Brian Kent
When the end of the year draws near, there are plenty of things on a kid’s mind. School will be out, there will be
plenty of sweet treats and presents to enjoy and fun things to do with family and friends.
For 12-year-old Oliver Kent, he spends his time volunteering.
“We like helping the community,” he says. “And we like donating.”
Fun Fact!
When Oliver isn’t volunteering, he enjoys watching and playing baseball.
The biggest event he helps happens every fall and is called the Sawmill Forest Spooky Trails, a haunted house attraction that collects donations for the local food pantries from its customers.
Brian Kent
Oliver and his dad, Brian Kent, work to put the trail together each year, inviting visitors to stop by on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the month of October.
“We started with just a big display in the front yard,” says Brian. “Then it kind of grew into what we have now.”
Since they started, the duo has collected between 600-800 pounds each year. This year they surpassed that by collected 1,378 pounds of food.
All of their collections have gone to the Dublin Food Pantry and Scioto High School Pantry.
The Kents take pride in collaborating with these organizations, putting all their hard work into a cause they support. Oliver, in particular, has lived in Dublin all of his life, and plenty of guidance and diligence has shown him how he wants to give back.
“It is just really fun when people come to like it,” says Oliver.
“Yeah, it seems like it puts a smile on everyone’s face to be here, and everyone loves the fact that we help the community out by doing this,” Brian says.
Helping Hand
If you are looking to donate items to people in need, the DFPantry and Scioto High School Pantry are open year-round and are always looking for donations. Here are a few items the Kents recommend
- Canned foods like tuna, soups and veggies
- Macaroni and cheese
- Ramen noodles
- Peanut butter
Elliot Fryman is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com.
