Everywhere in the world, we can observe and be touched by acts of kindness. People from all walks of life, faiths, and cultures extend themselves beyond the call of duty to help others unconditionally. Through their noble deeds, humanity as a whole is elevated.

To commend virtuous actions and encourage more people to be inspired by their examples, Supreme Master Ching Hai has lovingly created a series of awards, including the Shining World Leadership Award, Shining World Compassion Award, Shining World Hero and Heroine Awards, Shining World Honesty Award, Shining World Protection Award, Shining World Intelligence Award, and Shining World Inventor Award, to recognize some of the most exemplary, generous, caring, and courageous people who walk amongst us.

In their formative years, toys enrich the worlds of children. They are the building blocks of a castle, stuffed animals to love and superheroes to join in courageous deeds. Toys aid children in their play behavior, and play is important to their healthy physical and emotional development.

To five-year-old Riley Hebbard from Pennsylvania, USA, toys are also important. They mean fun, happiness and comfort. One day, when she saw on television some children around her age who were living in a refugee camp in Chad, near Darfur, Sudan, Riley felt sad and concerned. She saw that the children’s school had no furniture or carpet, and that the kids had no toys.

Riley and I were getting ready for school and work one morning, and she noticed “The Today Show” episode. She noticed that the children at the school had no toys to play with. As she puts it, they had just sticks and stones and dirt. So she decided right then and there, she was going to send her old toys to the children in this school.

But for Riley, this wasn’t enough. She had an even better idea.

On the way to school, she says, “Hey I think I’m going to ask all of my school friends to do the same thing.” So she did that, and I picked her up from school that day and got swarmed by all her friends. They all said they were going to send their toys to Africa and there it started. Next thing you know, we have collection boxes all around Mechanicsburg, and we’ve collected hundreds of thousands of toys.

Starting with one preschooler, a difference was being made – through Riley’s Toys for Darfur. It generated a huge wave of response in her community.

Strangers have been contributing. This is truly a community effort. We had a call from a gentleman. He’s got a group of friends and volunteers that carve wooden toys and he donated 250 hand-carved toys. Another woman, she’s 81 years old, living here in Mechanicsburg. She makes rag dolls and her husband paints their faces, and they send them to the children in Africa.

She’s got a few hundred she wants to send via Riley’s Toys. So, this has been incredible. Her school friends, the neighbor friends, people that read it in the paper are calling. Former teachers are callings saying, “Hey I’ve got these supplies I want to send.” It’s been a success due to the community.

In addition, the media have also been helping to spread the good deeds. Radio station BOB 94.9 invited Riley to share her warm-hearted story to their audience throughout the city.

Riley, how long ago was it that you had an idea that you wanted to help other children someplace else?

From February.

And you wanted to send toys to the children at the refugee camps in Darfur, is that right?

Yes.

What made you want to do that? You are five years old! You could have anything you want.

Because they didn’t have any toys and then it wouldn’t be fair if I got all of them.

And did you see something on television? How did you find out about the kids at the refugee camps?

Because they were running away and they just had to walk around with no toys.

Why do you think that when Riley looked at “The Today Show” and saw the children of Darfur in the first place, it caught her attention? What I’ve learned in this, is that children really, truly see the world differently than adults do. I was watching the story of course. I was learning about George Clooney was his mission was to have President Obama send a fulltime ambassador to the Darfur region. That was the story. What she noticed was that, while we watched the same segment, she saw all the kids that were playing at George Clooney’s feet, they had no toys and no windows, and it was just a world so different than hers. What she related to was the lack of choice.

For them to be at school and not have toys, stood out to her.

With the loving support of Riley’s mom and dad, Riley’s consideration and kindness brought comfort to more than 3,500 refugee children, in just the first shipment of donated toys.

Tell me what those children look like, because you’ve seen them on television or pictures, have you?

They looked really sad because they have no toys.

Oh, and that’s why you thought that was a good idea? (Yes.) Well, what kind of toys do you collect for them?

Outside toys and games and inside toys and frisbees. (And frisbees.) And puzzles.

Now, outside in your garage, you have lots of toys.

