Perk Valley Girl Raises Funds for Wounded Veteran

While most fifth graders were celebrating the end of school on the evening of June 11, Collegeville’s Kylie Monaco, 11, was celebrating the nearly $400 donation she made to the Veterans Of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7155, after caroling in December to raise money for an injured veteran.

Kylie, who will head to Perkiomen Valley Middle School East in the fall, said that after praying every night for her uncle who serves in the U.S. Air Force, she wanted to give back to a veteran.

“They give up so much for us that I thought I could give something back to them,” said Kylie.

After gathering up a group of her friends, Kylie set out on December 7 around Sugar Hill Circle in Collegeville and performed holiday classics to raise money for Lance Corporal Timothy Donley of the United States Marine Corps, who lost both of his legs while serving in Afghanistan and is a life member of the Trappe VFW post.

The girls raised $365, which was donated to the VFW on Donley's behalf. 

Kylie said she wanted to meet Donley to present the money, but he is still receiving treatment out of the state. For more on Donley's recovery, click here.

The response to the caroling was surprising to Kylie, who has watched her sister, Corryn, spearhead fundraising efforts for breast cancer.

Expecting only to raise around $100, she was very happy with the response, and plans to grow the fundraiser in years to come.

“I want to make this a bigger thing,” said Kylie. “I want to raise a lot for money, this was the beginning – I want to make it like Alex’s Lemonade Stand.”