When a Holmes Beach 10-year-old boy heard the Anna Maria Island Community Center may be forced to close because it couldn’t pay its bills, he knew he had to help.
So all summer, the young man has been turning a hobby into a way to give back.
Grayson Chatt is spending the majority of his summer vacation making tie-dye t-shirts.
He is twisting and dying dozens of shirts every day to raise money for the Anna Maria Island Community Center. The center has been struggling to pay its bills and was almost forced to close.
“I heard that the center was having problems moneywise. I said, 'I could do this. I could help,' ” Grayson said.
He said the center means a lot to the community.
“They don’t (send) anybody away even if you don’t have the money to pay. They still let you go,” he said.
With every unique blend of colors and patterns, he is giving back. So far he has sold about $600 worth of shirts. Community centers Executive Director Dawn Stiles said it’s one of the largest contributions they have had so far.
“To have it come from a little man that young, it’s just phenomenal. He is well on his way to being a young philanthropist,” Stiles said.
Once Grayson has tie-dyed about 100 t-shirts, he brings them to J&J graphics on Anna Maria Island, where they print his saying “Giving Is Good Therapy” on the shirts. It’s a saying he came up with to inspire others to do good as well.
“I want to inspire other people to do something good for the community,” Grayson said.
You can purchase Grayson’s tie-dye t-shirts at the Anna Maria Island Community Center. They range in price from $15 to $20.