Yes.

What will you do with them?

Send them to Darfur.

We’ll be getting more toys for Darfur, and we’re trying to get enough toys so one child can have their own.

With the help of World Vision, an international humanitarian organization, the toys of love from Riley’s hometown in the USA travel all the way to refugee camps in both Africa and elsewhere, and finally into the hands of the children.

They’re helping us with logistics. So they are going to be taking the toys into their distribution center in Pittsburgh, and they will sort them and pack them and ship them over to the Darfur refugee camps in Africa.

I think they have 90 countries that they work with, so there are Darfur refugee camps in many places. The one that Riley happened to see on television that started the idea is in Chad.

When we return, Riley Hebbard, a five-year-old girl with a boundless heart, receives the Shining World Compassion Award and a donation from Supreme Master Ching Hai. Please keep your dial tuned here to Supreme Master Television.

What’s wonderful is that that generous contribution has helped this project go to the next level.

Thank you, and thank you to Supreme Master. This is amazing!

Welcome back to Enlightening Entertainment featuring Riley Hebbard, a five-year-old from Pennsylvania, USA who launched a toy drive to brighten the lives of conflict-affected African children staying in refugee camps. Riley’s Toys for Darfur inspired so many people, that it quickly expanded beyond her city’s borders. There are now eight official toy drop-off boxes throughout central Pennsylvania state.

We’ve had schools that said that they saw the flyer at a diner, so now school projects, they took it on and they’ve donated. So it’s grown. The Chamber of Commerce donated because of Jubilee Day yesterday. It just spread. So a lot of drop-offs.

How many toys do you want to send to the children in Africa?

A hundred!

And think of all the children in Africa. How many toys does each child need to receive?

One.

Riley wants a toy for each child, and she asks me how many that was, and I said, "That's hundreds of thousands." She says, "Well, then we have a lot more toys to get!"

Upon hearing Riley’s story, Supreme Master Ching Hai donated US$10,000 in support of Riley’s loving work for the Sudanese children.

Supreme Master Ching Hai wants you to have this for the work that you and your daughter, your husband, your family members are doing. And we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, for being kind to others. This is an award of compassion.

Well, thank you, this is awesome. This is absolutely… it’s beyond incredible, it truly is. This will definitely be put to good use; it will all go towards Riley's Toys.

With a check of US$10,000, what would you do with the money?

Put it in my bank account so they could build a big climber and playground at their school.

That is a wonderful idea!

That was her idea.

In addition to receiving Supreme Master Ching Hai’s contribution, Riley’s kindhearted family was also presented with Supreme Master Ching Hai’s #1 international bestselling books including “The Birds in My Life,” “The Dogs in My Life,” and “The Noble Wilds.” Riley’s mom expressed her heartfelt appreciation to Supreme Master Ching Hai for her encouragement and support for Riley’s Toys.

I want to say: Thank you! Your generosity is overwhelming, almost at a loss for words but thank you, thank you!

Thank you, from Riley as well.

Some time after the award presentation, Supreme Master Television was invited once more to Riley’s home to learn how Riley’s toy delivery project has advanced. It turns, out, thanks to Supreme Master Ching Hai’s donation, Riley’s Toys for Darfur was able to evolve into a foundation.

What’s wonderful is that that generous contribution has helped this project go to the next level. That contribution has helped it become a foundation. That’s the reason that we can continue to help people, take her idea one step further. She knew she can help the kids at that school that she saw, but now she can help children all through Africa. That’s pretty amazing.

We are going to be buying toys with that money and we’re working on partnerships with some toy companies so that that money will go even further.

That was the momentum for this whole project, so thank you to Supreme Master Ching Hai.

We sincerely salute you Riley, mom and dad, for your altruism and dedication in helping to comfort the children worldwide who so desperately need it. May you, your family, and all generous fellow citizens involved be graced abundantly by Heaven.

For more information about Riley’s Toys Foundation, please visit:

Charitable viewers, thank you for your company on today’s program. Coming up next is Words of Wisdom after Noteworthy News here on Supreme Master Television. Blessed be your noble deeds and gentle hearts.