Entrepreneurs donate ‘bucket full of money’

Lindsay Sandham

A hundred bucks can pay for a lot of toys and candy. At least, that’s

what many children might consider buying with $100.

Not Roxana Crane, 9, and Lauren Willard, 10, both of Costa Mesa.

The two friends spent two weeks baby-sitting, dog-walking and selling

their arts and crafts until they had raised more than $100 -- $106.54

to be exact -- and donated it all to the Orange County Humane

Society.

“We walked in with a bucket full of money and these two really big

dog houses,” Roxana said.

Lauren said she thought the employees at the Humane Society were

surprised when they saw what the girls had accomplished.

Along with their hard-earned cash, the girls donated such items as

toys, dog beds, doghouses and towels, which people had given them to

donate once they explained why they were looking for work.

Lauren’s mother took the girls to the Humane Society a few weeks

ago, and all they could think about afterward was how they could

help. Roxana and Lauren brainstormed for days and eventually made

flyers and business cards, advertising their services.

“We just go to people we know; we don’t go to random people,”

Roxana said of their customers, who are mostly neighbors.

Giving isn’t a foreign concept to the girls. Jack Crane, Roxana’s

father, said his family makes donations to the Orange Coast

Interfaith Shelter and other charitable causes throughout the year.

Although the girls are too young to baby-sit on their own, they

have been offering parents some relief by entertaining their children

for a couple of hours at a time, so the parents can have some time to

themselves.

Lauren completed a baby-sitting course, which provided her with a

binder full of safety information, songs and recipes for

entertaining, and information on caring for infants, toddlers and

preschoolers. She taught Roxana everything she learned, so they could

do it together.

The two have been best friends since Lauren moved in across the

street four years ago. Soheila Crane, Roxana’s mother, said the only

days they don’t spend together are when one of them is out of town.

Roxana said they have no desire to keep the money they earn,

because they are fortunate to live in nice homes and have nice

things, so they feel compelled to share with people who are less

fortunate.

Now that they’ve made a substantial donation to the Humane

Society, the girls plan on raising money for other charities.

“We’re going to do it for different societies,” Roxana said.

She said they will start working again next week, and that this

time they may donate money to a homeless shelter or toward breast

cancer research.