O'FALLON, Illinois — In the heart of O'Fallon, Illinois, is a place that opens its heart to animals.
"Horses, cows, pigs, donkeys, dogs, cats," said Randy Grim.
All rescued from abuse and severe injuries.
"I call them the underdogs," he told 5 On Your Side's Mike Bush.
This is Randy's Rescue Ranch. A place of healing for those with four legs so they can help heal those with two.
"Tuesdays is special needs children," he explained. "Tomorrow is wounded warriors."
Opening your heart to animals can be expensive, which is why that heart skipped a beat when the ranch recently received a $10,000 check from an unlikely donor...
A young girl with purple hair.
"I just like purple," laughed Delaney Hall.
For the past six months, 13-year-old Delaney was on a mission. From poker events to painting events. One fundraiser after another. All to help these animals.
"They may have disabilities that kind of limit them, so I just thought we need to help them live up to their full potential," she told us.
"She's an amazing girl," added Grim. "She's done more than just raise money. She brought her heart and soul into all of this."
And this isn't the first time purple-haired Delaney has shown her true colors.
It started with her 8th birthday when her mom asked her a mom question.
"What do you want to do for your birthday?," recalled Lynn Hall. "I was thinking she'd say laser tag, roller blade, something like that. And she said, 'I want to do something to help dogs.'"
So, instead of gifts for herself, she opened up presents of dog leashes and dog food.
The next year it was blankets for kids with cancer.
And the year after that, it was more than 2,000 pairs of shoes for Shoeman Water Projects, which helped to bring fresh water to 600 homes in India.
"I just try to up it a little bit every year, so it can get bigger and bigger," Delaney said.
Delaney has never asked for anything in return, but she recently got a packet in the mail from the The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a program that recognizes young people for their community service.
"They pick two people from each state, a middle schooler and a high schooler," Delaney explained. "I happened to be the middle schooler from Illinois that they picked."
Delaney was honored at a luncheon in Washington, D.C.
"I was kind of in shock I think for a little bit," mom laughed.
You're never too young to teach old lessons about kindness being contagious.
"Even if one person sees this and then they want to help, that's one person more," she said.
Delaney Hall: a young girl who is still getting smarter and stronger but already has a heart in the right place.
For more info: https://www.facebook.com/DelaneysDonations/
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