A 15-year-old boy, Waylon Klitzman from Evansville, Wisconsin, faced a serious challenge in overcoming his stage fright to honour his beloved teacher, Kim Katzenmeyer, who was retiring to focus on raising funds for neuroblastoma research. Heartbroken by her departure, Waylon initially attempted to bribe her with his savings of $52, but this gesture only sparked a greater realization about the joy of helping others. Inspired by Miss K’s dedication to the Beat Nb charity, which she championed after her niece was diagnosed with cancer, Waylon decided to auction off a pig he had raised, hoping to contribute to her cause.
Waylon’s plan took a different turn when he reached out to local businesses, pleading with them to bid higher than the typical price of $3 to $4 per pound for his pig. The auction began, and to his astonishment, the bidding quickly escalated to $11 per pound. Dan Drozdowicz, one of the bidders, proposed a remarkable idea: he would win the bid and then donate the pig back to be auctioned again. This act of generosity set off a resonance, as subsequent bidders followed suit, each winning the pig and then returning it for another round of bidding.
By the end of the auction, Waylon’s pig had been sold four times, ultimately raising a staggering total of $10,070 for the charity. The final bid came in at $5.50 per pound, but the cumulative effect of the bidders’ kindness transformed what Waylon initially thought would be a modest contribution into a reasonably huge donation. He expressed disbelief at the generosity shown by the community, stating, “I did not see that happening. My dream got bigger and bigger every time they said, ‘Give it back.’”
Waylon’s kind efforts did not stop with the pig auction. He is now preparing to sell pumpkins from his three-acre patch, with plans to donate all proceeds to Beat Nb. His teacher, Miss K, expressed immense pride in Waylon’s thoughtfulness, and the impact he is making in the fight against childhood cancer. She said, “He doesn’t know the impact that he is having… Someday he will.”
May neither age nor social status deter us from acting kindly.