INDIANA — Eighteen-year-old high school senior Wesley never expected that starting with a simple pen would lead to a $2,600 donation to Youth First. After launching a 72-hour challenge on his YouTube channel, he selected Youth First as the recipient of whatever funds he could raise through a creative trading mission. His effort quickly gained the attention of his family, friends, and his Youth First Mental Health Professional at Castle High School, Chasidy Lambert.
“He’s a student with a vision!” Lambert said. “I don’t know many people who could turn a pen into a boat… just by asking! I’m so proud of the growth I’ve seen in him. He’s made big steps in connecting with people and in his demeanor and responsibilities. He pushes himself to maintain a healthier mindset and form healthy relationships. Seeing him use his skills to achieve a fundraiser like this for Youth First is amazing.”
Wesley started his YouTube channel as a way to push himself beyond his social anxiety. Wanting to use the platform for something positive, he came up with the idea of trading a pen up to a high-value item, then donating the proceeds to a local nonprofit. To hold himself accountable, he set a 72-hour limit and created the challenge: “72-Hours to Trade a Pen for Charity.” With a friend filming, he committed to three days of trading, ending with whatever item he secured at the final deadline.
On day one, Wesley made his first trade when a couple swapped his pen for a Mother’s Day decoration. That small success fueled a huge second trade: a propane grill. Although the ignitor didn’t work, the grill could still be lit manually.
Day two brought another surprising turn. An individual offered to trade a subwoofer and amplifier for the grill. By the end of the day, Wesley and his friend decided to broaden their reach, posting the available items on Facebook Marketplace and Snapchat. Their social media outreach paid off; by day three, Wesley received an offer to trade the subwoofer and amplifier for a 12-foot jon boat—a flat-bottomed, lightweight fishing boat. After securing a truck to transport it, the trade was finalized.
Later that same day, Wesley found a buyer for the boat and announced that his chosen charity was Youth First. When the buyer learned the proceeds were being donated, he increased his offer to $1,500. Additional contributions from family and friends who followed the challenge brought Wesley’s total donation to an impressive $2,600.
“I’ve never seen anything like this!” said Julie Hoon, Youth First’s Vice President of Marketing & Communications. “Our donors are incredible and come in all ages and stages of life, but not many can say they turned a pen into $2,000. Wesley’s heart is big, and I’m so impressed with his charitable mindset. I hope he motivates other young people to see how one idea can support a mission and make a substantial impact.”
When asked why he chose Youth First, Wesley explained, “Other people need this money more than me. I wanted it to go to an organization that has helped me, and that’s Youth First. I want to make sure they’re always able to help students.”
If you are inspired by Wesley’s story and would like to consider a donation to Youth First this holiday season, please visit our website at youthfirstinc.org/donate. Write “Wesley’s Story” in the comment box.
To visit Wesley’s YouTube channel, Fever-R, and watch this story, click here: I Turned a Pen Into $2000 for Charity.
Julie Hoon is the Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Youth First, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening youth and families. Youth First provides over 100 highly trained mental health professionals (primarily master’s level social workers), prevention programs, parent engagement coordinators, and bilingual support personnel to 130 schools across 14 Indiana counties. Over 55,000 youth and families each year are served by Youth First’s school-based social work and community programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success. To learn more about Youth First, visit youthfirstinc.org or call 812-421-8336.
