
Caileigh was affected by Eyeruse’s living conditions.
“It makes me feel awful,” Caileigh said. “We have like a hundred stuff in our house and she has like two things, a house and a dirt floor.”
Deciding to bake cupcakes and sell them for $5 apiece, Caileigh set about baking strawberry, chocolate, and assorted other flavors. She does her own decorationing, using edible glitter to add shine to all the colors of the frosting rainbow.
“She did everything herself, even the dishes,” Johnson said with a wink and a grin.
In just two days, Caileigh exceeded her goal of $200.
“I selled $310 of cupcakes,” Caileigh said.
Caileigh seemed thrilled to know that her cupcake contribution would go directly to Eyeruse, allowing her family to buy a goat and chickens to supply fresh milk and eggs, and maybe even a bicycle for Eyeruse.
Caileigh said it made her feel “super amazing” to know that she was helping Eyeruse.