Meet Oklahoma's New Kid Governor - MetroFamily Magazine
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Meet Oklahoma’s New Kid Governor

by Hannah Schmitt

Reading Time: 2 minutesย 

Luke Peterson, 11, was recently selected as Oklahomaโ€™s new Kid Governor. Itโ€™s a coveted position created by Sunbeam Family Services and the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy to help give local kids a voice through an active community advocate to raise awareness about issues local children face.

Peterson is Oklahomaโ€™s third Kid Governor and heโ€™s passionate about talking to local kids to help them realize they have a unique ability and even a responsibility to help their peers who are less fortunate.

โ€œKids need a voice and someone to really talk about the kids and the problems they face,โ€ he said. โ€œWe need someone to acknowledge the problems kids face and really do something about it.โ€

Childhood hunger and education are two problems that rise to the top of Petersonโ€™s list of important local issues. Heโ€™s spent a lot of time volunteering at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma and he wants to encourage other young people to be more active advocates.

โ€œAny kid has the chance to make a difference, they just have to have the courage to stand up,โ€ he said. โ€œGet your friends involved too and it will be even better.โ€

Although many local organizations may not have volunteer opportunities for very young children, Peterson said hosting a donation drive is a great way for kids of any age to get involved in helping others and spreading the word about local causes.

Peterson and his 15-year-old brother wanted a way to do more than just volunteer at the food bank, so the two of them organized a video game competition in their neighborhood. The cost to compete was $3 plus a canned food item. They had about 50 competitors show up to have fun and give back at the same time.

Petersonโ€™s Mom, Kari, said she and her oldest son are shy and sometimes have a hard time getting out of their comfort zones to serve the community.

โ€œHe teaches us a lot,โ€ she said of Luke. โ€œHe has a natural ability to help others and it really encourages us get out of our comfort zones and do what we can for others.โ€

Jane Meeks, marketing and volunteer manager at Sunbeam Family Services, said thatโ€™s exactly what she hopes for the Kid Governor role.

โ€œWe use the kid governor as a way to really be the voice for kids, and we love that Luke is excited to be that voice,โ€ she said. โ€œHe really has a true passion for helping others and we want to see more kids like that.โ€

How to host a video game tournament for charity:

  • Pick your cause. Peterson is passionate about ending childhood hunger so he decided to support the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. He collected a combination of canned food goods and cash so that both could be donated.
  • Select a venue. The Peterson family set up a large television screen in their driveway, which provided the perfect place to play the video games plus acted as an advertisement to passersby about the donation drive.
  • Get the word out. Luke distributed some paper invitations to local friends but also created an event on Facebook to let neighbors know about the event.
  • Host the event. Have parents and other adults help select and set up the video games and keep the competition fair.
  • Award the winners. The winner of Petersonโ€™s video game tournament got to take home a small cash prize out of the $3 per person entry fee, but the rest of the cash and all the canned goods went to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma.

 

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