Sedalia fifth-grader passes up birthday presents to help shelter animals

A fifth-grade student at Sacred Heart School celebrated her birthday with friends learning Zumba, making a music video and playing basketball, but when she opened her gifts she was not disappointed to receive paper towels and dog food.

Elex Simon, 11, of Sedalia, just moved to the area about six months ago with her family.

When Elex and her parents began planning her 11th birthday party, they suggested she donate some of her gifts to help the people in Haiti.

“I didn’t need toys or gifts,” Elex said.

Elex had her own idea though — ask her friends for gifts that she could donate to the Mid-Missouri Humane Society.

“The animals need stuff,” Elex said.

Elex’s mother, Jennifer Simon, said she was excited by her daughter’s idea and agreed to help a local organization.

Friends brought Elex cases of paper towels, huge bags of dog food, cat toys and treats.

“I think it’s everything I could have wanted,” Elex said.

Some of Elex’s favorite gifts were the dog and cat toys, especially a squeaking goose dog toy.

“It gave you such as warm feeling,” Jennifer Simon said.

It’s apparent that Elex loves animals, especially her own. She has a dog named Roxy, Tigger the cat and three hamsters named Alvin, Simon and Theodore.

Her favorite animals is a giraffe though.

“I wish they were pets,” Elex said.

This is not the first time Elex has extended a hand when it came to animals.

In the past, Elex met a girl at an animal store who wanted to buy a hamster, but the store was sold out. At the time, Elex had seven hamsters and decided to give the girl one of hers.

Elex and her family delivered the supplies to the shelter last week and said employees were very surprised.

“It kind of made me feel really good,” Elex said.

“It made me want to cry,” her mother said.

Crystal Johnson, manager of the Mid-Missouri Humane Society, said she loved animals just as much as Elex as a child, but she still would not want to miss out on receiving birthday presents.

“I was extremely impressed,” Johnson said. “It was just amazing of her.”

Elex wanted to show people what they can do to make a difference in their area and she plans to continue to help people and animals at future birthday parties.

“Every chance I can get I will do this,” Elex said.